Concept-Based Transition to Professional Nursing Practice

Class

Integration of previous health care knowledge and skills into the role development of the professional nurse as a provider of patient-centered care, patient safety advocate, member of health care team, and member of the profession. Emphasis is on clinical decision-making for patients and their families. Review of selected health care and professional nursing concepts with application through exemplars. Health care concepts include comfort, diversity, elimination, functional ability, human development, mobility, nutrition, sensory perception, sleep, coping, thermoregulation, tissue integrity, acid-base balance, clotting, cognition, fluid and electrolyte balance, gas exchange, immunity, metabolism, nutrition, grief, and perfusion. Professional nursing concepts include clinical judgment, communication, ethical-legal, evidence-based practice, health promotion, health information technology, patient-centered care, patient education, professionalism, safety, teamwork and collaboration. Introduces concepts of leadership and management. This course lends itself to a concept-based approach. 

Course Learning Objectives
  1. Utilize a systematic process to analyze selected health care concepts to manage care for patients across the lifespan
  2. Describe the interrelatedness among health care concepts to assist in developing clinical judgement
  3. Describe the attributes and roles of the professional nurse including leadership, management, and principles of delegation
  4. Apply a systematic problem-solving process for the development of clinical judgement
  5. Discuss the legal-ethical parameters for professional nursing practice including the Nursing Practice Act and the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics as related to selected exemplars
  6. Utilize professional communication techniques in providing patient-centered care and collaborating with members of the health care team
  7. Identify health promotion needs for patients across the lifespan.

DECS Competencies: See ADN Handbook Appendix A

SCANS Competencies: See ADN Handbook Appendix D

Required Textbooks
  • ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute) resources https://www.atitesting.com/
  • Lippincott The Point website for electronic textbooks/readings and concept library http://nursingconcepts.lww.com/. See Student ADN Handbook for textbook listings
  • Nursing: A concept-based approach to learning (3rd ed.). (2019). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson
Evaluation Standards

Evaluation Methods:

60%                   Unit Exams

20%                   Final exam

5%                                    ATI Assessment

5%                                   Prep U

5%                                   Lab Assignment

5%                                   Presentation

100% total

Grading Criteria:

89.5-100%   A               79.5-89%   B                  74.5-79%   C                           74% and below   F                 Withdraw W

Scheduled Exam Process: See Standard Exam Policy and Test Review Policy in ADN Handbook

ATI Proctored Assessment: See ADN Handbook Program Standards for complete details.

ATI grading criteria for ATI National Concepts Proctored Assessment for levels I, II, III will be used. The assessment includes, as part of the score, the level the student has achieved:

Level 3 -10                     Level 2 -85                     Level 1 -75                     Below level 1 – 50

Failure to take the exam will prevent progression to the next semester. Failure to complete remediation prior to the final exam will result in student not being allowed to take final exam until remediation completed. Late testing penalty of 10 point deduction will apply, as per academic standard number six.

Assignments: See CANVAS for details

Course Progression

A final grade of C or better must be achieved to successfully pass this course.

A = 89.5 – 100%           B = 79.5 – 89.4%              C = 74.5 – 79.4%          F = 74.4 and below

Course Content: Tissue Integrity, Coping, Diversity, Comfort, Mobility, Communication, Patient Centered Care, Patient Education, Health Promotion, Leadership/Management, Immunity, Metabolism, Nutrition, Elimination, Sensory Perception, Sleep, Legal/Ethics, Teamwork/Collaboration, Fluid/Electrolytes, Perfusion, Clotting, Human Development. Gas Exchange, Acid/Base, Cognition, Functional Ability, Safety, Professionalism, Evidence-Based Practice, Clinical Judgment, Grief

Absences

Attendance to all classes is expected. All fall/spring 16 week lecture/lab courses, or summer 12 week lecture/lab courses will allow two absences per semester. All Summer Transition lecture/lab courses are allowed one absence due to the abbreviated 10 week length of the semester. Any spring semester transition courses taught within 8 weeks are also allowed only one absence due to the abbreviated length.  Any absences that occur beyond the allowed number of absences will result in a 10% deduction from the final course grade for each further absence. Arriving more than 15 minutes late for class, or leaving class more than 15 minutes early will result in accruing an absence.  If the absence occurs on a scheduled exam date, the student will be allowed to take the exam within one week as scheduled by the instructor. However, an automatic 10- point deduction will be applied to exam grade. If a student knows an absence will occur on a scheduled exam date, the student may make arrangements with instructor to take the exam early without penalty.

Disabilities

ADA Statement:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) may contact the Office on the Weatherford College Weatherford Campus to request reasonable accommodations. Phone: 817-598-6350 Office Location: Office Number 118 in the Student Services Building, upper floor. Physical Address: Weatherford College 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX.

Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is fundamental to the educational mission of Weatherford College, and the College expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials including unauthorized use of Generative AI. Departments may adopt discipline specific guidelines on Generative AI usage approved by the instructional dean. Any student who is demonstrated to have engaged in any of these activities will be subject to immediate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional procedures.
Hope Statement
Any student who faces challenges securing basic resources such as food, clothing, or housing and believes this may affect their performance in their course of study is urged to contact the Director of Student Resources, Dr. Deborah Cregger, for support at (817) 598-6444. Her office is on the first floor of Student Services. If the student prefers, they may contact their instructor, who can reach out on their behalf. Weatherford College also provides the Coyote Pantry. The Pantry maintains boxed and canned foods for students in need. The location of the Coyote Pantry is two blocks west of the Weatherford campus at the Baptist Student Ministry (118 E. Park Ave., Weatherford). Pantry hours are Mon-Thurs. 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Fri. 8.30 am-12:00 pm (817-599-6586).