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Nursing (NURS) 250

Exploration of Professional Nursing Practice (Revision 2)

Revision 2 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version.

Delivery Mode: Individualized study online.

Note: Follow directions on the [Undergraduate Course Registration] form to register in the course.  Online course materials cannot be accessed prior to your course contract start date.

Credits: 3

Area of Study: Applied Studies

Prerequisite: All non-nursing required, support and option courses; post LPN BN program student; Professor approval required.

Faculty: Faculty of Health Disciplines
Centre: Centre for Nursing and Health Studies

NURS 250 is not available for Challenge.

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Overview

Nursing 250: Exploration of Professional Nursing Practice explores professional nursing practice focusing on levels of practitioners and their roles, responsibilities, and positions within the health care system as determined by standards of practice and professional competencies. The course is intended to assist the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in transition to Registered Nurse (RN) roles, including roles in population health, primary health care, and health promotion. It is recognized that the LPN has a sound practice orientation and comes from a profession with its own standards of practice, of ethics, and continuing competency program. NURS 250 builds on the professional attributes of the LPN in preparing the LPN to assume the role of the RN. The course assists the LPN to acquire the introductory knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgments required to prepare for a new role of Registered Nurse in the health care system.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of NURS 250, the student will achieve or exceed the following learning outcomes:

  • Understand and apply the concepts of role transition and change process to their own journey from LPN to RN roles and responsibilities;
  • Identify the effect of significant historical events on the development of nursing;
  • Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of LPN, RN, and RPN in the health caresystem of Alberta;
  • Describe the ethical and legal foundations for professional nursing practice as outlined in the code of ethics, professional competencies and the standards of practice;
  • Articulate the role changes of the professional nurse as the focus of care shifts from the individual to families, groups, and communities;
  • Articulate the role changes of the professional nurse as the focus changes from illness to health promotion;
  • Discuss the influence and effect of societal and political changes on the role of the RN; and
  • Examine the effect of personal values, beliefs, and assumptions on the development of one's own professional identity and self-concept as an RN.

Course Structure

Unit 1: Role Transition and Change Process

Unit 2: History of Nursing

Unit 3: Roles and Responsibilities of Nurses

Unit 4: Ethical and Legal Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice

Unit 5: Care of Families, Groups, and Communities

Unit 6: Health Promotion

Unit 7: Societal and Political Effects on Role of Nurse

Unit 8: Development of Own Identity as a Registered Nurse

Evaluation

To receive credit for NURS 250, students must complete and submit all of the required assignments including a comprehensive final examination and achieve an overall composite grade of at least “C-” (60%). Effective January 1, 2010, all papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) (2010).

The assignments and weighting of the composite grade are as follows:

Personal Plan for Role Transition 10%
Ethical and Legal Dilemma Paper 25%
Exploration of a Selected Nursing Role 25%
Comprehensive Final Examination 40%
Total 100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, J. (2006). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Other Materials

Students will receive an Access Letter in the course package with instructions for gaining access to this online course. A variety of electronic journals and websites are used in the course and paper copies are not included in the course package.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 2, January 6, 2006.

View previous syllabus

 

Last updated by SAS  09/10/2013 12:09:42