Nursing (NURS) 400

Overview

Nursing 400: Adult Health and Health Alterations focuses on the theory and research related to nursing practice with adults experiencing a wide range of acute and chronic alterations in health. With application of health promotion strategies and primary health care principles, emphasis is placed on holistic understanding of the altered health experience and associated interventions. The primary themes threaded throughout the course are professional RN practice and accountability, the patient and family as client, the influence of culture on health and nursing care, the importance of patient education, patient safety, inter-professional collaboration in providing care, and hope and coping in relationship to health alterations. In addition, there is a focus on enhancing digital literacy and acquisition of digital resources for ongoing learning. NURS 400 provides a theoretical foundation for NURS 401.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course students will be able to meet or exceed the following:

• Analyze and evaluate health influencing and health promoting factors for adults and their families who are experiencing acute and chronic alterations in health.
• Demonstrate an understanding of patient coping patterns related to cultural values, beliefs and practices, comfort and pain, hope, loss, and the illness process, as determined from assessment data.
• Analyze and synthesize accurate and current knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and complementary therapies when assessing and planning for the provision of patient care in an inter-professional healthcare environment.
• Demonstrate ongoing professional accountability and responsibility for one’s own learning.
• Utilize relevant nursing research findings in assessing, planning and evaluating information to provide evidence-based care to acutely and chronically ill adults and their families.

Course Structure

• Unit 1: Self-Assessment of Existing Knowledge of Adult Health Alterations and Consideration of the RN Role
• Unit 2: Nursing Process and Practice: Concept Mapping Your Nursing Care
• Unit 3: Hematology and Immunology Health Alterations
• Unit 4: Respiratory System Health Alterations
• Unit 5: Mobility Related Health Alterations and Protective Issues
• Unit 6: Cardiac and Vascular Related Health Alterations
• Unit 7: Neurology Related Health Alterations: Cognition, Perception and Sensation
• Unit 8: Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal System Health Alterations
• Unit 9: Metabolism and Nutritional Related Health Alterations
• Unit 10: Evidence Based Comprehensive Health Assessment

Evaluation

To receive credit for NURS 400, you must complete and submit all of the required assignments and achieve an overall grade of at least “C” (64%). Effective January 1, 2010, all written submissions must follow the most current edition of the Publication Manual by the American Psychological Association.

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

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

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