Nursing (NURS) 437

Overview

Nursing 437: Professional Practice in Family and Community Health Promotion an online paced study practicum course that provides opportunities to integrate theory and develop further skills related to family and community health promotion. Practice will occur in a variety of settings including community agencies, public health and home health. Each student's placement will be unique and grounded in the practice of the agency and preceptor and supported by the course instructor. There are opportunities to apply community and family assessment skills, and nursing intervention strategies in recognition of concepts outlined in community and family nursing assessment model(s). The practicum requirements include a community agency placement of 4 weeks - full time. Students will be assigned to a Registered Nurse preceptor and will be supported by an Athabasca University Clinical Instructor. Students will maintain regular contact with their Clinical Instructor. Students must successfully complete the practicum and all assignment requirements in order to pass this course.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of NURS 437, students will achieve or exceed the following learning outcomes:

• Integrate concepts related to population health, primary health care and health promotion while working with diverse families and communities;
• Integrate concepts outlined in community and family nursing assessment model(s) while carrying out the nursing process with community and family as client focus;
• Pose research questions that remain unanswered both in your personal learning and in the profession of community and family health nursing;
• Demonstrate professional nursing behaviour by practicing safely, using evidence based practice, clinical judgment, critical thinking, and innovation; and
• Comply with legal and ethical standards in nursing practice settings by incorporating clients’ values, beliefs, and rights within the mandate and the role of the profession, namely the CARNA Entry-Level Competencies for Nurse Practitioners in Canada, the CARNA Professional Boundaries and the CNA Code of Ethics.

Course Structure

NURS 437 is a 16-week paced online course with a clinical practicum of 140 hours. Clinical practice takes place over a 4-week period in a community agency with family and/or community as the client, with the guidance of both a Registered Nurse preceptor and an Athabasca University Clinical Instructor. A beginning knowledge of family and community theories and family and community assessment model(s) is required prior to starting NURS 437.

Evaluation

NURS 437 is graded on a Pass/Fail basis. To receive credit for NURS 437, all clinical practice and assignment requirements must be successfully completed and submitted. Effective January 1, 2010, all papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the APA Publication Manual (6^th ed.) (2010).

The required assignments are as follows: