Overview
Nursing 401: Professional Practice with Adults Experiencing Health Alterations is a 6-credit paced study online course with a clinical practicum component. The course is paced over 14 weeks and includes 8 learning units including a 4-week clinical practicum. The course gives you the opportunity to integrate and apply concepts from prior learning in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and the theoretical concepts of NURS 400, in the provision of nursing care for adults experiencing acute and/or chronic alterations in health. The NURS 401 clinical practicum is based on nursing competencies as outlined in the College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta: Entry-level Competencies for the Practicing Registered Nurse.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of NURS 401, the student will achieve the following learning outcomes:
- demonstrate the ability to integrate nursing theory, primary health care principles, and health promotion strategies in the care of adults with health alterations
- demonstrate cultural competence in the delivery of nursing care.
- Demonstrate professional nursing behaviour by practicing safely, using evidence-based practice, clinical judgement, critical thinking, and innovation
- adhere to legal and ethical standards in nursing practice by incorporating the clients' values, beliefs, and rights within the mandate and the role of the profession, namely the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) Nursing Practice Standards and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics
Evaluation
NURS 401 is graded on a pass/fail basis. To receive credit for NURS 401, all clinical practice and evaluation assessment criteria requirements must be successfully completed. All papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) (2010). The required assignments are as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Medication Safety and Calculation Quiz: This quiz is administered online and invigilated by Proctor U. This quiz is located within the NURS 401 course. The first attempt of the quiz is undertaken in the first week of the course. If a second attempt is needed, it is recommended that sufficient time is taken to remediate, using the Medication Math Module. Successful completion of the quiz is required prior to the end of the first month of the course. (Minimum to pass is 80% on one quiz.) | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 2: Demonstration of Nursing Assessment and Clinical Nursing Skills (clinical days 1 and 2 prior to patient contact). Students who are not able to safely demonstrate will receive a fail and will not be permitted to continue in the clinical practicum. | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 3: Student Learning Documentation | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 4: Formative Evaluation: Post-LPN Clinical Evaluation Tool | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 5: Interprofessional Collaboration Activity | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 6: Summative Evaluation: Post-LPN Clinical Evaluation Tool | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 7: Group Led Forum Discussion | Pass/Fail |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
There is no required textbook for NURS 401.
NURS 400 resources including the medical surgical nursing textbook.
Other materials
Medication Safety and Calculation Module is available to Bachelor of Nursing students to prepare for safe medication calculations and administration.