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, including a four-week clinical practicum on general medical-surgical nursing units at selected health care facilities and weekly paced online activities. The course gives you the opportunity to integrate and apply theory from BIOL 235, NURS 316, NURS 317, and NURS 400 in the provision of nursing care for adults experiencing acute and/or chronic alterations in health and their families. The NURS 401 clinical practicum component 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 of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) Nursing Practice Standards and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics.
Evaluation
NURS 401 uses a pass/fail grading scheme. To receive credit for NURS 401, all clinical practice (earned ratings of ME, meets expectations, for all couse competencies) and evaluation assessment criteria requirements must be successfully completed. All written submissions must follow the guidelines of the current APA Publication Manual. The required assignments are as follows:
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
| Activity | Weight |
Assignment 1: Medication Safety and Calculation Assessment:
This assessment is located within the course and completed online or in person with invigilation.
*Three attempts are permitted to achieve the minimum passing grade of 80%.
The first attempt must be completed by the end of the first week of the course (Friday at 1630h MT).
*Second attempt must be completed by the end of the second week (Friday 1630h MT)
*Third attempt must be completed by the end of the third week (Friday 1630h MT; full week before clinical start date)
Students who are unsuccessful in earning the minimum passing grade of 80% after three attempts will not proceed to clinical and a grade of F will be assigned.
There is no opportunity to withdraw from the course after the first assessment attempt. | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 2: NURS 401 Reflections | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 3: Unit Activity Sheets and Mandatory TEAMS debriefs | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 4: Formative (Midterm) Evaluation using the “Post-LPN Clinical Evaluation Tool” | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 5: Summative (Final) Evaluation using the “Post-LPN Clinical Evaluation Tool” | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 6: Group Collaboration Assignment | Pass/Fail |
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.
NURS 316, NURS 317, and NURS 400 resources, including the medical-surgical nursing textbook. There is no additional textbook for NURS 401.
Other materials
The MedMath Module: Medication Safety and Calculation is available for Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing program students to practice and prepare for safe medication calculations and administration. Students who experience difficulties in accessing this module in Brightspace may contact the practice lead (bnclinicallead@athabascau.ca) for assistance.