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Students will be able to:
1. Assess specific needs for patient care-related informatics retrieval and application.
2. Formulate a question related to clinical evidence and develop a search strategy.
3. Critically evaluate evidence-based practice sources using specified inclusion criteria.
4. Compare and contrast applicability to practice, information resources found in two or more
online databases.
5. Recognize situations where patients are at high risk for harm, and use critical thinking and
agency-developed procedures to protect them.
6. Identify high priority care needs of medical-surgical patients with selected illnesses.
7. Collaborate with patients, families and other members of the healthcare team to provide
patient-centered care.
8. Incorporate physiological, developmental, psychological, and adaptation concepts into the
nursing care planning process.
9. Articulate the scientific rationales for selected nursing and medical-surgical interventions.
10. Demonstrate competency in the safe performance of intermediate medical-surgical nursing
skills, incorporating scientific, physiological and psychosocial principles.
11. Use prioritization and time management skills to organize care for acutely ill adults.
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I. Theory
A. Healthcare informatics
1. Electronic health records [EHRs]
2. Meaningful Use
3. Federal mandates and timelines
B. Evidence-based practice
1. Sources and levels of evidence
2. Libraries and databases, including professional and governmental organizations
3. Search strategies
4. Evaluating evidence quality
5. Communicating evidence
C. Team Building and Collaboration for Quality and Safety Assurance
D. Intravenous Therapy III - Central Vascular Access Devices*
1. Central venous device care and complications
2. Intravenous fluids and medications requiring central venous access
E. Intravenous Therapy IV - Venipuncture*
1. Peripheral IV catheter insertions
2. Phlebotomy to procure laboratory specimens
F. Nursing Care of the Patient Requiring Transfusion Therapy*
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients receiving transfusion
therapy, includes comfort and pain management
2. Blood product components
3. Complications and associated reactions
G. Nursing Care of the Patient with Chest Trauma*
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients with chest trauma,
includes comfort and pain management
2. Thoracic pathophysiology and complications
3. Chest tube management
H. Nursing Care of the Patient with Cancer I
1. Basic nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients with cancer,
includes comfort and pain management
2. Cancer cell pathophysiology and complications
3. Signs, symptoms, treatment and supportive therapies
4. Common cancer diagnoses
I. Nursing Care of the Patient with Sepsis
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients with or at risk for sepsis,
includes comfort and pain management
2. Sepsis pathophysiology and complications
3. Signs, symptoms, treatment and supportive therapies
J. Nursing Care of the Patient with Male Reproductive Disorders
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients with male reproductive
disorders, includes comfort and pain management
2. Male reproductive pathophysiology and complications
3. Signs, symptoms, treatment and supportive therapies
4. Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, Erectile Dysfunction and Fertility Issues
K. Nursing Care of the Patient with Female Reproductive Disorders
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients with female reproductive
disorders, includes comfort and pain management
2. Female reproductive pathophysiology and complications
3. Signs, symptoms, treatment and supportive therapies
4. Menopause, Breast Cancer, Osteoporosis, Infections and Fertility Issues
L. Code Blue and the Deteriorating Patient
1. Nursing assessment and specific care consideration for patients requiring code blue
response
2. Advanced cardio-pulmonary pathophysiology and complications
3. Signs, symptoms, treatment and supportive therapies
M. Introduction to Preceptorship: Preparation for novice to
entry-level nurse transition in final semester of nursing program
*These items are introduced in lecture, and the related skills are performed in the lab
II. Skills
A. All Skills Review of ADN first year medical-surgical skills topics
B. Central vascular access devices
C. Venipuncture and phlebotomy
D. Transfusion
E. Chest tubes
F. Simulation lab experience
III. Clinical
A. Clinical application of intermediate medical-surgical nursing practice in the acute care
hospital setting: Standard care and pharmacotherapy
B. Teamwork and collaboration with healthcare team in care of acute care adult population
utilizing informatics and evidence-based practice
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Lecture-Related Assignments:
1. Reading 70-100 pages per week.
2. Evidence-based practice research group project and presentation. Rubric graded: Achieve
score of 75% or better.
3. Unit and standardized exams: 4-6 per semester. Minimum cumulative score of 75% on four
unit exams to continue in the nursing program.
Lab-Related Assignments:
1. Reading prior to nursing skills demonstration 15-50 pages per skill
2. Completion of media review prior to each skills lab (1-2 hours per lab)
3. Practice skill performance in simulated lab.
4. Completion of skills lab quizzes; 1 per skill (ungraded).
5. Demonstrate competency in 3-4 formal skill check-offs within 3 attempts related to skill
lab topic: Pass/fail. Failure of skills competency results in dismissal from the nursing program.
Clinical-Related Assignments:
1. Completion of the safe medication dosage calculation exam with a score of 95% or better by
the third attempt. This assignment is not graded for purposes of this course, but failure to pass
this assignment with a grade of 95% or better by the third attempt will result in a failed grade
and dismissal from the nursing program.
2. Clinical intermediate medical-surgical practice in acute care hospital settings (two 8 hour
days per week), continued critical thinking application in the use of collaborative teamwork,
hospital EHRs with informatics systems, and evidence-based practice. Students must meet
minimum problem-solving skills and performance standards to pass this course. Provide safe
care to 2-3 patients each clinical shift. Rubric graded Pass/Fail. Achieving a pass in clinical
practice is required to remain in the nursing program.
3. Participation in case conferences for analysis of patient care situations in group setting
each clinical shift.
4. Develop clinical portfolio based on assigned patient cases and promotion of quality
patient outcomes. Rubric graded: Achieve score of 75% or better.
5. Preparation and participation in a simulation lab scenario (ungraded)
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California regulations for RN practice: accessible via California Board of Registered Nursing Internet website
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