NU - Nursing
The purpose of this course is the acquisition of fundamental nursing skills and the application of the nursing process. Emphasis is given to health promotion in individuals throughout the lifespan. Professionalism, standards of practice, ethics, nursing theory, communication, and roles of the nurse will also be highlighted. Nursing skills will be mastered in the laboratory and implemented in the community clinical setting.
The purpose of this course is to understand health assessment principles, to apply evidence-based health promotion, and to acquire techniques for physical examination by the professional nurse. Focus is on the development and use of assessment skills as a basis for clinical decision-making, along with proper documentation of assessment findings. There is an additional fee for this course.
This course is designed for students of nursing and other health care professions. It covers the major classes of nutrients and their main functions, the role nutrition plays across the lifespan, the relationship between nutrition and disease, and nutritional therapies and health promotion for select diseases. The focus of this course is to critically apply nutritional knowledge to personal, individual, and population health, including diverse and vulnerable populations within various health care settings and the community. Students will also examine community, national, and global nutritional issues with an emphasis on social, political, economic, and environmental factors.
Fertility Awareness Based Methods for Women's Health and Family Planning focuses on the basic principles of FABMs, their effectiveness for family planning and the supporting science behind their medical applications. This course will explore the global and historical reach and evolution of FABMs. Students will survey current FABMs including the research supporting their use, their effectiveness rates, and their respective pros and cons via online video modules. Teaching is provided through on-line presentation modules and in class discussion that introduce students to each of the methods. Students will also hear from women and couples who use the methods. There will be required readings, on-line quizzes, and the completion of two projects. For the final project, students will interview a woman or couple that uses an FABM and summarize their comments in a brief paper. Students will also have to write a brief synopsis of one of the required research articles as part of their final project.
Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.
This course introduces the student to family health nursing theory and nursing practice with emphasis on the childbearing family and well-child. Nursing care of the childbearing family from conception, to pregnancy, through childbirth and the postpartum period, including care of the newborn and pediatric client is presented within the context of a family-centered, developmental approach. The concepts of family structure, functions, values, culture, and spirituality are explored and applied to health promotion interventions for the childbearing family.
This course explores selected psychosocial concepts and theories basic to nursing practice. The use of self as a therapeutic agent is emphasized in the promotion of psychosocial health. Students develop strategies of intervention based on the nursing process, nursing theories and research. Clinical experience is provided within a psychiatric treatment facility.
This course is the foundation of medical-surgical nursing practice. Students will utilize the nursing process as the framework for the management of pathophysiological problems in individuals across the lifespan with acute and chronic conditions. Assessment of physiological, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual factors that influence existing or potential health conditions is considered including palliative care and end of life care. This course includes a weekly two-hour and 50 minute laboratory experience where students will apply the nursing process, teaching/learning process, and theoretical knowledge to practice nursing procedures that will be required of them at the 300-level of nursing. Student learning focuses on the mastery of core scientific principles that underlie all skills, thus preparing the student nurse to incorporate current and future technological skills into other nursing responsibilities, and apply skills in the diverse context of health care delivery while still incorporating the art of nursing with the principles of empathy, ethics, and advocacy. Principles of excellent communication, team dynamics, prioritization, quality improvement and safety will be integrated in the nursing simulation experience.
Sed Vitae. This course utilizes the nursing process as students apply their knowledge to adult patients in a variety of acute clinical settings. This course is the clinical experience that accompanies the NU 304: Illness Across the Lifespan I course. It is the study and care of patients with adaptive and maladaptive responses to internal and external stimuli/stressors that interfere with optimal wellness. The concepts of critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and priority setting are emphasized utilizing the nursing process as the foundational framework. Collaboration, communication, delegation, and patient teaching are incorporated into the total care of the client/family. Students will also observe and participate in a variety of out-rotation clinical sites to explore the role of the registered nurse in acute settings. Students will also participate in simulation in our advanced simulation nursing laboratory under the supervision of our Clinical Lab Facilitators. These simulations will help students explore the QSEN competencies. There is an additional fee for this course.
Advanced Writing.
This course is an exploration of the basic processes of theory, research, database evaluation, and evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. Students will focus on using EBP to provide the highest quality patient care as both current students and future nurses.
This course focuses on the study of underlying structural and functional changes in body physiology that result from disease or injury and result in alteration in total body function in individuals across the lifespan. The mechanisms and clinical manifestations associated with various diseases are explained according to body systems. The interrelationships of factors, such as genetics, genomics, physiologic, psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural that contribute to increased morbidity and disease are examined, as well as the integration of the principles of health promotion and disease prevention. Objective and subjective perspectives are studied that consider the complex interactions among body, mind, and spirit. Basic pharmacological principles are studied to create an understanding of how drugs affect human beings across the lifespan. Application of the nursing process to drug therapy is identified. Specific categories of drugs and their therapeutic effects and potential toxicities are examined in conjunction with disease processes. There is an additional fee for this course.
Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.
This course utilizes the nursing process as the framework for the management of pathophysiological problems in individuals across the lifespan with acute and chronic conditions. Assessment of physiological, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual factors that influence existing or potential health conditions is considered including palliative care and end of life care. It includes the exploration of the role of the professional nurse in teaching and implementing health promotion & disease prevention for acute and chronic illnesses across the lifespan. Principles of excellent communication, team dynamics, quality improvement and safety will be integrated in the nursing simulation experience. The class will be comprised of both online and in-class lectures, as well as a nursing skills and simulation lab.
This course explores the relationship between management and leadership processes and practice as well as the issues which impact the delivery of health care. The student will consider and practice the skills needed by nurse managers and leaders to effectively assess, plan, design, staff, coordinate, direct, and evaluate the delivery of safe, quality patient centered health care. This course will also offer students the necessary career building skills to effectively identify and compete for professional career opportunities. These skills include but are not limited to job search strategies, resume writing and interviewing. There is an additional fee for this course.
This course is the clinical experience accompanying NU 404: Illness Across the Lifespan II. This course advances the student learning in the area of medical-surgical nursing and builds upon the clinical experience of NU 305 to provide patient-centered care with an emphasis on the dignity and uniqueness of every person as a holistic being. Utilizing the nursing process to examine the human response to illness and integrate the principles of health promotion and disease prevention, the student will care for clients with complex health conditions in a variety of settings. The concepts of critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and priority setting are emphasized utilizing the nursing process as the foundation. Collaboration, communication, delegation, and patient teaching are incorporated into the holistic care of the client and family. The student will integrate the principles of excellent communication, evidence-based practice, quality improvement and safety while providing care as a member of the interdisciplinary team. Students will explore nursing roles in a variety of out-rotation clinical settings that may include surgical nursing, outpatient nursing, rural nursing and correctional nursing. There is an additional fee for this course.
Cultural Diversity.
The student will apply all previously gained knowledge from nursing course work to working with individuals, families, communities, and other aggregates. Public health nursing will be introduced as a blend between health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and population-based initiatives. The epidemiological process is introduced as the unifying concept for the wide range of programs and services found in community health. Beginning skills in assessing a community are integrated. Coordination with other disciplines to provide disease prevention, health promotion, and protection interventions is stressed. The impact of the external environment on the health of individuals, families, and aggregates is emphasized. Themes of social justice and care for vulnerable/marginalized populations will be integrated throughout. The student will also examine the role of the nurse as an advocate for health care policy to ensure the health of populations.
The Capstone Clinical and Seminar are designed to assist students in the integration of the competencies essential for the practice of professional nursing. During the semester, the student will progress from a structured supervised framework of practice to a general framework of supervision from the faculty and agency preceptors. The clinical site will be dependent upon the student's needs based upon the joint analysis of the student and faculty prior to the placement.
Clinical application of pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics for common acute and chronic disease conditions encountered in primary and acute care settings. This course will build upon the students' understanding of medication use and administration. Drugs will be discussed according to their classification and mechanism of action. The course will focus on the basic drug classification, concepts, and principles of pharmacology with special consideration for the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy through the use of the nursing process. Nursing implications relative to the utilization of drug therapy are examined. Dosage calculations will also be evaluated for competency. This course is designed to allow the learner to apply pharmacological principles and knowledge using a variety of teaching strategies, including case studies, review questions, and gamification. There is an additional fee for this course.
This course is intended to assist the student's own preparation for their NCLEX-RN examination and a comprehensive review of the nursing content. Students will be expected to retain accountability and responsibility for their personal NCLEX preparation plan and for the completion of their preparation plan. The course will utilize online computerized resources, information from multiple published written NCLEX review resources, as well as NCLEX review video resources.
Independent study is open to junior and senior students only. At the time of application, a student must have earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. A student may register for no more than three (3) semester hours of independent study in any one term. In all cases, registration for independent study must be approved by the appropriate department chairperson and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.
The senior thesis is designed to encourage creative thinking and to stimulate individual research. A student may undertake a thesis in an area in which s/he has the necessary background. Ordinarily a thesis topic is chosen in the student's major or minor. It is also possible to choose an interdisciplinary topic. Interested students should decide upon a thesis topic as early as possible in the junior year so that adequate attention may be given to the project. In order to be eligible to apply to write a thesis, a student must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 based upon all courses attempted at Carroll College. The thesis committee consists of a director and two readers. The thesis director is a full-time Carroll College faculty member from the student's major discipline or approved by the department chair of the student's major. At least one reader must be from outside the student's major. The thesis director and the appropriate department chair must approve all readers. The thesis committee should assist and mentor the student during the entire project. For any projects involving human participants, each student and his or her director must follow the guidelines published by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students must submit a copy of their IRB approval letter with their thesis application. As part of the IRB approval process, each student and his or her director must also complete training by the National Cancer Institute Protection of Human Participants. The thesis is typically to be completed for three (3) credits in the discipline that best matches the content of the thesis. Departments with a designated thesis research/writing course may award credits differently with approval of the Curriculum Committee. If the thesis credits exceed the full-time tuition credit limit for students, the charge for additional credits will be waived. Applications and further information are available in the Registrar's Office.