2008-09 CATALOG

 

NURSING

Chair/BSN Coordinator: Barbara B. Synowiez

 

Faculty: Cherry M. Beasley, Donna Cutrell, Dena Evans, Lori Farmer, Thelma Floyd, Meki Graham, Debra Groves, Cynthia H. Herndon, Jennifer Johnson, Kathy Locklear, Kathy McNamara, Rosemarie Pilarczyk, Michelle Rupard, Doretha Singley, Joyce Stanley, Margaret Swierz, Jennifer Twaddell

 

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Department of Nursing offers an undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The undergraduate program offers two options for study: 1) Pre-Licensure BSN option which is open to all high school graduates and college students who wish to pursue a nursing major, and 2) RN-BSN Completion option for registered nurses with evidence of having earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing or a Hospital Diploma in nursing from an accredited program. A bachelor’s degree with a major in nursing at UNCP requires a total of 124 semester credit hours of study.

 

MISSION, PURPOSES, OUTCOMES

The Department of Nursing is dedicated to carrying out the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. As an integral academic unit of the University, the UNCP Department of Nursing is committed to the tripartite roles of teaching, research, and community service that contribute to the cultural, intellectual, and social development of professional nurses in North Carolina and the nation. Students are provided the opportunity to obtain a multicultural education that is grounded in the arts, sciences and humanities; that is congruent with standards for professional nursing practice; and that prepares them for lifelong learning, professional development, and service to others.

The primary purposes of the UNCP Department of Nursing program are to:

1.       Promote and advance the accessibility, availability, and quality of professional nursing education and practice for nurses of North Carolina and the nation.

2.       Prepare graduates to provide quality professional nursing services, across the lifespan, for individuals, families, groups, and communities.

On completion of the program, the graduate is prepared as a competent beginning professional nurse, has the mobility to practice as a generalist in any health care setting, and is committed to the advancement of nursing knowledge and practice through life-long learning and scholarship.

 

The Bachelor of Science in Nuring program prepares graduates to:

1.       Integrate evidence-based knowledge from nursing, the arts and humanities, and biopsychosocial sciences to shape the practice of professional nursing.

2.       Demonstrate skills in critical thinking and decision making in the use of the nursing process with individuals, families, groups, and communities.

3.       Demonstrate competency in the nursing roles of advocate, clinician, coordinator/collaborator, educator, leader, and consumer of research in a variety of health care settings.

4.       Establish therapeutic, caring, and collaborative relationships with recipients of nursing care and members of interdisciplinary health teams through effective interpersonal, oral, written, and technological communication strategies.

5.       Provide therapeutic nursing interventions to promote, restore, and maintain the maximum health potential of individuals, families, groups, and communities.

6.       Adhere to ethical, legal, and regulatory mandates and professional standards for nursing practice.

7.       Assume accountability for their own decisions and actions in the practice of professional nursing.

8.       Incorporate professional values and role behaviors into the practice of professional nursing.

9.       Demonstrate evolving competence in multicultural interactions with recipients of nursing care and members of the healthcare and social service systems.

10.   Accept personal accountability and responsibility for lifelong learning, continued personal and professional growth, and commitment to the advancement of the nursing profession.

 

The Department of Nursing holds membership in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The Department of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120, 202/887-6791.

 

PRE-LICENSURE BSN OPTION

The Pre-licensure BSN option is 4½ academic years in length and encompasses two phases.  The first phase is comprised of 62 semester credit hours of lower-division work, including liberal arts and nursing prerequisites.  The broad educational background in the physical, social, and behavioral sciences afforded by this phase provides the foundation for the nursing major. The second phase is comprised of 62 semester credit hours of upper-division work in the nursing major and is completed within the Department of Nursing.  Taken during the junior and senior years, these courses are designed to prepare the baccalaureate nurses for practice in a variety of settings.

Admission to the Department of Nursing is very competitive. Admission to UNCP does not guarantee admission to the Department of Nursing. Applicants must be eligible to return to all educational institutions previously attended. Students are admitted to the baccalaureate nursing program at the upper division level. Lower division courses must be completed before beginning nursing courses. The first nursing courses begin in the second summer session preceding the junior year. The nursing curriculum includes both didactic and clinical experiences for students to develop a beginning level of competency and independence in the provision of quality professional nursing services, across the life span, for individuals, families, groups, and communities. Integrated throughout the nursing curriculum are concepts and skills most critical to the delivery of professional nursing services to culturally diverse rural populations.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing will be awarded to students who successfully complete both phases of the requirements for the degree. Degree recipients will then be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.  A registered nurse (RN) license will be awarded upon a successful “Pass” on NCLEX-RN and satisfaction of other Board of Nursing licensure requirements.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1.       Admission to UNCP by meeting general requirements for admission as a regular degree seeking student.

2.       Successful completion of all 62 hours of general education nursing core (46 hours) and pre-requisite nursing major (16 hours) courses with a grade of C or better prior to Summer Session II of the year of admission.

3.       A cumulative GPA of 2.8 (4.0=A) in all post high school work. Each student’s total GPA is calculated on all transferable college courses attempted at all accredited institutions of higher education according to the UNCP Admissions Office guidelines.

4. A cumulative GPA of 2.8 in the following mathematics and science courses: MAT 1070 or higher, BIO 2110, BIO 2120, BIO 3150, CHM 1400, CHM 1410, CHM 1120, and CHM 1130.

5.       Physical, mental, and emotional health that enables a student to participate in and complete the program (see departmental policies).

6.       Submission of a supplemental application to the Department of Nursing by January 15 of the year they plan to enter the BSN program.  All applicants will be notified of acceptance status no later than March 15.

 

ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR PROGRESSION

The following requirements must be met in order to progress in the nursing program:

1.       Maintain a cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) or higher.

2.       Achieve a grade of C or higher in each nursing course before proceeding to next nursing course.

3.       Receive a P (pass) grade on the laboratory or clinical component of each nursing course that has either laboratory or clinical experience.  A grade of F (fail) in any laboratory or clinical component will result in an F for the course.                                    

4.       Only one nursing course may be repeated one time during progression in the nursing program.

5.       Maintain current CPR certification, TB (or x-ray) testing, evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination, health insurance, and malpractice insurance while enrolled in the nursing program.

6.       Adhere to all policies of the University, Department of Nursing, and clinical agencies.

 

PRE-LICENSURE BSN OPTION DESCRIPTION

* Refer to General Education Requirements section of this catalog for restricted elective choices.

 

 

 

RN-BSN COMPLETION OPTION

The RN-BSN completion option is designed for registered nurses who wish to earn the baccalaureate nursing degree.  Building on competencies attained by the registered nurse, the program extends the student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and scope of practice for expanded career opportunities, enhances personal and professional satisfaction, and develops a foundation for further study in graduate nursing education.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1.       Be admitted to UNCP by meeting general requirements for admission as a regular degree-seeking student. 

2.       Present evidence of having earned an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Hospital Diploma in nursing, from an accredited program.

3.       Have a current, valid North Carolina nursing license or a license with multistate practice privileges by authority of the Nurse Licensure Compact.

4.       Successfully complete all but 9 semester hours of the 62 hours of general education nursing core (46 hours) and prerequisite nursing major (16 hours) courses (grade of C or better) prior to enrolling in the first nursing course.

5.       A cumulative GPA of 2.8 (4.0=A) in all post high school work. Each student’s total GPA is calculated on all transferable college courses attempted at all accredited institutions of higher education according to the UNCP Admissions Office guidelines.

6.       A cumulative GPA of 2.8 in the following mathematics and science courses: MAT 1070 or higher, BIO 2110, BIO 2120, BIO 3150, CHM 1400, CHM 1410, CHM 1120, and CHM 1130.

 

 

ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR PROGRESSION

The following requirements must be met in order to progress in the nursing program:

1.   Have a current, valid North Carolina nursing license or a license with multistate practice privileges by authority of the Nurse Licensure Compact.

2.   Maintain a cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) or higher.

3.   Achieve a grade of C or higher in each nursing course before proceeding to the next nursing course.

4.   Receive a P (pass) grade on the laboratory or clinical component of each nursing course that has either laboratory or clinical experience.  A grade of F (fail) in any laboratory or clinical component will result in an F for the course.                                    

5.   Only one nursing course may be repeated one time during progression through the nursing program.

6.   Maintain current CPR certification, TB (or x-ray) testing, evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination, health insurance, and malpractice insurance while enrolled in the nursing program.

7.   Adhere to all policies of the University, Department of Nursing, and clinical agencies.

 

VALIDATION OF PREVIOUS NURSING EDUCATION

Validation of previous nursing education is achieved by successful completion of Nursing 3000 and Nursing 3200.

 

RN-BSN COMPLETION OPTION DESCRIPTION

* Refer to General Education Requirements section of this catalog for restricted elective choices.

 

COURSES

NOTE: The numbers enclosed in parentheses immediately following course numbers indicate the semester hour credits, lecture contact hours, and laboratory hours respectively. Lecture and laboratory hours are normally scheduled each week for one semester in the course. Credit hours for laboratory experiences are calculated as one semester credit hour for 3 contact hours.

 

NUR 2000 (1‑1‑0) Introduction to Health Technology and Informatics

This course provides students interested in nursing and other human science professions with an opportunity to acquire and apply knowledge and skills from information and computer science to the healthcare field. The course introduces students to applications of information systems in healthcare practice, education, and research. Hardware, software, databases, communications applications, computer developments, and associated legal and ethical issues are addressed. Students learn how healthcare providers can assess, develop, and use information systems to work more efficiently, allocate resources more effectively, and improve consumer health care. Pre-Requisite: Required of all pre-nursing majors.

NUR 3000 (3‑3‑0) Transition to Professional Nursing

This course focuses on the role of the professional nurse. An overview of the delivery of professional nursing practice and role transition.  Advanced theoretical concepts will be examined using the nursing process as a framework.  Prerequisites: Admission to Professional Program. RN-BSN students only.

NUR 3010 (2‑2‑0) Introduction to Professional Nursing

This course introduces students to the values and concepts appropriate to professional nursing practice included in the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, ANA Social Policy Statement, ANA Clinical Standards, and Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements and to the professional nursing roles of advocate, clinician, coordinator/collaborator, educator, leader, and researcher. Included in the course will be an introduction to the profession of nursing and healthcare delivery in the United States from historical and contemporary perspectives and to the UNCP Department of Nursing mission, purposes, and educational program objectives. Pre-Requisite:Admission to Professional Program. Pre-licensure BSN students only.

NUR 3030 (4‑2‑6) Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice

This course introduces, from a theoretical, research base, nursing skills and principles basic to beginning professional nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on the application of the nursing process to guide the recipient of nursing care toward an optimal level of functioning. The dimensions of Gordon’s functional health patterns will be explored. Learning experiences will provide the opportunity for students to begin to develop proficiency in six interrelated nursing roles, with an emphasis on developing the clinician, educator, and researcher roles. Utilization of the nursing process, critical thinking, and decision making in simulated and actual clinical situations will be emphasized. During laboratory sessions students will have the opportunity to practice basic nursing skills through simulated clinical situations. The clinical component of the course provides an opportunity for students to apply theory to nursing practice and to develop beginning proficiency in basic nursing skills with recipients of nursing care in community and long-term care settings. Pre-Requisite: Admission to Professional Program, Pre-licensure BSN students only. Co-Requisite: NUR 3010.

NUR 3040 (2‑2‑0) Normal and Therapeutic Nutrition

This course introduces the principles of nutrition and ways in which these principles are applied to promote an optimal level of functioning for all individuals. Topics include nutritional requirements for maintaining health and development throughout the life span as well as factors affecting food choices of individuals and society. Emphasis is placed on nutrition assessment and interventions in relation to the nutrition goals of Healthy People 2010 and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030.

NUR 3050 (3‑3‑0) Pharmacology for Clinical Practice

This course examines the major categories of pharmacologic agents and application of pharmacologic concepts to clinical nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding the physiologic actions of the drugs, expected patient responses, major side effects, and implications for nursing. Drug dosage computation is included.  Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030.

NUR 3100 (3‑3‑0) Transcultural Nursing

This course is designed to assist students in expanding their view of man.  Man is defined as a functioning, whole unit with integrity and uniqueness who uses symbols to communicate with the environment.  Emphasis will be placed on the concepts of cultural belief systems, health, and caring and how these concepts affect the nursing care delivery system. Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030 (pre-licensure BSN students). Co-Requisite: NUR 3000 (RN-BSN students)

NUR 3150 (5‑3‑6) Adult Health Nursing I

This course focuses on the nursing care needs of adults experiencing acute and chronic alterations in health and the use of the nursing process as a framework for providing and managing nursing care for these clients. Students will examine theoretical and research findings as well as issues and trends influencing the planning and delivery of nursing care for adults experiencing acute and chronic alterations in health. Learning experiences will provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop proficiency in six interrelated nursing roles, with an emphasis on the clinician, coordinator/collaborator, educator, leader, and researcher roles. Emphasis is placed on enhancing critical thinking skills and the roles of the professional nurse in health promotion and maintenance, illness care, and rehabilitation of clients with acute and chronic alterations in health in a variety of healthcare settings.  Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030.

NUR 3200 (3‑2‑3) Health Assessment Across the Life Span

This course prepares the student to conduct comprehensive health assessments.  Emphasis is placed on the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of data collected from clients of all ages.  A physical, psychological, and sociocultural approach is used to assess the client and to incorporate consideration of the client’s needs, state of wellness, development level, and response to life experiences.  The campus laboratory experience consists of practice with clients.  Successful completion of the course validates lower division technical nursing clinical.  Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030 (pre-licensure BSN students). Co-Requisite: NUR 3000 (RN-BSN students).

NUR 3250 (3‑3‑0) Pathophysiology Across the Life Span

This course prepares the student to systematically approach complex situations.  Emphasis will be placed on the integration and application of pathophysiological concepts to the holistic human in time of physical stress.  This course utilizes the nursing process as the basis for examining persons with pathologies requiring multiple dimensions of nursing care.  Prerequisites: NUR 3010, 3030 (pre-licensure BSN students). Co-Requisite: NUR 3000 (RN-BSN students).

NUR 3300 (3‑3‑0) Gerontological Nursing

This course examines the process of aging.  Physical, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual aspects of aging are examined within the context of the family and society.  Advanced theoretical concepts will be examined using the nursing process.  This course is NOT REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE for pre-licensure BSN students.  Prerequisite: NUR 3000.

NUR 3450 (5‑3‑6) Family Nursing I

This course focuses on nursing care and health promotion for the childbearing family. The course provides an introduction to the process of normal childbirth and dynamics of the childbearing family as well as the identification and care of high-risk recipients of nursing care. Nursing process provides direction to promote, restore, and maintain health of women and newborns within a family context and including cultural diversity. Learning experiences will provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop proficiency in the six interrelated nursing roles.  Prerequisites: NUR 3040, 3050, 3100, 3150, 3200.

NUR 3500 (5‑3‑6) Family Nursing II

This course focuses on nursing care of the child-rearing family, including viewing the child and family as recipients of nursing care. Course content includes care of the child from infancy through adolescence, both hospitalized and within the community, acutely ill and chronically ill; common stressors for the child and family throughout the growing years; and strategies for health promotion for the child and family. Learning experiences will provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop proficiency in the six interrelated nursing roles.  Prerequisites: NUR 3040, 3050, 3100, 3150, 3200.

NUR 4000 (3‑3‑0) Nursing Research and Theory

This course provides students with an overview of the role of theory and research in the development of nursing as a profession. Students are introduced to the principles and concepts in both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. With a focus on the role of the professional nurse as a consumer of research, students develop skill in the ability to critically read and evaluate research findings based on nursing theory and practice needs. Prerequisites: Completion of 3000-level courses (pre-licensure BSN students); Completion of 3000-level courses or permission of instructor (RN-BSN students). Co-Requisites: Statistics—PSY 2080, SOC 3600, or MAT 2100 (RN-BSN students).

NUR 4120 (5‑3-6) Leadership in Nursing

The course focuses on the professional nurse’s role as a leader in the profession and healthcare delivery. The focus will be on the evolution of nursing, nursing leaders as vanguards of the profession, contemporary healthcare delivery, the professional role of the nurse leader in healthcare delivery. Leadership and management principles will be examined.  Prerequisites: NUR 4000, 4150, 4350 (pre-licensure BSN students).  Co-Requisite:  NUR 4000 (RN-BSN students).

NUR 4150 (5‑3-6) Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing

This course focuses on the nursing care needs of persons experiencing alterations in social and psychological functioning. Students will examine theoretical and research findings as well as issues and trends influencing the planning and delivery of nursing care for persons with common psychiatric disorders or mental health needs. Emphasis is placed on the role of the professional nurse in psychiatric–mental health nursing, the application of the nursing process as a framework for providing and managing nursing care, and the enhancement of critical thinking skills, therapeutic nursing interventions, effective communication, and interpersonal skills as they relate to care of persons experiencing alterations in social and psychological functioning. Learning experiences will provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop proficiency in the six interrelated nursing roles.  Prerequisites: Completion of 3000-level courses. Pre-licensure BSN students only. Co-Requisite: NUR 4000.

NUR 4350 (5‑3-6) Community Health Nursing

This course focuses on care of culturally diverse populations and aggregates within the community.  Emphasis is on the use of evidence-based knowledge and six interrelated roles of the professional nurse in addressing the preventative health needs of populations and aggregate groups in the community setting.  Current public health problems, epidemiology, trends in healthcare delivery, and community resources are examined. Students analyze the sociocultural, political, economic, ethical, and environmental factors that influence community and global health. Clinical experiences will allow students to understand, alter, and enhance the political and/or socioeconomic forces that impact health and healthcare delivery.  Prerequisites: Completion of 3000-level courses. Co-Requisite: NUR 4000.

NUR 4450 (6‑3-9) Adult Health Nursing II

This course focuses on nursing care needs of adults with acute and complex health problems related to major body systems. Students will have an opportunity to examine pathophysiological, psychological, and sociocultural implications as well as current research and trends in care of adults experiencing complex health problems. The emphasis is on enhancing critical thinking skills in the planning and delivery of nursing care for adults with complex health problems. Learning experiences provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop proficiency in the six interrelated nursing roles and self-direction in providing nursing care for clients with complex health problems in a variety of clinical settings.  Prerequisites: NUR 4000, 4150, 4350. Pre-licensure BSN students only.

NUR 4510 (3-2-8) Transition to Professional Nursing: A Capstone Experience

This course facilitates the transition of students into professional practice through preceptorships with professional nurses in a variety of clinical settings. Through this culminating experience, students will synthesize knowledge of nursing cognates and general education to increase their responsibility and accountability for providing quality nursing care. Faculty selects, with input from individual students, a clinical agency for the clinical experience. Students will apply all nursing roles (advocate, clinician, collaborator/coordinator, educator, leader, and researcher) with an emphasis on the clinician and leader roles. The experience allows faculty to assess each student for minimal competencies of the terminal educational objectives.  Prerequisites: Pre-licensure BSN students only.  Co-Requisites: NUR 4120, 4450. To enroll in this course students must have adhered to all Department of Nursing policies and procedures during this and prior semesters. *To meet the North Carolina Board of Nursing precepted clinical experience requirement of 120 hours, the course does not follow the traditional one semester credit hour for 3 contact hours for a laboratory experience.

NUR 4550 (3‑3‑0) Professional Nursing Issues in Practice

This course is the capstone experience that includes synthesis of nursing cognates and general education. The experience allows the students to assess their knowledge of the program objectives. The course will incorporate essential knowledge, psychomotor, and affective domains of BSN education.  Prerequisites or Corequisites: to be taken simultaneously with or after completing all other requirements for the BSN degree. RN-BSN students only.

ELECTIVE COURSES

NUR 4210 (3-3-0) Nursing and Women’s Health

This course focuses on the current health care challenges and issues of women’s health and implications for professional nursing practice.  Women’s roles in a complex society will be examined to facilitate increased self-awareness as consumers and providers in the health care delivery system.

NUR 4400 (1-0-0) Professional Nursing Honors Practicum

This course provides outstanding academic nursing students the opportunity to identify and analyze a nursing topic and/or problem of major interest.  Students enrolled will create their project and learning objectives in collaboration with faculty facilitator.  This course is NOT REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE.  Students are encouraged to consider this course if planning to attend graduate school. Prerequisite:   Must be classified as a senior and have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of “B” (3.0) and Department Chair approval.