Nursing (NURS)
NURS 3310. Health Assessment. 3 Hours.
Students are presented the concepts and principles underlying assessment of the health status of individuals. An emphasis is placed on interviewing skills, health histories, and the physical and psychosocial findings in the well person, plus the development of communication in the nurse-client relationship and assessment skills. Students implement the nursing process by obtaining health histories, performing physical and psychosocial assessments, establishing a baseline database, and formulating initial nursing plans. (Class 2 hours weekly, Clinical/Lab 3 hours weekly.)
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 3320. Pathophysiology for Nursing. 3 Hours.
Students are introduced to pathophysiological alterations in major regulatory mechanisms of the body. Special consideration is given to the clinical application of pathophysiologic concepts and principles in professional nursing practice. A foundation is provided for understanding general nursing practice, various diagnostic procedures, and selected therapeutic regimens. Critical thinking, correct use of related terminology and effective decision-making are incorporated to provide safe care.
Prerequisite: Admission to the School of Nursing.
NURS 3321. Pharmacology for Nursing. 3 Hours.
Students are introduced to pharmacological implications and related alterations in major regulatory mechanisms of the body. Special consideration is given to the clinical application of pharmacological concepts and principles in professional nursing practice. A foundation is provided for understanding nursing implications, basic drug classifications, and selected pharmacological therapies. Critical thinking and effective decision-making are incorporated to provide safe care.
Prerequisite: Admission to the School of Nursing.
NURS 3340. Older Adult Health Management. 3 Hours.
Students focus on nursing interventions used to promote, maintain, and restore health in older adult clients. Students are provided with opportunities to expand knowledge of the normal aging process; to identify variables that contribute to deviations in health; to discuss how formal and informal resources including evidence-based data contribute to older adults' health status; and to examine the implications of working collaboratively with individuals, families and communities to meet the health care needs of older adults. (Class: 2 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 6 hours weekly)
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 3351. Nursing Concepts I. 3 Hours.
A variety of formal and informal resources including evidence-based data are used to orient students to the roles that nurses assume and the settings in which nursing practice meets the diverse health needs of clients. Standards of professional nursing practice and nursing theorists are introduced along with the philosophy of the School of Nursing.
NURS 3360. Introduction to Research. 3 Hours.
Students focus on fundamental concepts and processes of nursing research and emphasizes nursing research as a basis for evidence-based practice. Students examine major steps in the research process, formulate research questions relevant to clinical nursing practice, and critique nursing research reports. Admission to the BSN or RN-BSN program.
Prerequisite: NURS 3321 and Admission to the BSN or RN-BSN program.
NURS 3370. RN-to-BSN Role Transition. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to meet the needs of a registered nurse (RN) with a 2-year associate's degree or diploma who desires to earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. In this course, students explore the role of the professional nurse as a provider of holistic, culturally sensitive, client-centered care. Other concepts explored include advocacy, evidence-based practice, care quality and safety, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, genetics and genomics, and informatics. The significance of nursing theory as a basis for professional nursing practice and competency in applying nursing diagnoses is also explored.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-to-BSN Program.
NURS 3540. Mental Health and Illness. 5 Hours.
Students explore the relevance of psychosocial nursing concepts to all areas of professional practice with a conceptual integration of the nursing process, theories, and research from psychosocial sciences and humanities as these relate to the care of persons with mental disorders. Clinical experience provides an opportunity for application of psychosocial concepts and methods in using the nursing process to promote optimal levels of wellness for individuals, families, and target groups as well as provides students with the opportunity to develop clinical decision-making abilities when providing appropriate and culturally relevant psychiatric/mental health nursing care. (Class: 2 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 9 hours weekly) 5 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 3620. Adult Health I. 6 Hours.
Students are introduced to the use of the nursing process in the care of adults with chronic or non-complex illness, using a systems approach to discuss the effects of illness on the individual and family and to examine the disruption of growth and development patterns across the lifespan from young adult to senior years, emphasizing the nursing process to assist adults in reaching their optimal level of wellness. The course includes a clinical laboratory to allow the student the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to clinical practice in diverse adult populations. (Class: 3 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 9 hours weekly) 6 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 3631. Nursing Fundamentals. 6 Hours.
Students are provided an introduction to the scope of human needs, use of the nursing process as a systematic approach to meeting those needs, and the role of the professional nurse in assisting individuals toward optimal health. Clinical settings are used in the application of fundamental concepts, principles of nursing, and communication skills that are employed in providing basic client care. (Semester totals: Class: 3 hours weekly and Clinical/Lab 9 hours weekly) 6 credit hours.
Prerequisite: NURS 3320.
NURS 3660. LVN-to-BSN Role Transition. 6 Hours.
This course meets the needs of a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) desiring to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) and become a registered nurse (RN). Students explore the role of the professional nurse as a provider of holistic, culturally sensitive, client-centered care. Students apply critical thinking and the nursing process to clients experiencing non-complex common health problems. Other concepts include client advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional nursing. (Class 4 hours weekly, Clinical/Lab 6 hours weekly.) Corequisite: NURS 3310, NURS 3320, and NURS 3321.
Prerequisite: Admission to the LVN to BSN Program.
NURS 4030. Community Nursing. 6 Hours.
Students focus on the synthesis of public health concepts within a preventive framework to promote and maintain the health of communities and includes an examination of the historical development, philosophy, health care systems, epidemiology, and nursing care of specific populations and groups in the community. Primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention are emphasized as they relate to the natural history of disease in individuals, families, and groups. A community health assessment is completed using census data, morbidity and mortality rates, epidemiologic and statistical methods, and community-based research. Progressively more independent behaviors are expected of students in community health practice. Variable Credit (1 to 6).
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4060. Leadership and Management. 6 Hours.
Students focus on the knowledge and skills related to the delivery of health services from a nursing management knowledge-base. Students are presented theories, concepts, and models of health care delivery. Students explore creative roles for managing and leading in nursing as well as gain theoretical knowledge and skills to understand organizations, understand leadership theories, and utilize critical thinking in making nursing management decisions. Variable Credit (1 to 6).
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4092. Independent Study Nursing. 1-3 Hours.
Independent Study. Students engage in an individual study in specialized areas of nursing. To be directed and approved by the nursing advisor. Variable credit (1 to 3).
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 4095. Special Topics in Nursing. 1-3 Hours.
Special Topics. Students engage in a group study in specialized areas of nursing. To be directed and approved by the nursing advisor. This course is designed to be a multi-topic course. Therefore, the student can take the course under various special topics being offered. Variable credit (1 to 3).
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 4250. Nursing Concepts II. 2 Hours.
Students are provided the opportunity to synthesize issues, such as career development, health policy, and workplace advocacy, into their working method. Other issues including information technology, ethics, and cultural awareness (which have been previously introduced) are explored more thoroughly to assist the graduate's entry into practice. 2 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: NURS 4030.
NURS 4372. RN-to-BSN Capstone. 3 Hours.
Students integrate the knowledge, theories, and concepts RN-to-BSN learned throughout the program. Students assimilate knowledge from nursing and related disciplines for analysis of a current health issue and the professional nurse's role in impacting change. NURS 3360 and NURS 4060.
Prerequisite: Admission to RN-BSN program.
NURS 4381. Legal & Ethical Issues in Nurs. 3 Hours.
Students explore current ethical and legal issues that affect the nursing profession as well as past and present legal issues that affect nursing. Students learn about various theories and tools that can be used to assist them in resolving ethical dilemmas.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-BSN Program.
NURS 4382. Informatics. 3 Hours.
Students learn to integrate nursing science and computer technology in order to identify, collect, process, and manage information. Course emphasis is placed on health applications that support clinical, administrative, research, and educational decision making as well as enhance the efficacy of nursing processes.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-BSN Program.
NURS 4383. Rural Health Nursing. 3 Hours.
Students explore the various unique healthcare needs, trends, and issues faced by rural settings. Students have an opportunity to explore possible solutions to healthcare problems as they examine evidence-based data in the literature. Rural nursing theories are applied to standards of professional nursing practice.
Prerequisite: Admission to the RN-BSN Program.
NURS 4384. Nursing Genetics and Genomics. 3 Hours.
Students study health promotion and maintenance for individuals and families within the context of human diversity and the implications for best practices associated with genomic information, including ethics and genetic counseling. Students learn about the genomic determinants of health.
Prerequisite: Admission to RN-BSN program.
NURS 4520. Child & Adolescent Nursing. 5 Hours.
Students uses the nursing process to promote, protect, and maintain the health of infants, children, and adolescents, providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to develop the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills necessary for therapeutic interventions of these populations. Students examine the biological and psychosocial parameters; legal and ethical dimensions; resources; and cultural influences affecting nursing care strategies for infants, children, and adolescents. (Class: 3 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 6 hours weekly) 5 Credit Hours. .
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 4540. Women's Hlth and Matern NB Nur. 5 Hours.
Students examine childbearing families and women’s health in normal and high-risk situations and the role of the nurse in meeting health needs of women, families, and their newborns. Supervised clinical experiences and/or simulation experiences in the application of the nursing process in meeting these health needs are offered and promotes the acquisition of skills in caring for women, families, and newborns during uncomplicated and/or complicated health experiences in a variety of settings. (Class: 2 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 6 hours weekly) 4 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 4620. Adult Health II. 6 Hours.
Senior students are presented critical thinking and problem-solving strategies for care of adults with acute or complex illness and injuries. The effects of acute illness are examined in relation to the injury as well as in relation to the individual's developmental stage, culture, and gender. Building on the Nursing Care of Adults Health I, a systems approach is used to analyze and intervene in alterations to the health of the individual and family and to help them reach their optimal level of wellness. The course includes clinical laboratory to allow the student the opportunity to integrate theoretical concepts into clinical practice in diverse populations. (Class: 3 hours weekly Clinical/Lab: 9 hours weekly) 6 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
