Nursing (NURS)
NURS 2132. Foundations & Health Assessment Lab. 1 Hour.
Students review concepts and principles underlying the assessment of the health status of individuals across the lifespan and are introduced to a patient-centered approach for providing safe, effective nursing care in the clinical setting. Emphasis is placed on enhancing communication and assessment skills, which include improving interviewing techniques, health history taking, and the ability to review physiological systems and psychosocial findings, all while cultivating a trusting nurse-client relationship.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 2133. Experiential Learning 1 - Concept Application. 1 Hour.
Students connect classroom theory with experiential learning and focus on the development of critical thinking skills, clinical judgment, ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in a safe and controlled simulated environment. Through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, and collaborative learning, students will gain foundational knowledge and skills necessary for successful clinical practice. An emphasis will be placed on the nursing process, communication, safety, and patient assessment.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 2231. Recitation and Wellness for Student Success 1. 2 Hours.
Students deepen their understanding of nursing concepts from the Sophomore 1 semester and apply them in real-world healthcare scenarios through interactive recitation sessions focused on competency. Students will also learn to promote individual academic success, clinical success, resilience, and well-being.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 2321. Applied Pathophysiology/Pharmacology 1. 3 Hours.
Students are introduced to the foundation of pathophysiology and fundamental principles of pharmacological alterations in major regulatory mechanisms of the body. Special consideration is given to the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of pharmacologic concepts and principles to professional nursing practice. Students are provided a foundation for understanding general nursing practice, various diagnostic procedures, and basic drug classifications.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 2531. Foundations of Nursing. 5 Hours.
Students are introduced to the scope of human needs, utilization 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 to apply fundamental concepts, principles of nursing, and communication skills to clinical practice in diverse adult populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3134. Experiential Learning 2 - Concept Application. 1 Hour.
Building on the foundational knowledge acquired, students bridge classroom theory with experiential learning and further develop critical thinking skills, clinical and ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in a safe and controlled simulated environment. Through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, and collaborative learning, students will build on the foundational courses to gain the knowledge and skills necessary that will be built on in future courses. Emphasis will be placed on the Clinical Judgement Model within the nursing process, therapeutic communication, safety and prioritization.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3135. Experiential Learning 3 - Concept Application. 1 Hour.
Building on the knowledge previously acquired, students bridge classroom theory with experiential learning and develop critical thinking skills, clinical and ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in a safe and controlled simulated environment. Through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, and collaborative learning, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary for competent clinical practice. Students examine evidence-based practice in the clinical setting and emphasis will be placed on using the Clinical Judgment Model within the nursing process, interprofessional communication, safety, delegation, and prioritization across diverse healthcare settings.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3141. Applied Pathophysiology/Pharmacology 3. 1 Hour.
Students enhance sequential critical thinking, prioritization, and effective decision-making for safe and effective patient care using the principles of pharmacology and pathophysiology as applied to clinical nursing practice. Special consideration is given to the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of pharmacologic concepts and principles to professional nursing practice.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3231. Applied Pathophysiology/Pharmacology 2. 2 Hours.
Students focus on foundations of pathophysiological and fundamental principles of pharmacological alterations in major regulatory mechanisms of the body. Special consideration of the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of pharmacologic concepts and principles to professional nursing practice is highlighted. Students are provided a foundation for understanding general nursing practice, various diagnostic procedures, basic drug classifications, and nursing implications relative to the use of drug therapy and selected therapeutic regimens. Students also develop critical thinking skills and apply effective decision-making for safe and effective care.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3232. Recitation and Wellness for Student Success 2. 2 Hours.
Students deepen their understanding of nursing concepts from the Junior 1 semester and apply them in real-world healthcare scenarios through interactive recitation sessions focused on competency. Students will also learn to promote individual academic success, clinical success, resilience, and well-being.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3233. Recitation and Wellness for Student Success 3. 2 Hours.
Students deepen their understanding of nursing concepts from the Junior 2 semester and apply them in real-world healthcare scenarios through interactive recitation sessions focused on competency. Students will also learn to promote individual academic success, clinical success, resilience, and well-being.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 3263. Population Health Nursing. 2 Hours.
Students learn the skills to conduct community assessments by using the nursing process to address primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention within population health. The multiple determinants of health at the local, state, national, and global levels will be addressed. The role of the public health and community nurse, and the importance of interprofessional collaboration in various community settings will be emphasized to ensure the provision of safe nursing care while using clinical judgement. Students will participate in interprofessional learning opportunities in the course. NURS 3263 is a designated Academic Community Engagement course.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
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. Course Equivalents: NURS 3410
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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 Nursing program.
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 Nursing program.
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. Course Equivalents: NURS 3040, NURS 3440
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 3342. Behavioral Health Nursing Care. 3 Hours.
Students acquire conceptual understanding and application of evidence-based practice in care delivery for clients with behavioral (mental illness and substance abuse) dysfunction and their families. Students build upon development of critical judgment and thinking skills in patient-centered care through lecture, case studies, and classroom discussions. Emphasis is placed on fostering skills in therapeutic relationship building and communication, and knowledge of psychopharmacology.
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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.
Prerequisite: STAT 3379 or MATH 1342 or MATH 1370 or PSYC 3402.
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 Nursing program.
NURS 3521. Medical - Surgical Nursing1. 5 Hours.
Students focus on nursing care using critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to promote, maintain, and restore health in adults. The effects of illness are examined in relation to the individual development stage, culture, and gender. Students are introduced to the nursing process in the medical-surgical care of adults with chronic and/or non-complex illness by utilizing clinical judgment. This course includes a clinical component to allow the student the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to medical-surgical clinical nursing practice in diverse adult populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the nursing program.
NURS 3522. Medical - Surgical Nursing 2. 5 Hours.
Students focus on nursing care using critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to promote, maintain, and restore health in adults. The effects of illness are examined in relation to the individual development stage, culture, and gender. Students are introduced to the use of the nursing process in the care of adults with chronic and/or complex illness by utilizing clinical judgment. A clinical component is included to allow the student the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to clinical practice in diverse adult populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing 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. Course Equivalents: NURS 3640
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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.
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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. Course Equivalents: NURS 3430, NURS 3530 .
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. Course Equivalents: NURS 3460, NURS 3560
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4030. Community Nursing. 6 Hours.
Students In this course will synthesize public health concepts within a preventive framework to promote and maintain the health of communities. The historical development and philosophy of public health will be examined, and the role of epidemiology in public health nursing will be discussed. Special focus areas include health promotion and health behaviors of individuals, families, and populations, disaster preparedness and response, cultural competence and nursing care of communities/populations. Social determinants of health affecting individuals, families, and populations and specifically to vulnerable populations will be studied. The use of the nursing process as it applies to populations and an examination and implementation of health literacy concepts will be addressed. This course may offer an optional Academic Community Engagement, interprofessional and/or study abroad component(s). Study abroad is for an additional fee. Variable Credit (1 to 6). Course Equivalents: NURS 4630
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). Course Equivalents: NURS 4660
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). Course Equivalents: NURS 4392
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). Course Equivalents: NURS 4395
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4137. Experiential Learning 5 - Concept Application. 1 Hour.
Building on the knowledge acquired in previous courses, students bridge classroom theory with experiential learning and aims to in this final comprehensive course to advance critical thinking skills, clinical and ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in a safe and controlled simulated environment. Students will immerse themselves in the complexities of critical care nursing and through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, and collaborative learning. Students will encounter scenarios involving critically ill patients, emergency situations, and complex care management. Students will also learn advanced life support techniques, hemodynamic monitoring, professional communication, and interdisciplinary teamwork essential for success in critical care nursing practice.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4221. Child & Adolescent Nursing. 2 Hours.
Students focus on the effects of illness while exploring developmental, coping, grief, and systems theories in the care of newborn, child, and adolescent patient populations. Students also examine the conceptual impact of family, culture, and diversity on the health promotion and problems of the pediatric population and also integrate evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning through a systematic approach. The student will demonstrate developing nursing skill and knowledge through directed learning experiences. In this Academic Community Engagement (ACE) course, students collaborate with an organization and an interprofessional team as part of their field experience/clinical placement.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4222. Child & Adolescent Nursing. 2 Hours.
Students focus on the effects of illness while exploring developmental, coping, grief, and systems theories in the care of newborn, child, and adolescent patient populations. Students also examine the conceptual impact of family, culture, and diversity on the health promotion and problems of the pediatric population and also integrate evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning through a systematic approach. The student will demonstrate developing nursing skill and knowledge through directed learning experiences. In this Academic Community Engagement (ACE) course, students collaborate with an organization and an interprofessional team as part of their field experience/clinical placement.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4230. Maternal Newborn/Child Nursing Clinical. 2 Hours.
Students describe and distinguish their nursing knowledge, application of nurse theory, demonstrate evidence-based practice, and employ clinical reasoning while delivering competent quality patient-centered care of mothers, newborn, children and their families. There are a total of 90 clinical hours as a part of the course.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4235. Recitation and Wellness for Student Success 4. 2 Hours.
Students deepen their understanding of nursing concepts from the Senior 1 semester, apply them in real-world healthcare scenarios, strengthen their competency and skills in nursing practice, and foster individual academic success, clinical success, resilience, and well-being.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4236. Experiential Learning 4 - Concept Application. 2 Hours.
Building on the knowledge previously acquired, students bridge classroom theory with experiential learning and build critical thinking skills, clinical and ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in a safe and controlled simulated environment. Through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, and collaborative learning, students continue to build on knowledge from previous courses to gain the competencies necessary to safely provide holistic care to individuals and families, with an emphasis on maternal/newborn, family, and pediatric populations across various healthcare settings.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4237. Recitation and Wellness for Student Success 5. 2 Hours.
Through interactive recitation sessions, students prepare for practice, show competency in their understanding of nursing concepts from the Senior 2 semester, apply them in real-world healthcare scenarios, and foster individual academic success, clinical success, resilience, and well-being. Students are provided opportunities to design success strategies that will promote professional development.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4241. Maternal Newborn Nursing & Women's Health. 2 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. Students will employ clinical judgment to meet health needs, promote, and provide holistic patient-centered care for women, families, and newborns. In this Academic Community Engagement (ACE) course, students collaborate with an organization, interprofessional team as part of the field experience/clinical placement and explore a variety of ways to interact with different populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4242. Maternal Newborn Nursing & Women's Health. 2 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. Students will employ clinical judgment to meet health needs, promote, and provide holistic patient-centered care for women, families, and newborns. In this Academic Community Engagement (ACE) course, students collaborate with an organization, interprofessional team as part of the field experience/clinical placement and explore a variety of ways to interact with different populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4264. Applied Population Health Nursing. 2 Hours.
Students bridge classroom theory with experiential learning to develop critical thinking skills, clinical judgement and ethical decision-making abilities, and overall competence in public health and community health nursing. Through a combination of hands-on practice, simulated scenarios, reflective debriefing, collaborative learning, and interprofessional education, students further develop existing knowledge and skills necessary for successful clinical practice with individuals, families, and communities at the local, state, national, and global level. Emphasis is placed on the nursing process, communication, cultural humility, community assessment, and health education. Credit 2
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
NURS 4331. Leadership & Transition to Practice. 3 Hours.
Students are introduced to the concepts of leadership and management for application in practice settings. Theories relating to nursing, culture, models of care, culture, evidence-based practice, process change, and concepts of health care delivery are explored and support transition from student to the professional nurse role.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
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.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program, NURS 4060, and Department Approval.
NURS 4381. Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing. 3 Hours.
Students will explore legal and ethical issues related to the nursing profession. Students learn about various theories and tools that can be used to assist them in resolving ethical dilemmas.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing 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. Course Equivalents: NURS 4282
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing 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 Nursing 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 the Nursing 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. Course Equivalents: NURS 4420
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing program.
NURS 4540. Women's Health and Maternal Newborn Nursing. 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. Course Equivalents: NURS 4440
Prerequisite: Admission to the 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.
Prerequisite: Admission to SHSU nursing program.
NURS 4631. Medical - Surgical Nursing 3 (Critical Care). 6 Hours.
Students focus on nursing care using critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to promote, maintain, and restore health in adults. The effects of illness are examined in relation to the individual development stage, culture, and gender. Students progress in the use of the nursing process in the care of critically-ill adults with acute and/or complex illness(es) by utilizing clinical judgment. This course includes a clinical component to allow the student the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to clinical practice in diverse adult populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to the Nursing Program.
