Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN)
Course Descriptions

There are nine total ADN courses, consisting of 41 total credit hours.

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NUR 101 
Nursing Fundamentals (5 hours)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance

NUR 101    Introduces students to nursing foundations that are essential to entry level nursing practice including perception of basic human needs, interpersonal relationships, and the nursing process. Basic medical terminology will be included. Key concepts include professional standards in nursing practice, developing critical thinking skills, infection prevention and control, safe medication administration, community-based nursing practice, healthcare delivery system developmental theories, assessment, managing patient care, communications, client education, and safe nursing practice. Students are provided with learning opportunities to develop nursing skills in the classroom, clinical skills laboratory, and in the clinical area. Emphasis is placed upon developing critical thinking skills to meet the needs of individuals across the lifespan.

NUR 102
Health Promotions and Assessment (1 hour)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance

NUR 102 is an introductory course that provides the student with the skills necessary to obtain histories and perform assessments of clients. This course focuses on assessment as a basis for determining needs for implementing the nursing process. Assessment skills are acquired in the classroom and in simulated and clinical laboratories. The concept of nutrition and its importance to health and wellness is provided. Emphasis is placed upon developing critical thinking skills to meet client needs for the prevention of illness, health maintenance, health promotion, nutrition, and the restoration of health.

NUR 103
Introduction to Pharmacology and Drug Dosage (1 hour)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance

NUR 103 is an introduction to the principles of pharmacology and drug dosage from a nurse’s perspective. The primary focus of this course is to provide students with basic knowledge of pharmacology necessary for safe medication administration and practices. Methods of calculation, systems of measurement with conversion, the nursing process, and client teaching are included. Major classifications of medication are discussed.


NUR 201
Pharmacology and Drug Dosage (2 hours)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103

NUR 201
provides comprehensive principles of pharmacology from the unique perspective of nursing. These include medication safety, pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, client education, and the nursing process. This course covers contemporary issues in pharmacology, including the changing drug approval process. Clinical side effects and contraindications of major drug classifications will be explained. Students will be provided a comprehensive review of drug dosage calculations for adults and children. Methods of drug dosage and calculation will be reviewed. This course provides opportunities for students to develop competencies necessary to practice safe medication administration, using the nursing process and develop critical thinking skills necessary to care for individuals across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on the provision of safe, legal, and ethical nursing care using the nursing process. Cultural considerations, pathophysiology, preventing medication errors, and critical thinking case studies are included. NCLEX-RN Examination review content, including scientific rationale, will be discussed and reviewed.


NUR 202
Medical-Surgical Nursing I (6 hours)

Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103

NUR 202 contains content that builds upon previous instruction and provides additional opportunities to develop competencies necessary to meet the needs of individual in a safe, legal, and ethical manner utilizing the nursing process. This course provides a study of the nursing needs of patients whose health problems are perceived as moderately threatening, with the expected prognosis being a return to health or control of the problem. Identification of factors which influence perception of and reaction to stressors, determine nursing actions to meet client needs with intervention, evaluation, and revision of nursing care to resolve nursing problems are emphasized. This course also emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills. In addition, this course explores the role of the nurse in coping with health and illness problems of individuals, families, groups of clients, and communities. Experiences for students to implement preventive, acute, and rehabilitative care in the community setting are provided. Clinical experiences will provide opportunities for students to develop cognitive psychomotor, and affective skills in the provision of safe, and ethical nursing care in a variety of settings.

 

NUR 203
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing (5 hours)
Prerequisite: Completion of NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103

NUR 203
focuses on mental illness and psychiatric disorders. The student will be provided with information offering a holistic approach to nursing care including the complex causation of mental illness, its diagnosis, effective interventions and treatments, and the client’s experience of mental illness. This course emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills. Clinical experiences will provide opportunities for students to develop cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills in the provision of community and mental health nursing care. Specific mental health needs of individuals, families, and groups will be addressed across the lifespan. Diverse and at-risk populations are discussed. Mental health concepts will concentrate on adaptive/maladaptive behaviors and specific mental health disorders.

 

NUR 204
Medical-Surgical Nursing II (6 hours)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103, NUR 202

NUR 204 contains content that builds upon previous instruction and
provides additional opportunities to develop competencies necessary to meet the needs of individuals in a safe, legal, and ethical manner utilizing the nursing process. This course provides a study of the nursing needs of patients whose health problems are perceived as complex. Clinical experiences are provided with emphasis placed on critical thinking and problem solving skills, utilizing the nursing process in the provision of safe, and ethical nursing care.
 
NUR 205
Maternal/Child Nursing (5 hours)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103, NUR 202

NUR 205 provides a study of the developing family during the childbearing and child-rearing experiences. Emphasis is placed upon the normal progression of pregnancy through labor and delivery and also includes postpartum care. The most common prenatal complications are explored. Care of the healthy-child, including health teaching and disease prevention, is discussed with common childhood abnormalities observed in the clinical environment. This course also emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills, utilizing the nursing process. Clinical experiences will provide opportunities for students to develop cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills in the provision of safe and ethical nursing care.
 
NUR 206
Medical-Surgical Nursing III (6 hours)
Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103, NUR 202, NUR 204, and NUR 205
 
NUR 206 contains content that builds upon previous instruction and provides additional opportunities to develop competencies necessary to meet the needs of individuals across the lifespan in a safe, legal, and ethical manner, utilizing the nursing process. This course provides a study of the nursing needs of patients whose health problems are complex. Students are expected to utilize prior learning to efficiently conduct comprehensive health assessments. Theoretical, laboratory, and clinical experiences are provided with emphasis placed on using critical thinking and problem solving skills, utilizing the nursing process in the provision of safe, ethical, and legal nursing care.
 
NUR 207
Role Transition and NCLEX Review (4 hours)

Prerequisite: ADN Program Acceptance; NUR 101, NUR 102, NUR 103, NUR 202, NUR 203, NUR 204, and NUR 205

NUR 207 focuses on current nursing issues with an emphasis on gaining knowledge and skills necessary to transition from student to registered nurse. Emphasis is placed on the provision of safe, legal and ethical nursing
practice in preparing students for professional nursing. Responsibility for continued professional development is emphasized with an opportunity to explore management and leadership within an area of interest. Tips for test taking success on the latest test plan for the NCLEX-RN are included along with computer assisted testing (CAT). Students are expected to pass a comprehensive exam in order to pass the course. Clinical experiences, including a preceptorship, are required. Clinical learning experiences will include the opportunity for the development of skills in clinical judgments, management of care for groups of patients, delegation to, and supervision of other health care personnel.