ELMIRA COLLEGE NURSE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Paulette Huggins RN, BSN (Lab instructor)
Course Description: The second practicum course continues to focus on the student in transition. Through the ongoing use of the nursing process the student develops additional skills necessary for basic care of the client in the acute and/ or long-term health care environment. Course Objectives: 1. Utilize scientific principles from nursing and related fields when implementing the nursing process for
selected clients in the acute and/or long-term health care environment.
2. Utilize principles of communication effectively to interact with members of the health care team within
acute and/or long-term health care environment.
3. Identify the relevance of nursing research to the care of a client in an acute and/or long term health
4. Assume responsibility and accountability for individual nursing practice and professional development. 5. Identify areas of needed changes in nursing practice as it relates to student role in maintaining and/or
restoring health of selected clients within acute and/or long term health care setting.
6. Demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary to provide basic nursing skills in an acute and/or long-
Method of Instruction Lecture discussion, demonstration and laboratory experiences on campus and in acute and/or long term health care setting. (18 hours of clinical/lab per week)
Method of Evaluation 1. Nursing Process Reports #1 due 5/5, #2 due 5/18
6. Written Clinical Assignments (Must complete all to pass)
9. Calculation Test (must achieve a 90%)
Quizzes:
Calculation Test 4/24/09 Quiz 1 4/22/09 Quiz 2 4/27/09 Quiz 3 5/18/09 **Medication information and drug calculations should be expected to appear on all exams quizzes. Calculation Test: Students will take a Calculation Test in lab on Friday April 24th 2009. A grade of 90% or above will result
in a passing grade and approval to administer medications in the clinical setting. A student who fails must
seek remediation with the course instructor, correct the failed test, and retake the test by 5/1. Students will
be allowed a maximum of 3 attempts on the medication exam, after this they will fail the course.
Exams: Both exams will be administered in the Gannett-Tripp Library in the Campus Computer Center. The midterm will cover all content prior to the midterm. The final will consist of all content from the midterm to the final. Midterm May 4th (Monday) Final Exam May 25th (Monday) Written Clinical Work All clinical paperwork should be store in a folder. The following is a list of the documents to be submitted:
** Failure to prepare completely for clinical (meds, diagnosis, nursing care, procedures, objectives etc) will
(Be sure to fill in the top portion of the form.)
Be sure to give each patient’s initials, age and diagnosis
1. How do you feel about what happened in clinical today? 2. What was good about clinical today and why? 3. What would you have done differently in clinical today and why? 4. What did you learn from today’s clinical experience? Were you able to apply any of the
concepts or skills we have learned in lab? Which ones? What questions or concerns do you have about today’s experience?
2. Clinical Preparation Sheet for each patient. 3. Clinical Assessment Tool for each patient. 4. Any work to be resubmitted. 5. Nursing Process due on 5/4 and 5/18 in lab
Weekly Clinical Objectives: Students should be prepared to discuss these items each week in the laboratory and clinical settings.
Week 1:
• Orient to the hospital unit. Identify the following: clean utility room, dirty utility room, nursing
desk, nursing staff room, location of medication cart/PIXIS, location of crash cart, emergency response codes, kitchen, policy and procedure manual.
• Identify ways to trouble shoot the intravenous infusion pump. Identify possible complications and
• Examine Coumadin (warfarin) therapy and necessary patient education and potential
• Discuss DVT prophylaxis in the post-operative patient.
• Describe assessments necessary to identify problems with circulation.
• Examine current practice of the nursing unit regarding client blood sugar testing? • Who performs the test?
• Who is responsible for the results? • What is the hospital policy regarding low or high values? • Describe assessment finding for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
• Discuss assessment and nursing interventions immediately following the creation of an ileostomy.
• Demonstrate targeted assessment for patients immediately after surgery to create an ileostomy. • Describe expected assessment findings of an ileostomy one day after surgery.
• Discuss Buck’s traction, reasons for use, nursing interventions, and possible complications. • Identify mobility considerations for the patient after a total knee replacement. • Identify mobility considerations for the patient after total hip replacement. • Discuss with your clinical group nursing interventions that prevent complications of immobility in
• Demonstrate targeted assessment for patients undergoing joint arthroplasty.
Nursing Process Papers: Students will complete two graded nursing process papers. See criteria on Nursing Process Grading Sheet. Campus Laboratory Skill Evaluation: 1. Campus laboratory skill evaluations are scheduled throughout the term. Skills must be satisfactorily
completed before the student performs the skill in the institutional clinical setting. Students who do not satisfactorily complete an evaluated skill will have the opportunity to be re-evaluated in the campus lab. Appointments will need to be made for re-evaluation.
2. See the Lab Skills Checklist for all skills required for this course. All skills are graded as “P” for pass or
3.The lab may be accessed Monday-Friday from 0800-1700 and during designated tutoring hours,
tutoring hours will be posted on the lab door when available.
Drug References: Drug references must be utilized on all medications your patients are taking. Please write down the following pertinent information. Name, route, dose, drug class, reason administered, administration information including primary nursing considerations. If the medication is to be administered intravenously be sure to write down rate of administration and compatibility with existing fluids. Drug information for the following medications will be discussed in lab 0n 4/22/2009. Please provide the following information to be submitted in class: name, drug class, reason administered, and five common side effects (usually bold faced print or italics), 3-4 major nursing considerations. Please include rate of administration for adults if administered IV push. If insulin please include peak and length of action. Insulin- Humulin R
**Testing on these medications will occur on scheduled tests throughout the term. Grading Criteria*
* A grade of "C" (minimum of 73, no rounding of the grade will occur) or better in theory portion and a "P" in the clinical portion must be achieved in order to progress to the next required nursing course. A grade of less than a “C” will require the student to repeat the course. A failure in the clinical component will result in an “F” for the course.
Attendance Attendance is expected at all class, laboratory, and clinical experiences. An option for make up of one clinical absence is provided in each clinical course. Opportunity to make up additional experiences is determined by the course faculty contingent on the availability of a faculty member, time and clinical agency. If additional opportunities are available to make up clinical time, a fee of $50.00 per student will be charged per each additional make-up beyond one. Additional written work will be assigned for each clinical absence. See course faculty for guidelines. Over two absences will be referred to the Student Recruitment, Progression and Retention (SRPR) Committee and may result in failure in the course. Clinical Participation Students are expected to adhere to the uniform requirements explained in the Nurse Education Program Student Handbook. Picture name tags are to be worn at all times. All students must fulfill the health requirements and hold current CPR certification for health care providers prior to the first day of the clinical experiences and maintain them throughout the academic year. At any time you are not in compliance with these regulations you will NOT be permitted to participate in clinical. Accommodations Students with documented academic and /or physical disabilities need to contact Mrs. Carolyn Draht. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for any type of approved accommodation in this course. If you have questions concerning this, please contact the course faculty.
Integrity Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. A breach of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of information or citations,
facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examination material, submitting another's work or previously used work of any student, including self. Each student is responsible for understanding all the academic policies and requirements, student conduct codes and student grievance procedures of Elmira College, as stated in the current College Bulletin and Student Handbook. Students are held accountable for ethical behavior as described in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements and Standards of Professional Performance. A professional and ethical attitude and behavior on the part of all computer users is expected and required. Penalties for a breach of integrity will be in accordance with Elmira College policies.
Assignments It is expected that all readings are completed prior to class. Active class participation is expected. Written assignments are submitted on the date due. Extensions must be approved by the faculty member in advance of the due date. If this procedure is not followed, one percentage point per late day will be subtracted from the final course grade. Medication Administration Exam A pharmacology/clinical calculation test will be administered to assess your competency for safe administration of medications and must be passed with a minimum of 90% in order to meet the clinical requirements of this course. If this standard is not met with three competency examinations, it will result in removal from clinical and failure of the course. APA Style All written assignments are to be completed using current APA editorial style. Please refer to your APA manual for specific details as well as the Nursing Resource Library on ANGEL The APA Publication Manual (2001) is located in the reference section in the Gannett-Tripp Library. Course Web The ANGEL Course Management System is used for this course. Students are responsible for all materials on ANGEL and to visit ANGEL for any updates. ANGEL may be accessed from an off campus from the following URL http://angel.elmira.edu Diversity Diversity is valued at Elmira College. Respect for others, regardless of age, ethnicity, beliefs, physical abilities, gender, sexual orientation, religion and socioeconomic status is expected. Any inappropriate statement or action related to diversity during class, laboratory, or clinical experiences that reflect a lack of respect for others may result in disciplinary action. Required Learning Resources
Myers, Ehren (2006). Rnotes Nurse’s Clinical Pocket Guide. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis
Potter, P. A. & Perry A. G. (2005). Fundamentals of Nursing. (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Smeltzer, S. C. & Bare, B. G., Hinkle J. L., Cheever, K. H. (2008). Brunner and Suddarth's textbook of medical- surgical nursing. (11th ed.). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
Craig, G. (2005). Clinical Calculations Made Easy (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Glendon, K.J. & Ulrich, D.L. (2001). Unfolding case studies: Experiencing the realities of clinical nursing practice. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.