Course Descriptions
Each nursing course addresses holistic health and wellness of individuals and families across the life span. Holism encompasses physiological, social, mental, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and environmental needs of an individual and family for attaining optimum health and wellness. Through each course, students build from simple to complex when applying the processes of reasoning, problem solving, communication, teaching-learning, and continuous improvement. Students are introduced to the multiple roles and relationships employed to facilitate health promotion, restoration, maintenance, and support. Believed to be fundamental to the practice of professional nursing, caring, personal and professional accountability, reasoning and technical skills are applied in each course. A variety of in- and outpatient settings will support students in acquiring assessment skills and therapeutic interventions for individuals and families with differing needs.
ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE NURSING PROGRAM
Nursing I: Health Promotion and Wellness
3 class hours/9 clinical hours (6 credits)
Students will trace the history of professional roles and responsibilities in nursing practice and healthcare delivery systems to present day. Legal, ethical, and moral accountability will be introduced with emphasis placed upon the professional roles of helper and partner in the promotion of health and wellness. Through the development of skills in interviewing and assessment, students will identify varying degrees of health and wellness for individuals and families across the life span. An appreciation of differences in people and their perceptions of wellness will be fostered to better enable students to assist individuals and their families recognize the value of health and wellness and encourage personal responsibility.
Prerequisite: CPR certification at the professional level.
Corequisites: Anatomy & Physiology I, English Composition I, General Psychology
Nursing II: Health Maintenance, Restoration and Support
4.5 class hours/13.5 clinical hours (9 credits)
Application of the physical, social and behavioral sciences enables students to analyze factors affecting health and wellness. Students identify, apply, monitor, and evaluate interventions to promote a higher level of health when illness has interfered with daily living. Sensitivity to differences in individual families' responses to alterations in health emphasizes the significance of the partnering role of the nurse. Therapeutic interventions include health teaching and the development of such skills as intravenous and nutritional support, medication administration, and maintaining asepsis.
Prerequisites: Nursing I, Anatomy & Physiology I, English Composition I, General Psychology and CPR at the professional level
Corequisites: Anatomy & Physiology II, Developmental Psychology
Nursing III: Managing Care
2.5 class hours/24 clinical hours (3 credits)
Students further develop reasoning and organizational skills when providing care for a small group of individuals experiencing an alternation in health and wellness. Through seminars and extensive clinical experiences, students will gain confidence in the multifaceted roles of the professional nurse. Students increase proficiency in technical skills and clinical problem-solving. The use of computer technology in the clinical setting will be expanded to support clinical decisions.
Prerequisites: Nursing I & II, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, English Composition I, General and Developmental Psychology and CPR certification at the professional level.
Nursing IV: Complex Health Maintenance, Restoration and Support: Women's and Children's Health Issues
4 class hours/12 clinical hours (8 credits)
Students will expand their knowledge and skills in administering and monitoring care to individuals and families experiencing multi-system and rapidly changing alterations in health and wellness. Complexity is evident in the alteration of health status as well as the types of therapeutic interventions. Physical, social, and behavioral sciences and advanced technology are applied in the diagnosing and treating of human responses in a variety of settings. Clinical experiences include in- and outpatient specialty areas such as maternal-child and behavioral health.
Prerequisites: Nursing I & II, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, English Composition I, General and Developmental Psychology and CPR at the professional level
Corequisites: Microbiology and Social Science Elective
Nursing BH: Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
1.5 class hours/4.5 clinical hours (3 credits)
Students will expand their knowledge and skills in administering and monitoring care to individuals and families experiencing alterations in health and wellness in the area of mental health. Theory and practice are directed towards the development of skill and comfort in intervening with clients in this area. Theory content contains the knowledge of mental health disorders, treatment, and nursing interventions with the expectation the student will apply this knowledge in the diagnosing and treating of human responses in the practicum. Clinical experiences include inpatient and outpatient specialty areas of behavioral health.
Prerequisites: Nursing I, II, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, English Composition I, General & Developmental Psychology and CPR at the Professional Level
Corequisites: Microbiology and Social Science Elective
Nursing V: Coordinating and Improving Care
5 class hours/15 clinical hours (10 credits)
This course is designed to broaden the student's perspective of the nurse's role in influencing and improving healthcare systems and practices. Emerging healthcare concerns, paradigm shifts, governmental regulations, and financing are discussed to provide a more global view of nursing. Students apply management, systems and change theories to previously acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to promote quality care for a group of individuals. Nursing informatics is applied to foster improved standards of care and change. Learning experiences are designed to ease the transition of student to that of the graduate nurse. Clinical experiences include medical-surgical and critical care.
Prerequisites: Nursing I, II, III, IV; Nursing BH; Anatomy & Physiology I & II; Microbiology; General and Developmental Psychology; English Composition I; Social Science Elective; and CPR certification at the professional level
Corequisites: English Elective, Directed Elective
NOTE: Students taking Registered Nursing courses must be CPR certified at the professional level (adult, child, and infant) for the duration of each semester.
DIRECTED ELECTIVES
High Acuity Nursing
(Offered on Demand)
1.5 class hours/4.5 clinical hours (3 credits)
This elective course is designed to provide the second year nursing student or recent graduate with in-depth knowledge of the high acuity nursing specialty. This course builds on concepts presented in all previous nursing courses and adds the depth and breadth necessary to begin working in the high acuity areas defined as Emergency Department (ED) and Critical Care (CC). Students will have opportunities to apply theoretical concepts through precepted clinical experiences in all phases of emergent and critical care. The role of the High Acuity nurse will be emphasized, with exposure to the Triage Nurse, Emergency Department Nursing and Surgical and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Units.
PRACTICAL NURSE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Practical Nursing 1
3 class hours/9 clinical-lab hours (6 credit hours)
Practical Nursing 1 introduces the student to the concepts of human functions, self-care deficits, and basic skills of nursing practice. Through classroom, simulated laboratory and clinical experiences, the student is introduced to the nursing process, practical nurse role, legal-ethical responsibilities, teaching-learning principles, and communication skills fundamental to providing basic nursing care for an individual.
Prerequisite: CPR certification at the professional level.
Corequisites: General Psychology, Biology of the Human Organism.
Practical Nursing 2
4 class hours/12 clinical-lab hours (8 credit hours)
Practical Nursing 2 incorporates previous learning as a building block for nursing interventions. Concepts of the nursing process, pharmacology, and nutrition are integrated. Theory and related clinical experience focus on nursing interventions that support the self-care human function needs of adults with chronic and episodic alterations in health.
Prerequisites: Practical Nursing I, General Psychology, Biology of the Human Organism and CPR certification at the professional level.
Corequisite: Practical Nursing 4 and Developmental Psychology.
Practical Nursing 3
4.5 class hours/13.5 clinical hours (9 credit hours)
Practical Nursing 3 exposes the student to family-centered nursing, with a focus on the growing family, child, and psychological health. The student will observe and practice his/her role in acute care and community maternity, pediatric and psychiatric clinical settings. Students will expand their experience with patients with clearly defined stable health alterations, expanding on their basic problem assessment, reporting, delegation and solving skills.
Corequisites for this course are: Practical Nursing 4 and Developmental Psychology.
Prerequisites: Practical Nursing 1, 2 and 4, Biology of the Human Organism, General and Developmental Psychology and CPR Certification at the Professional Level.
Corequisite: English Comp I
Practical Nursing 4
(1 credit hour)
Practical Nursing 4 provides an opportunity to investigate current issues and trends in nursing, healthcare, career planning, and continuing education. Further, legal aspects of nursing licensure and the responsibility of the graduate practical nurse are covered.
Prerequisites: Practical Nursing 1, General Psychology, Biology of the Human Organism and CPR Certification at the Professional Level.
Corequisites: Practical Nursing 2 and Developmental Psychology.
NOTE: Students taking Practical Nursing courses must be CPR certified at the professional level (adult, child, and infant) for the duration of each semester.
ORIENTATION
Orientation is required for all new students at the Schools of Nursing. It is designed to familiarize the student with services available at Samaritan Hospital, St. Peter's Hospital, Hudson Valley Community College, and the local community. It also assists the student in developing skills for success in meeting educational goals. Mandatory hospital in-service is also provided during orientation.
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Descriptions can be found in the Hudson Valley Community College online catalog at: www.hvcc.edu.
DIRECTED ELECTIVE (HVCC)
The following is a sample list of courses that may be taken to fulfill the Directed Elective in the AD program.
- BADM 220 - Statistics*
- CHEM 110 - Chemistry*
- BIOL 125 - Nutrition*
- CDEP 100 - Introduction to Chemical Dependence
- MATH 180 - Calculus
- HUSV 120 - Problems of Adolescence
A language course (subject code for language courses varies depending on the particular language: French, FREN; German, GERM; Italian, ITAL; Spanish, SPAN; Russian, RUSN; Japanese, JAPN).
An additional sociology course (subject code: SOCL) or psychology course (subject code: PSYC) may be taken. Abnormal Psychology or Child Psychology may not be used as a directed elective.
This is not a comprehensive list. Other courses may be considered at the discretion of the director. Courses must be three or four credits. The purpose of this elective is to enhance the student's knowledge of healthcare and/or better prepare him or her to transfer into a four-year college.
*Courses favored by BSN programs.