Nursing (RN to BSN)

The ability to think critically is an essential foundation for problem-solving. This course is designed to examine and enhance the student’s critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Concepts related to analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, reasoning, and problem-solving will be used to explore the decision-making process. Emphasis will be placed upon the ability to think critically and creatively, reason soundly, and collaborate effectively.

This course focuses on the systematic study of writing effective prose and argumentation, stressing development and support of a clear thesis. Students will learn to formulate ideas, appraise text and online resources, and synthesize research findings. The student will become familiar with various writing and communication formats and develop techniques for following APA form and style and avoiding plagiarism.

This course focuses on statistical models and mathematical processes essential for healthcare professionals to understand and apply research studies. Fundamental statistical concepts are applied to sample data to make inferences for populations. Includes measures of central tendency and dispersion, finite probability, probability distributions, statistical inferences, linear regression, and correlation.

This course builds on previously learned concepts and techniques of physical examination and health assessment and facilitates enhanced confidence and competence in interviewing for data collection and health histories, prioritizing assessments, establishing databases, analyzing clinical findings, and performing physical, psychological, and cultural assessments. Clinical judgment, clinical decision making, and contributing to client care as a full partner in the interdisciplinary healthcare team are emphasized. Laboratory experiences engage students in virtually simulated scenarios requiring the application of health assessment skills for diverse clients across the life span.

This course builds on previously learned concepts and strengthens the student’s ability to make appropriate clinical decisions related to pathophysiologic causes and pharmacologic treatments of common, selected disease processes. Focused on fundamental principles of pathophysiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics, the course emphasizes the role and responsibility of the professional nurse in the safe administration and management of medications for the achievement of optimum and safe health outcomes. Best practices for high-risk and vulnerable populations as well as a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy are explored.

This course focuses on concepts and processes of nursing research and evidence-based practice to develop students as critical consumers and evaluators of research findings. Theories and terminology relevant to the context of original research, including research design, methodology, data collection, data analysis, appropriate statistical tests of analysis, and dissemination of results are presented. Students will critically read and evaluate research articles from various sources to determine relevance, validity, and usefulness in the support of informed clinical decisions. Ethical considerations in research involving human participants will also be explored.

This course prepares the baccalaureate-prepared nurse to function as a leader within complex healthcare systems. Emphasis is placed on leadership theories, systems thinking, and clinical judgment to analyze organizational structure, culture, and processes that influence healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Students apply quality improvement methodologies and performance measurement tools to evaluate outcomes and design strategies that improve patient safety, care quality, health equity, and organizational performance. The course also examines healthcare policy, regulatory and accreditation requirements, and healthcare finance to understand their impact on access, cost, quality, and outcomes across diverse populations.

Leadership and management concepts, including delegation, team development, conflict resolution, and interprofessional collaboration, are integrated throughout the course. Ethical and legal principles are applied to complex clinical and organizational decision-making, with emphasis on professional accountability and advocacy. Students explore the use of informatics, data analytics, and healthcare technologies in leadership decision-making and quality improvement, including the use of data and regulatory standards in the development of quality initiatives. Change management theories and leadership strategies are applied to support sustainable improvements in healthcare systems.

This course examines the role of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse in promoting population health and preventing disease across diverse communities and global settings. Emphasis is placed on the application of population health concepts, including levels of prevention, epidemiology, public health surveillance, and health promotion frameworks to improve health outcomes among individuals, families, and populations.

Students analyze the impact of social determinants of health, environmental influences, and global health issues on health equity and access to care, with a focus on vulnerable and underserved populations. The course emphasizes the development of culturally responsive, population-focused care plans and collaborative interventions that address health disparities. Additionally, students evaluate community health planning and emergency preparedness strategies using public health and disaster management frameworks to support safe, equitable, and effective population health outcomes.

This course explores health information and informatics concepts encountered in healthcare settings. Students will trace the history of health data management and the role of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and other clinical informatics applications in healthcare organizations. Attention is focused on the role of the nurse in interfacing with these systems to improve healthcare quality and client outcomes through the integration of evidence-based practice and informatics. Attention is given to the evaluation of health information systems and their role in client safety, safe medication administration, maintaining client privacy, data security, and efficacy of healthcare processes. Students are encouraged to explore how computers and software are used at healthcare and develop and demonstrate generalist nursing practices needed to manage health information and client care technologies in their work environment and to share their findings with class participants.

This course examines health and healthcare challenges from the perspective of vulnerable and at-risk populations. Students will explore context-relevant health promotion; analyze issues of social justice in health care; develop heightened awareness and understanding of health issues for underserved populations; and identify interventions that prompt equitable, quality health for all. Health disparities in the United States and patterns of disparity that impact health care access, quality of care, and health outcomes are emphasized.

This capstone course is the culmination of the RN-BSN program and provides students with the opportunity to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired throughout the curriculum. Emphasis is placed on integrating leadership, evidence-based practice, population health, informatics, quality improvement, and healthcare policy to address patient, population, organizational, and healthcare-system outcomes. Students analyze organizational and healthcare-system processes, population-health data, and social determinants of health to identify disparities and develop strategies that promote quality, safety, access, and health equity.

Through a faculty-guided practice-based learning experience, students engage with an approved nursing or healthcare practice environment, consult with a practice-site liaison and appropriate stakeholders, and examine an authentic quality, safety, population-health, organizational, or systems-level issue. Students use evidence, authorized and de-identified data, informatics tools, and professional stakeholder feedback to develop and evaluate an implementation-ready quality-improvement or professional practice-change proposal.

The capstone project incorporates leadership principles, interprofessional collaboration, performance measurement, financial and resource considerations, ethical and legal responsibilities, change management, and sustainability planning. Students present or discuss the completed proposal with an appropriate professional stakeholder and refine the project based on the feedback received. The proposed practice change is not implemented as part of the course, and students do not provide direct patient care through the capstone experience. The course emphasizes professional accountability and the role of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse as a leader and advocate in improving healthcare outcomes for diverse populations.