Course designed to be presented via computer assisted instruction and modular teaching methods. The content to be mastered will assist the pre-nursing student to gain the background skills needed to interpret medical terminology. The course will also provide the content necessary for the student to apply mathematical concepts to nursing medication administration.

This course is an introduction to normal and clinical nutrition. The fundamentals of nutrition and nutritional needs throughout the life span will be addressed. The appropriate uses for diet therapy in restoring and maintaining health will also be covered.

This course introduces the student to the profession of nursing. Students will study the characteristics of the nursing process, critical thinking and time management. Learning styles, communication ability and test taking skills as well as legal/ethical/cultural issues, nursing history and basic concepts of human behavior are explored.

This theory and lab course introduces the nursing principles and clinical skills that are essential for the nursing roles of provider of care, manager of care and member of the discipline in nursing. Emphasis is on the role of provider of care and human health needs of clients. Theoretical and practical concepts of the nursing process, critical thinking, and health promotion to meet the needs of individuals in a variety of health care settings are presented. The course provides for the application of basic nursing skills.

Prerequisite: Admission to Nursing Program
Course Fee: $35.00

This two-week elective course is designed to give incoming nursing students basic knowledge of study skills and test taking skills to enhance their success in their first year in the MSU-Northern nursing program. The American Psychological Association (APA) writing format, which is required for all papers written in the nursing program, is introduced. Information is provided on using the internet for nursing research and how to present appropriate documentation.

This is an elective course for the incoming nursing students designed to provide an introduction to improve study skills and test taking abilities. Nursing skills such as developing nursing care plans through the use of the nursing process, using mathematics in the clinical setting and performing basic clinical skills are reviewed and practiced.

Prerequisite: Admission to nursing

This course addresses current issues relevant to the nursing care of the aging population. Economic, social and ethical issues and expected age related conditions affecting the aging population are explored. The clinical component provides the opportunity for the student to apply these principles while meeting health promotion, maintenance and restoration needs.

Prerequisite: Admission to Nursing Program
Course Fee: $15.00

This course is an introduction to clinical drug therapy. Content areas include groups of therapeutic drugs, prototypes of drug groups, commonly prescribed drugs, drug interactions and the role of the nursing process in prescribed drug therapy regimens. Students examine drug therapy using critical thinking and clinical decision making.

Prerequisite: Admission to Nursing Program

This theory and practicum course prepares the student to provide nursing care to patient’s experiencing common, well-defined health/ illness needs. The focus is on use of the nursing process and critical thinking in settings where stable patients are anticipated. Recognition and emergent treatment of rapidly changing patient physical conditions will be introduced.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 119, NURS 132 and NURS 140
Course Fee: $35.00

This course introduces the student to the provider of care role in meeting the needs of the mother, newborn, child, and family unit. The course includes growth and developmental patterns as well as care of the well and sick child. The student will demonstrate acquired knowledge when caring for the mother, newborn and child in institutional and community based settings.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of NURS 119, NURS 132, and NURS 140
Course Fee: $15.00

This theory course explores physiological, sociological, spiritual, and environmental factors associated with Mental Health/Illness needs which effect individuals, families, and communities. Focus is on the use of the nursing process and therapeutic communication skills when caring for clients with basic psychiatric disorders. Therapeutic modalities and psychopharmacological management is presented.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 119, NURS 132, and NURS 140

This course facilitates transition of the LPN student into the ASN program. The nursing process, critical thinking, and the clinical decision making process are discussed. Clinical nursing competency is demonstrated.

This is a theory and practicum course focused on the care of the patient with medical-surgical health needs. This course builds on previous concepts of provider of care for individuals with health/ illness needs in acute care settings. Clinical activities focus on application of these concepts.

Prerequisites: NURS 128, NURS 136, and NURS 220
Course Fee: $25.00

This is a theory and practicum course. This course introduces the health/illness needs of the childbearing and child rearing families in both acute and community based settings. Clinical activities focus on application of these concepts.

Prerequisite: NURS 128, NURS 136, and NURS 220
Course Fee: $25.00

This is a theory and practicum course, which builds on the role of the nurse as provider of care and emphasizes the manager of care role for groups of individuals. Clinical activities focus on critical thinking and clinical decision making skills in the care of individuals with longterm care and rehabilitative needs

Course Fee: $25.00

This is a theory and practicum course focusing on critical thinking and clinical decision making skills in the care of adults with increasingly complex health/illness needs. The transition to the graduate role integrates the roles of the provider of care, manager of care and member within the discipline in an acute care setting.

Course Fee: $25.00

This is a theory course, which addresses the transition of the ASN student into a graduate nurse. Nursing practice standards, beginning management principles and professional issues are discussed.

This course prepares the student to provide care to maternal/child patients experiencing acutely changing conditions in settings where the outcome is less predictable. Topics include care of the patient during childbirth, high risk pregnancies, obstetrical emergencies, neonatal emergencies and infants, children and family units requiring complex collaborative care.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 151, NURS 152, and NURS 153
Course Fee: $15.00

This course explores mental health/illness needs of special populations with emphasis on individuals, families and communities. Focus is placed on psychotherapeutic management in the continuum of care, milieu management and behavioral interventions with clients experiencing acute and chronic psychiatric disorders. This course provides for clinical application of mental health nursing skills and the use of therapeutic communication in institutional and community based settings.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 151, NURS 152, NURS 153
Course Fee: $15.00

This course provides the opportunity for the student to provide nursing care to the adult with complex health/illness needs, including those with acute health conditions. Emphasis is on clinical decision making when providing care for clients and family members with rapidly changing health conditions.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 255, NURS 256, NURS 258 and BIOL 217

This course introduces the student to the principles and processes of pathophysiology and its effect on human body systems. Pathophysiology of the most common body system alterations are discussed within the context of the provider of care role. Evidence based research in the nursing of clients with body system alterations are presented.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of NURS 151, NURS 152, and NURS 153

This course prepares the student to assume the provider of care role while implementing complex nursing interventions. This skills lab allows students to practice advanced nursing skills utilizing the nursing process and critical thinking to demonstrate clinical decision making.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of NURS 255, NURS 256, NURS 258 and BIOL 217

This course addresses the transition of the student nurse into the role of the associate degree registered nurse and includes preparation for the NCVLEX-RN. Emphasis is on application of the manager of care role when caring for groups of clients while working in a supervised healthcare environment.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 255, NURS 256, NURS 258, and BIOL 217
Course Fee: $15.00

The field of medical/nursing ethics has become more important as healthcare decisions have emerged into the public arena. Theories and principles used to address biomedical problems are drawn from the discipline of moral philosophy. The abortion debate, questions related to discontinuing feedings for clients and brain death are examples of legislative issues from the healthcare arena that have spurred public interest in ethical decision making. To operate as an advocate, nurses need to understand both the clinical and moral dimensions of the issues of patients and nurses caring for them.

Prerequisite: NURS 128

Characteristics of nursing practice as a profession are discussed. Interrelationships of the healthcare delivery system and nursing roles, functions and clinical decision-making are analyzed. Theoretical bases/concepts of nursing practice are examined.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Student’s knowledge and skills in obtaining a comprehensive assessment of individuals across the lifespan are enhanced. Emphasis is on data collection through history-taking and physical examination in the context of family and environment.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

This course presents cultural concepts and the relationship to health/ illness of individuals and families. The focus is on how culture influences decision-making of the healthcare professional.

Meets MSU-Northern General Education Core Cultural Diversity (CAT V) requirement.

Focus is on nursing care of clients/families with complex health/ illness needs. Pathophysiological and psychosocial concepts are related to nursing roles and critical thinking.

Prerequisites: NURS 321 and NURS 322

Biopsychosocial aspects of aging are explored in this elective course. Health/illness needs of the older adult and the impact of aging on the family and community are evaluated. Focus is on promoting functional ability and quality of life of the older adult.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

Principles of teaching/learning and the nurse’s role as health educator are analyzed in this required course.

This required practicum provides opportunity to explore one or more clinical practice areas. The student develops individual objectives aimed at increasing clinical decision making skills through critical thinking. The student will be under the direction of a BSN nurse, who is competent in the selected clinical area.

Course should be taken at the same time as NURS 344
Prerequisites: RN license, NURS 321 and NURS 322

This elective course is designed to explore the role of nurses in all aspects of end of life care. Focus will be on pain management, symptom management, cultural issues, ethical/legal issues, communication, grief and bereavement as the nurse provides holistic care to the patient and family.

This course introduces the student to the complexities of the healthcare industry. Healthcare economics, ethics and legal issues are discussed. Managed care and it’s impact of cost and quality are also presented.

Principles of leadership, management and organizational concepts are discussed. The nurse’s role and functions as coordinator of care for individuals and groups within the healthcare system are explored.

Course should be taken at the same time as NURS 441
Prerequisites: NURS 321 and NURS 322

This practicum provides opportunity to apply leadership and management concepts in a healthcare system.

Course should be taken at the same time as NURS 440
Prerequisite: RN license

Research methods and application to professional nursing practice are investigated. A research paper is developed and presented.

Prerequisites: WRIT 101, statistics and/or permission of instructor

Nursing concepts and public health sciences are applied to the health of communities. Health promotion, maintenance, education, disease prevention and coordination of care are investigated. Application is on the individual, family and community as a client.

Course should be taken at the same time as NURS 447
Prerequisites: RN license, NURS 321 and NURS 322

This practicum provides an opportunity to apply the community health nursing concepts.

Course should be taken at the same time as NURS 446
Prerequisite: RN license