Catalog: 2010–2011 Catalog Year

Course Descriptions

Natural Resources (NRES)

Science, Mathematics & Engineering Division

NRES 101: Plant, Soil & Water Science

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: none

Introduces plant, soil and water science as applied to agriculture in Nevada. Includes a discussion of fertilization, irrigation, botany, soil conservation, and pollution.

Nursing (NURS)

Nursing and Allied Health Division

NURS 110B: Spanish For Health Care Professionals

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: none

Provides a course for health professionals who work with Spanish speaking patients and families. Pronunciation and health related commands will be practiced.

NURS 130: Nursing Assistant

Units (Credits): 6; Prerequisites: basic Life Support/Healthcare Provider CPR certification. See Nursing and Allied Health website for additional information.

Prepares students to function as nursing assistant trainees (NAT) who assist licensed nurses to provide direct care to health care consumers across the lifespan in a variety of heath care settings. The 150-hour competency based course is designed to prepare students to achieve certification as a nurse assistant in the State of Nevada. The course is approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing and is in accordance with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) and Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) regulations.

NURS 136: Foundations of Nursing Theory

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 137 & NURS 138

Introduces students to the role of the associate degree nurse in contemporary practice. Students are guided to utilize knowledge from the sciences, humanities and nursing to understand man as a bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual being. Students are introduced to the nursing program organizing concepts and outcomes which include professional behaviors, communication, collaboration, nursing process, clinical decision making, management of care and teaching learning.

NURS 137: Foundations of Nursing Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 136 & NURS 138

Provides students with knowledge and practical application of basic nursing skills while incorporating concepts learned in NURS 136. Students learn and practices basic nursing bedside nursing skills in personal care, sterile technique, patient safety, and medication administration. Emphasizes the critical elements of nursing procedures and the scientific rationale for performing the procedures correctly.

NURS 138: Foundations of Nursing Clinical

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 136 & NURS 137

Provides opportunities for students to utilize knowledge, concepts and skills learned in first semester nursing courses to meet the bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs of patients in a long term health care facility. Students use the nursing process and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs at a beginning level to assess, plan, implement and evaluate nursing care.

NURS 147: Health Assessment Theory

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program or consent of the Nursing and Allied Health director; Corequisites: NURS 148

Provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge necessary to holistically assess adult and elder patients. Students utilize concepts of previously learned content from pre-requisite and co-requisite nursing courses including the nursing process and methods of prioritizing to perform nursing assessment and nursing diagnosis. Students learn the difference among a comprehensive assessment, an ongoing/partial assessment, a focused, problem-oriented assessment and an emergency assessment of a resident in a long term care facility. Formerly NURS 200.

NURS 148: Health Assessment Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program or consent of the Nursing and Allied Health director; Corequisites: NURS 147

Incorporates knowledge from NURS 200 to provide students with learning opportunities to collect, organize, analyze and synthesize health assessment data for adult and elder patients in a laboratory setting using simulation and live patients. Formerly NURS 201.

NURS 149: Mental Health and Illness Theory

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 150 & NURS 151

Assists students to gain knowledge of nursing care for the patient experiencing primary threats to psychosocial integrity. Examines the principles and practice of psychiatric nursing through a variety of theoretical frameworks and legal and ethical values that guide its practice. Emphasis is placed on the use of culturally relevant therapeutic communication skills, development of therapeutic nurse/patient relationships, and interventions that are grounded in evidence based practice to achieve best practice outcomes. Formerly NURS 236.

NURS 150: Mental Health and Illness Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 149 & NURS 151

Provides opportunities for students to utilize the nursing process in a simulated laboratory setting to understand the care of patients experiencing major disruptions in psycho/social functioning. Through the use of active learning modalities, including classroom presentations and group work, students are encouraged to scrutinize their beliefs regarding psychiatric illness. Students will explore nurse/patient relationships and the importance of therapeutic communication, and examine psychotherapeutic approaches designed to meet the bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs of patients. Formerly NURS 237.

NURS 151: Mental Health and Illness Clinical

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 149 & NURS 150

Requires students to utilize the nursing process to apply knowledge of the principles and practice of psychiatric nursing to the care of patients experiencing disruptions in psycho/social functioning. Collaborative experiences involving students, members of the psychiatric health care team, patients and their families occur at acute care and outpatient settings. Relevant legal and ethical issues are explored within the context of care of patients with disruptions in psychosocial integrity. Formerly NURS 238.

NURS 152: Foundations of Pharmacology in Nursing I

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program.

Provides students with an overview of pharmacology with an emphasis on clinical applications within the context of the nursing process and prioritization of needs; with special consideration given to the physiological, psycho/social, cultural, and spiritual needs of patients. Explores indications, modes of action, effects, contraindications and interactions for selected drugs. Specific nursing responsibilities related to drug administration are emphasized. Formerly NURS 141.

NURS 153: Foundations of Pharmacology in Nursing II

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: NURS 152 and admission to the nursing program

Provides a continuation of study of pharmacological principles and practices to achieve safe administration of medications. Selected drug classifications are presented, with an emphasis on understanding intended and unintended effects of drugs on body systems. Provides an overview of pharmacology with an emphasis on clinical applications within the context of the nursing process and prioritization of needs.

NURS 165: Medical Surgical Nursing I Theory

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 166 & NURS 167

Assists students to integrate knowledge derived from the bio/psycho/social sciences, humanities, nursing and current literature to achieve safe, competent care of adult patients experiencing common alterations in body systems. Organized by the nursing process to achieve best practice outcomes in an acute care medical/surgical setting. Particular emphasis is placed on the concepts of holistic care, patient education, and discharge planning.

NURS 166: Medical Surgical Nursing I Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 165 & NURS 167

Provides students to safely perform intermediate nursing skills (therapeutic procedures) that are encountered in the care of hospitalized adult patients with common alterations in body systems. Emphasizes the critical elements of nursing procedures and the scientific rationale for performing the procedures safely.

NURS 167: Medical Surgical Nursing I Clinical

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 165 & NURS 166

Provides opportunities for students to utilize knowledge from the bio/psycho/social sciences, humanities, nursing and current literature to provide safe, competent care of adult patients experiencing common alterations in body systems. Organized by the nursing process to achieve best practice outcomes in a medical/surgical setting. Particular emphasis is placed on concepts of holistic care, holistic care, patient education.

NURS 197B: Apprentice Nurse Work Study

Units (Credits): 1–3; Prerequisites: Successful completion of the first semester of the nursing program and consent of instructor

Provides nursing students with an opportunity to earn college credit through involvement in the Apprentice Nurse program at a participating regional health care facilities in Nevada. Offers students the opportunity to practice clinical skills and acclimate to the role of the professional nurse under the direction of a preceptor/s. The skills practiced will be in compliance with the accepted skill list identified by the Nevada State Board of Nursing. May be repeated one time up to six credits.

NURS 263: Nursing Care Childbearing Family Theory

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 264 & NURS 265

Introduces concepts of holistic care for the normal and high-risk antepartum, intrapartum and post-partum woman; the normal and high-risk newborn; women experiencing common alterations in the reproductive system, and alterations in family processes, including concepts of loss, grieving and family violence. Knowledge of nursing care of patients and their families is organized using the framework of the nursing process and bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs.

NURS 264: Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 263 & NURS 265

Assists students to apply knowledge, skills and theories to the care of normal and high- risk newborns, women experiencing normal and high-risk pregnancies, women experiencing common alterations in the reproductive system, and their families while in laboratory and community settings. Emphasizes meeting safe and effective care environment needs, health promotion and health maintenance needs, and bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs.

NURS 265: Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family Clinical

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 263 & NURS 264

Assists students to apply the nursing process in the provision of care to normal and high-risk maternal/newborn populations and women experiencing common alterations in the reproductive system in acute care settings. Emphasis is placed on meeting safe and effective care environment needs, health promotion and maintenance needs and bio/psycho/social/cultural/spiritual needs.

NURS 266: Pediatric Nursing Theory

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 267 & NURS 268

Assists students to integrate knowledge derived from the bio/psycho/social sciences, humanities, nursing and current literature to achieve safe, competent care of pediatric patients and their families who are experiencing normal development and alterations in body systems. Organized by the nursing process to achieve best process outcomes for pediatric patients and their families experiencing bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs.

NURS 267: Pediatric Nursing Laboratory

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 266 & NURS 268

Assists students to apply knowledge, skills and concepts to the care of pediatric patients in laboratory and community settings. The course focuses on the bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs of patients, with an emphasis on maintaining a safe, effective care environment and promotion of physiological and psychosocial integrity.

NURS 268: Pediatric Nursing Clinical

Units (Credits): 1; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 266 & NURS 267

Requires students to utilize the nursing process in the care of normal and high risk pediatric populations and their families experiencing disruptions in bio/psycho/social/cultural and spiritual needs. Emphasis is also placed on meeting health promotion and health maintenance needs, caring, therapeutic communication, documentation and teaching.

NURS 270: Advanced Clinical Nursing I Theory

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 271

Offers clinical theory organized around the nursing process and its application to patient needs. Requires students to apply the principles of providing a safe care environment, while addressing health promotion and health maintenance needs for persons experiencing complex/acute alterations in health. Students will also apply concepts of community care, case management, health teaching and discharge planning.

NURS 271: Advanced Clinical Nursing I Clinical

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 270

Requires students to use the nursing process to identify and prioritize health care needs in the provision of care for patients experiencing complex/acute alterations in health. Expands upon previous clinical learning to include the teaching/learning process and administration of intravenous fluids and medications in the acute care setting.

NURS 276: Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing II Theory

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 277

Assists students to gain knowledge of nursing care for the patient experiencing primary threats to physiological integrity due to complex multisystem disruption in cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, integumentary, elimination, and digestive systems. Students apply the nursing process to address needs in the psycho/social/cultural and spiritual domains which emerge when there are primary threats to physiological integrity. Related legal, ethical, teaching/learning and communication/documentation issues are also explored.

NURS 277: Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing II Clinical

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program; Corequisites: NURS 276

Requires students to apply knowledge and skills to the care of adult patients in a simulated laboratory and acute care environments experiencing needs resulting from complex multisystem disruptions. Students apply the nursing process and utilize information literacy skills to achieve deliberative and competent decision-making that is grounded in evidence based practice to achieve best practice outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on prioritization of care through collaboration with other members of the health care team, patients and their families.

NURS 284: Role of the ADN Manager of Care

Units (Credits): 2; Prerequisites: admission to the nursing program

Utilizes a capstone laboratory/clinical to facilitate the role transition from student to graduate nurse. Students integrate knowledge derived from the bio/psycho/social sciences, humanities and nursing to achieve best practice outcomes for multiple patients and their significant others in the acute care setting. Students apply advanced concepts of leadership and management while functioning in the legal, ethical and regulatory structures of the profession of nursing. In the clinical setting students will establish a therapeutic environment to meet the needs of multiple patients and their significant others by demonstrating the ability to meet the nursing program educational outcomes.

Nutrition (NUTR)

Science, Mathematics & Engineering Division

NUTR 121: Human Nutrition

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: MATH 120, MATH 126 or higher or consent of instructor

Offers a beginning course in the principles of human nutrition including a study of each of the major nutrients and how they relate to good health and a well balanced diet. Includes four laboratory experiences.

NUTR 223: Principles of Nutrition

Units (Credits): 3; Prerequisites: CHEM 220

Studies nutrient functions and basis for nutrient requirements at the cellular level.



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