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Course Overview

Each year the Gallup Poll conducts a survey of the American public to determine the ten most respected professions in the country. Since 2001, registered nurses have topped that list.

More registered nurses (2.7 million in 2010) work in healthcare than any other professional position; at the same time, a national shortage of qualified nurses exists and is projected to become significantly worse by 2020. As new nursing positions become available and a significant number of registered and licensed practical nurses approach retirement age, there are opportunities for recent graduates of accredited nursing programs throughout the country.

In a world that is increasingly secularized, there is a tremendous need for godly, Christian nurses who not only meet the physical needs of patients, but who can also provide prayer and spiritual support. They assist patients as well as lift up hurting families while placing a strong emphasis on the sanctity of human life.

However, in an era of new medical technology and increased specialization in patient care, healthcare administrators are becoming more discerning; offers of employment are extended to recent graduates of accredited baccalaureate nursing programs in far greater numbers than those offered to licensed practical nurses or registered nurses who successfully completed a hospital-based diploma program as well as those with an associate degree in nursing from a community college or professional school.

This course provides students opportunities to compare and contrast the various academic and clinical training pathways to an entry-level position in nursing and to explore the growing number of opportunities for professional advancement given the proper preparation and experience.

In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the majority of provisions in the Affordable Care Act, which will extend health insurance benefits to an additional 32 million residents of this country and represents the most significant changes in healthcare since the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid. Nurses will continue to play a pivotal role in the care and treatment of these patients as well as have opportunities to make significant contributions to a new definition of healthcare.

Partially in response to these rapid changes in healthcare, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine conducted a study of the current state of nursing as well as the profession’s role in the future. This study, The Future of Nursing, has grown into a national initiative to redefine nursing education and scope of practice.

In this course, students will have several opportunities to learn about the expanding scope of professional practice for registered nurses and better understand the important changes proposed in the education and ongoing professional development of nurses.

A project at the end of this course will assist students in focusing their ambition and commitment to nursing service by better defining their available educational and clinical training opportunities.

Objectives

  • Compare and contrast a variety of careers in nursing on the basis of academic preparation, scope of practice, training, licensure, patient contact, management/administrative responsibilities, and lifestyle.
  • Examine nursing skills common to all nursing professions and explore skill sets that are specific to a nursing specialty or discipline.
  • Calculate dosage given age, gender, anthropometric data and specific medication.
  • Examine the history of the nursing profession and its contributions to health care through time.
  • Evaluate case studies for scientific content and issues of ethics, privacy, and legal limitations to practice.

Careers in Nursing Course Requirements

Technology:

  • Internet access (preferably high speed)
  • Web browser with bookmarking capabilities (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera)
  • E-mail account
  • Color printer
  • Flatbed scanner with e-mail and Adobe Reader conversion capabilities
  • Access to local and long-distance telephone service
  • PC- or Apple-based office software suite (Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, Google Docs suite, Apache Open Office [a free software suite available at www.OpenOffice.org])
  • Media viewer (QuickTime, Windows Media Player or other compatible)

Careers in Nursing Course Outline

Unit 1: The Nursing Profession

  • Chapter 1: Introduction
    • History of Nursing
    • Registered Nursing
    • Project: Careers in Nursing
    • LPN, CNA, HHA
    • Project: Caveat Emptor
  • Chapter 2: Ethics and Professionalism in Nursing
    • The Nursing Code of Ethics
    • Project: Case Study: The Nursing Code of Ethics
    • Role of the Nurse as Part of a Health Care Team
    • Project: Defining the Members of a Healthcare Team
    • Professionalism in Nursing
    • Project: Presentation on a Career as a Registered Nurse

Unit 2: Primary Nursing Positions

  • Chapter 1: Primary Nursing Positions, Part I
    • Palliative and Hospice Nursing
    • Project: Observing Pain and the Effects of Chronic Illness
    • Certified Nurse Midwife
    • Critical Care Nursing
    • Project: Service Learning
  • Chapter 2: Primary Nursing Positions, Part 2
    • Nurse Anesthetist
    • Project: Analyzing Anesthesia
    • Nurse Practitioner
    • Project: What’s Your Position?
    • Nurse Educator
    • Project: Why Not Nursing?

Unit 3: Nursing Specialties

  • Chapter 1: Nursing Specialties: Operating Room Nurse, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry
    • OR Nursing and the Humanitarian Mission
    • Pediatric Nursing
    • Psychiatric Nursing
    • Project: More about Medicines Sans Frontiers
    • Project: Read
  • Chapter 2: Nursing Specialties: Correctional, Oncology, and Orthopedic Nursing
    • Correctional Nursing
    • Oncology Nurse and the Child with Leukemia
    • Orthopedic Nurse and the Pedestrian
    • Project: Case Study: What Constitutes Appropriate Care?
    • Project: On Trial: Clinical Oncology Trials

Unit 4: More Nursing Specialties

  • Chapter 1: Nursing Specialties: AIDS Care, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Ambulatory Nurse
    • Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse: Heart Transplant
    • Nursing as a Mission
    • Ambulatory Nursing and Patient Independence
    • Project: Developing a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
    • Project: Serving Abroad
  • Chapter 2: Nursing Specialties: Infection Control, Occupational Health, and Gastroenterology/Endoscopy
    • Infection Control and the Nosocomial Infection
    • Occupational Health Nurse and the Brazilian Blowout Standards Correlation
    • Gastroenterology/Endoscopy Nurse
    • Project: Writing a News Story
    • Project: The Safety Film

Unit 5: Nursing Career Alternatives

  • Chapter 1: Nursing Career Alternatives: Flight Nurse, Forensic Nurse, and Travel Nurse
    • Flight Nurse
    • Forensic Nurse
    • Travel Nurse
    • Project: Help! Rating Air Ambulance Service Providers
    • Project: Elder Abuse PSA
  • Chapter 2: Nursing Career Alternatives: Holistic Nurse, Research Nurse, and Finding the Right Career in Nursing
    • Holistic Nurse
    • Nurse Researcher
    • Finding the Right Nursing Career
    • Project: Researching the History of Nursing
    • Project: Finding the Right Nursing Career
 
 
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Charity Christian Academy