Course Modules
Prompt for Practice and Nature of Nursing
A. Course Overview | The baccalaureate nurse program (BSN) will prepare community health nurses for expanded roles in providing healthcare services, especially in a world that is contending with new and complicated conditions. The program will provide nurses with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of critical disciplines, such as practice and nature of nursing, epidemiology, Microbiology, Human body sociology, family health pharmacology, and maternal and infant care. Besides, the training will equip the nurses with extensive skills and knowledge on other critical aspects such as nursing research, humanities, community and public health policies, and nursing leadership and management. Imparting community health nurses with the skills highlighted above will contribute substantially to their professional development, making it possible for them to understand the social, cultural, and political aspects that affect patients and the broader healthcare system. Overall, the program will enhance the nurses’ competence, especially regarding their ability to make proper decisions on patient care. In so doing, the program will help the trainees meet the requirements of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). |
B: Title of module | Practice and Nature of Nursing |
A. Course Objectives | Three measurable course objectives
1. Applying human and technical skills learned to identify, assess, and formulate solutions to people’s health needs. 2. Applying evidence-based practice to assess patients’ response to treatment. 3. Applying the knowledge and skills learned in planning, organizing, and managing the healthcare system to ensure that it responds adequately to people’s health needs. |
A. Student learning outcomes | Two learning outcomes for the module
1. By the end of the training session, the nurse trainees should understand the process involved in designing an effective healthcare system that can respond to the health needs of individuals, families, and groups. 2. By the end of the session, the nurses should understand their role in protecting and promoting the health and welfare of individual patients, families, and groups. |
A. Content overview | The module on the Practice and Nature of Nursing will focus on different topics relating to the role and nature of the nursing practice. One of the major topics will be community wellness and health equity, which ideally will be a discussion of health programs and policies and their impact on improving health in the community. The other topic will be the nexus between the environment and health, which will cover the effect of one’s surrounding on one’s health. The other issue to be discussed will be safety and prevention, which will focus mainly on disease prevention and control. These topics connect to the second student learning outcome as they focus on the role of nurses in promoting healthcare among individuals, families, and groups. |
A. Learning resources | Kim, H. S. (2010). The nature of theoretical thinking in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
Roy, S. C., & Jones, D. A. (Eds.). (2006). Nursing knowledge development and clinical practice: opportunities and directions. Springer Publishing Company. |
A. Scenario-based learning activity | Nursing simulation exercise aimed at solving a complex health condition. |
Prompt for Epidemiology
B. Course Overview | The baccalaureate nurse program (BSN) will prepare community health nurses for expanded roles in the provision of healthcare services, especially in a world that is competing with new and complicated conditions. The program will provide nurses with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of critical disciplines such as practice and nature of nursing, epidemiology, Microbiology, Human body sociology, family health pharmacology and maternal and infant care. Besides, the training will equip the nurses with extensive skills and knowledge on other critical aspects such as nursing research, humanities, community and public health policies, and nursing leadership and management. Imparting community health nurses with the skills highlighted above will contribute substantially to their professional development, making it possible to understand the social, cultural and political aspects that affect patients and the broader healthcare system. Overall, the program will enhance the nurses’ competence, especially regarding their ability to make proper decisions on patient care. In so doing, the program will help the trainees meet the requirements of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). |
B: Title of module | Epidemiology |
B. Course Objectives | Three measurable course objectives include:
1. Applying the epidemiologic methods to identify specific health conditions and develop the appropriate hypothesis to investigate the problem. 2. Applying scientific methods in describing a health problem concerning the affected parties, time, magnitude, and place. 3. Applying the principles of epidemiological research to critique study designs and methods used in research and correctly interpret findings. |
B. Student learning outcomes | Two learning outcomes for the module
3. By the end of the training session, the nurse trainees should understand the basic principles of epidemiology and apply critical thinking and analytical skills in clinical research. 4. By the end of the session, the nurses should understand epidemiologic terminologies and study designs used in epidemiological research. |
B. Content overview | The module on epidemiology will focus on the basic principles of epidemiology and emphasize applying critical thinking and analytical skills in clinical practice and research. The module will cover quantitative study designs, methods of adjustment, disease surveillance, and outcome measures. |
B. Learning resources | Szklo, M., & Nieto, F. J. (2014). Epidemiology: beyond the basics. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G. R. (2013). Essentials of epidemiology in public health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. |
B. Scenario-based learning activity | Role-play activities. |
Prompt for Family Health
C. Course Overview | The baccalaureate nurse program (BSN) will prepare community health nurses for expanded roles in the provision of healthcare services, especially in a world that is contending with new and complicated conditions. The program will provide nurses with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of critical disciplines such as practice and nature of nursing, epidemiology, Microbiology, Human body sociology, family health pharmacology and maternal and infant care. Besides, the training will equip the nurses with extensive skills and knowledge on other critical aspects such as nursing research, humanities, community and public health policies and nursing leadership and management. Imparting community health nurses with the skills highlighted above will contribute substantially to their professional development, making it possible for them to understand the social, cultural and political aspects that affect patients and the broader healthcare system. Overall, the program will enhance the nurses’ competence, especially regarding their ability to make proper decisions on patient care. In so doing, the program will help the trainees meet the requirements of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). |
B: Title of module | Family Health |
C. Course Objectives | Three measurable course objectives
1. Applying the knowledge of nursing processes in making clinical judgements and decisions. 2. Applying the skills obtained to enhance professional behavior and thus increase accountability. 3. Applyin principles of nursing to assess the impact of different factors such as culture, religion, developmental and emotional factors on people’s health. |
C. Student learning outcomes | Two learning outcomes for the module
1. By the end of the training session, the nurse trainees should understand the methods used in formulating appropriate care plans for patients. 2. By the end of the session, the nurses should understand the ethical issues in medical care. |
C. Content overview | The module on family health will focus on the provision of basic healthcare services to families in order to prevent disease outbreak. The major topics to be covered include health safety and advocacy, sexuality and reproduction, oxygenation, and physical and psychological development. |
C. Learning resources | Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.
dos Anjos Santos, F. P., Acioli, S., Rodrigues, V. P., Machado, J. C., Souza, M. S., & Couto, T. A. (2016). Nurse care practices in the Family Health Strategy. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 69(12). |
C. Scenario-based learning activity | Simulation. |
Course Related Information
Learning Environment
The course comprises three modules focusing on different topics concerning delivering healthcare services, especially in an environment undergoing constant changes characterized by the emergence of new and complicated diseases. Hence, to develop a nursing community that can respond adequately to the ever-evolving healthcare challenges, the modules have incorporated intellectually stimulating elements that will enhance critical knowledge, skills, and competencies. The development of these abilities will encourage critical thinking, making it easier for nurses to formulate practical solutions to the prevailing healthcare challenges.
The first module, the practice and nature of nursing, focuses on understanding the broader nursing profession and its role in enhancing health among individuals, families, and the community. Critical skills emphasized include the utilization of nursing principles in the planning, organizing, and managing the healthcare system to ensure it can respond to society’s healthcare needs adequately. The module also focuses on the application of evidence-based practice in formulating and assessing different treatment methods. This module aligns with the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) standard since it emphasizes improving skills and knowledge to advance patient care.
The second module, epidemiology, focuses on the distribution patterns and the various determinants of health conditions. Thus, to enhance the development of essential skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary for proper identification of diseases and their patterns, the module emphasizes applying epidemiological methods in identifying different health conditions. Besides, the module stresses the importance of developing a proper hypothesis when investigating diseases. The module also focuses on applying scientific methods in describing health problems, especially concerning patients, time, magnitude, and place. Using principles of epidemiological research in critiquing scientific studies is also a critical skill emphasized in the module. In general, the skills covered in this module will enhance the nurses’ ability to investigate and formulate adequate measures to prevent and manage diseases. Overall, the module objectives align with the QSEN competency by developing solutions to specific conditions to improve health outcomes.
The third module, family health, focuses on developing essential skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary for providing adequate healthcare services to families. The knowledge and skills obtained in this regard will enhance the nurses’ ability to manage diseases at the family level, hence preventing large scale infections. According to Bastable (2017), Bloom’s taxonomy emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills to respond appropriately to different health-related challenges. As such, a simulation scenario-based learning activity will expose the nurses to a controlled environment depicting other health challenges, therefore enabling them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Learning Theory
The training program will utilize the constructivist theory’s principles to strengthen the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies. Generally, the theory focuses on knowledge and skill acquisition by relying on genuine experiences, which allows the learner to integrate newly acquired information with their existing knowledge (Aliakbari et al., 2015). The theory also focuses on the general evaluation of knowledge and skills obtained from different experiences, enabling people to develop broad-based solutions to challenges (Aliakbari et al., 2015). The role-play and simulation exercises will provide the nurse trainees with an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills, which they can integrate with existing knowledge to formulate effective solutions to healthcare challenges.
Learning Resource Justification
All the learning resources utilized in the three modules are relevant to the course objectives and use the appropriate methods and principles necessary for knowledge, skill, and competence acquisition in a healthcare setting. The first module utilizes two books that offer extensive experience in the practice and nature of nursing. Equally, the second book in the module provides a comprehensive insight into epidemiology, especially disease outbreak and prevention. The third module utilizes a book and a peer-reviewed journal. Both materials offer a firm foundation of family health and the different methods healthcare workers can use to prevent disease outbreaks at the community level. In general, all the resources used are relevant to the course objectives and learning outcomes.
Scenario-Based Learning Activity
The training utilized two types of scenario-based learning activities. The first and third modules deployed simulation exercises to enhance the development of professional knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for tackling different health challenges at the individual, family, and community levels. The use of simulation exercises in the training of healthcare workers presents several benefits. Firstly, it protects patients from risks and eliminates ethical tensions and other practical challenges that would arise if the exercise took place in an actual environment (Bowman & Standiford, 2016). On the other hand, the second module utilized role-play. Typically, under role-play, learners assume decision-making roles, therefore improving their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
References
Aliakbari, F., Parvin, N., Heidari, M., & Haghani, F. (2015). Learning theories application in nursing education. Journal of education and health promotion, 4.
Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G. R. (2013). Essentials of epidemiology in public health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Bastable, S. (2017). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for learning practice (5th ed.). Retrieved from wgu.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284155464/cfi/6/270!/4/2/30/4/6/6/2/2/2/2@0:42.9
Bowman, S. L., & Standiford, A. (2016). Enhancing healthcare simulations and beyond: Immersion theory and practice. International Journal of Role-Playing, 6, 12-19.
Dos Anjos Santos, F. P., Acioli, S., Rodrigues, V. P., Machado, J. C., Souza, M. S., & Couto, T. A. (2016). Nurse care practices in the Family Health Strategy. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 69(12).
Kim, H. S. (2010). The nature of theoretical thinking in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.
Roy, S. C., & Jones, D. A. (Eds.). (2006). Nursing knowledge development and clinical practice: opportunities and directions. Springer Publishing Company.
Szklo, M., & Nieto, F. J. (2014). Epidemiology: beyond the basics. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.