University of Massachusetts Amherst (School of Nursing)

The School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has always been a leader in nursing education. Since its founding in 1953, it has continuously developed academic programs to address society's ongoing and emerging health needs and to prepare graduates for practice in diverse settings.

Faculty with published nursing research, advanced clinical skills, and innovative approaches to teaching challenge and engage students, offering them various modes of learning including self-paced modules.

At the bachelor's degree level, foundation courses in the arts, sciences and humanities form the basis of the nursing major, which prepares graduates to practice in various health-care settings. The undergraduate program integrates the core knowledge, core competencies, and role development expected for the undergraduate level of nursing education. The master's programs build on baccalaureate competencies and focus on developing clinical specialty roles. Doctoral programs provide preparation for a research/academic role (PhD) and advanced clinical practice (DNP).

For more than half a century, the School of Nursing has focused on assessing and meeting the needs of individuals, families, and communities as those needs change. The clinical agencies in which the School places its students include hospitals, extended care facilities, ambulatory care clinics, schools, senior centers, day programs, and correctional facilities across Massachusetts and throughout New England. Students also take part in a range of cross-cultural experiences in Africa and in the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland.

---

School of Nursing Nursing School Location

School of Nursing Courses

PERSPECTIVES IN NURSING
This is a lower division course designed to introduce the student to the concepts of health and illness as they relate to the health care system and to society. This course provides an overview of health and health care services, relating historical events and social movements to developments in nursing and the health professions. Emerging roles of the professional nurse in health care are explored. Interrelationships of nurses and other members of the health team are considered.

FACULTY SEMINAR FOR NURSING STUDENTS
Faculty seminars are used to explore the role of the professional nurse through discussions with nurse leaders, group discussions, critical thinking exercises, values clarifications and self discovery.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE
This course will approach the study of human growth and development from a life span perspective and will emphasize the whole individual as she/he evolves. Gross and fine motor development, cognitive growth, language development and social growth will be considered at each age level. The interaction of the variables, including culture, ethnicity, class, and gender will be addressed. Major trends and issues will be discussed, with a focus on examining individual, institutional, contextual and cultural influences and effects.

INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS
This survey course will provide a state-of-the-art overview of the role of information technology in healthcare with emphasis on essential content and applications in healthcare informatics.

PROFESSIONAL ROLE DEVELOPMENT (INACTIVE)
This elective course addresses selected theories of leadership, management, teaching/learning, communication and empowerment to provide the foundation for developing agency in community. Leading a weekly small group discussion is required. Offered to students who have successfully completed Nursing

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
This course explores the major elements of altered disease processes at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels as well as the effect of disease on the individual.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS
The theoretical foundations for understanding cultural diversity in health and illness beliefs and behaviors, and selected practical implications of this understanding will be explored. Cultures within the United States are emphasized.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT IN NURSING
Students organize, interpret and document data using process interviewing, physical exam and clinical reasoning.

COMMUNITY HEALTH I: PRINCIPLES OF NURSING CARE
Nursing processes are discussed in relation to health promotion, protection, health maintenance and health restoration. Students analyze data, choose appropriate nursing diagnosis, plan and evaluate basic nursing interventions and outcomes for adults.

HOLISTIC HEALTH AND COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Current trends in the integration of complementary and alternative therapy into conventional Western biomedicine will be examined in light of comparative philosophical approaches to understanding human health. Critical analysis of political, cultural and environmental influences on health and health care contribute to understanding of the larger systems and individual processes that enhance health. In this course, complementary/alternative medicine is critically examined in light of holistic and biomedical perspectives of health, cultural contexts of health and health care, dynamics of systems and individual change, and evidenced-based analysis of therapeutic effectiveness. Sophomore and Junior Nursing/Commonwealth College students have enrollment priority. Other Commonwealth College students must have at least one course related to human health; or, permission of instructor.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING IIC: MATERNAL-NEWBORN
This course introduces the student to the theory and practice of maternal-newborn nursing care for families in the childbearing year. Both uncomplicated and high-risk pregnancy, birth, postpartum, lactation, and newborn care are discussed.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING IIA: PARENT-CHILD
This course focuses on developing nursing knowledge and skills related to children and families during childrearing experiences, including communication, teaching/learning, and assessment and management of acute and chronic illness.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING IIB: MENTAL HEALTH
This course provides the theoretical basis for community mental health nursing with individuals, families, and groups. Strategies for prevention, nursing interventions and rehabilitation are emphasized.

PHARMACOLOGY IN NURSING
This course focuses on pharmacology and nursing therapeutics by presenting a firm theoretical foundation and a practical approach to drug therapy applicable in many settings – the home, the clinic, the extended care facility, the office, the classroom and the hospital. The course reviews general principles, theories, and facts about drugs and how they are given. Practical information is presented on how the nursing process in integrated with pharmacology, and general principles of action are discussed to facilitate the student’s learning in the clinical environment. Specific drug information is discussed in relation to assessment, nursing diagnoses, interventions, client education, and evaluation of safe and effective drug therapy.

WRITING IN NURSING
This course is designed to meet the Junior Year Writing Requirement in the Major. Nursing practice and the role of the nurse in the health care system are used as the contexts for the development of writing skills. The techniques of specific types of writing are learned through writing assignments and critiquing.

CLINICAL PRACTICUM I: PRINCIPLES OF NURSING CARE
This clinical course provides an opportunity to apply theory to nursing practice and to develop beginning proficiency in basic nursing and health promotion skills with the individual in the community.

CLINICAL PRACTICUM IIA: PARENT-CHILD
This course focuses on providing care that positively affects health of pregnant women, newborns, parents and families. Principles of health and illness states, professional development, anticipatory guidance, parenting safety, assessment and management of individuals and families will be employed.

CLINICAL PRACTICUM IIB: MENTAL HEALTH
This clinical course will focus on the development of competencies in providing care to clients in need of psychiatric mental health nursing services with the goal of promoting optimal mental health.

CLINICAL PRACTICUM IIC: MATERNAL-NEWBORN
This course focuses on providing care that positively affects health of pregnant women, newborns, parents and families. Principles of health and illness states, professional development, anticipatory guidance, parenting safety, assessment and management of individuals and families will be employed.

NURSING PROCESS: CLIENTS WITH COMMON HEALTH DISRUPTIONS
This course will develop a theoretical foundation for nursing, introducing nursing process and the underlying rationale for fundamentals of nursing practice. Nursing process is applied to the care of clients throughout the life-span who are either at risk for or are experiencing common disruptions of health.

CLINICAL PRACTICE I
This course provides opportunities for experience in application of nursing knowledge through nursing process and development of fundamental nursing skills. Clinical experiences will be offered primarily in secondary care settings including community hospitals, long-term care and/or rehabilitation facilities with clients across the life span. The emphasis is on health promotion and nursing care of individuals across the lifespan who are experiencing, or at risk for, common health disruptions.

COMMUNITY FOCUS IN NURSING (RN TO BS TRACK)
The application of public health theory, epidemiology, nursing theory and selected social, cultural, political, economic and environmental theories provides the student knowledge to apply the nursing process to a selected community. The outcome will be: identification of health concerns, barriers to access, and strategies for community health promotions and wellness

INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH
This course prepares consumers of nursing research by critique of published studies, discussing research designs and methods, analysis of various models for utilization, and using examples from practicing nurse researchers.

Other nursing schools in Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Worcester (Graduate School of Nursing ) The Graduate School of Nursing offers master's, post-master's and doctoral degrees, providing high quality education to prepare registered pro... Address: 55 Lake Avenue North

Fitchburg State College (Department of Nursing) The Department of Nursing at Fitchburg State College (FSC) prepares individuals for professional nursing practice through an undergraduate program lea... Address: 160 Pearl Street

University of Massachusetts - Boston (College of Nursing and Health Sciences) The College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) offers undergraduate programs leading to a bachelor of science degree in nursing, and a bachelor of ... Address: 100 Morrissey Blvd.

Back to: » Nursing schools in Massachusetts » Nursing schools in Amherst

More information: » Marinas » Boats for sale