University of Southern Indiana (College of Nursing and Health Professions )

The USI College of Nursing and Health Professions promotes excellence in its academic programs, faculty, students, and graduates and demonstrates leadership in health care education, research, practice, and community service.

All nursing programs are accredited by the Indiana State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Accreditation is an indication of public approbation, attesting to the quality of the educational programs and the continued commitment of the sponsoring institution to support the programs.

On behalf of the nursing students and faculty at the University of Southern Indiana School of Nursing, I would like to welcome you to our undergraduate nursing program web site.

The School of Nursing was founded in 1988 as the first state-supported baccalaureate nursing program in southern Indiana. In 1996, the School initiated a master's degree program in nursing. The School also offers a post-master's nurse practitioner certificate program as well as other programs designed to meet the needs of practicing nurses in today's health-care environment.

Recognizing the complexity of health care, the School of Nursing has developed an undergraduate and graduate nursing curriculum designed to prepare students efficiently and expertly. This curriculum emphasizes clinical nursing competence and uses a wide array of learning resources.

The baccalaureate nursing program is designed to prepare the professional nurse to plan, implement, and evaluate health care for individuals, families, and groups in institutional and community settings. The nursing program is based on a planned progression of courses arranged to build upon previous knowledge and to develop skills and performance at an increasing level of competence. The 128 credits required for the degree include the University core curriculum courses supportive to the nursing major and 69 hours of nursing courses.

OUTCOME STATEMENTS FOR BACCALAUREATE NURSING PROGRAM

The University of Southern Indiana BSN graduate is:

1. A critical thinker who integrates evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preference to constructively problem solve issues related to the client, self, healthcare environment, and community at large.

2. An effective communicator who utilizes verbal, nonverbal, and technological means to communicate appropriately with clients, their families, health professionals, and other members of the community at-large concerning health related issues.

3. A safe, competent, skillful practitioner who is capable of effectively utilizing resources to provide quality care for clients in diverse environments.

4. A health care community member who demonstrates role flexibility and leadership in guiding and participating in group and team efforts related to multidisciplinary health care.

5. A practitioner who demonstrates professional values and adheres to professional practice standards and ethical codes.

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College of Nursing and Health Professions Nursing School Location

College of Nursing and Health Professions Courses

INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL NURSING
This course introduces students to essential characteristics of professional nursing practice in today’s health care system and the interconnected global community. Concepts to be explored include the history and theoretical basis of the nursing profession, the profession as part of a wider health care community and delivery system, professional communication, self-understanding and self-care as means to promote health and wellness of self and others. An introduction to the responsibility of self-directed, life-long learning and evidence based practice is included. An emphasis will be placed on the complexity and holism of culturally sensitive nursing care in relation to the diversity of patients.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT
This course focuses on beginning skill development in the psychosocial and physical assessment of the health status of individuals across the lifespan. Emphasis is on the collection of subjective and objective data, physical examinations and documentation. The importance of culturally sensitive care and evidence-based practice are integrated into all aspects of patient assessment.

NURSING RESEARCH
This course focuses on preparation of the student as a consumer of research. As consumers of research, students learn quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and perform critical review of the research process. Steps of the research process are included with emphasis on critique of published nursing research and research accessed via the Internet.

PHARMACOLOGY FOR NURSES
This course provides the student with an introduction to pharmacotherapeutics, safe administration of medications, and medications related to the care of patients with specific disorders. Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics, principles of medication administration, medication terminology, systems of measurement and conversion, and medication calculations are discussed. Drug classifications, actions, side effects, adverse effects, and nursing implications of medication administration are presented. Use of the nursing process to safely administer medications and develop patient education plans is also emphasized.

INTRODUCTION TO PATIENT CARE
This course explores concepts essential to nursing practice with a focus on nursing interventions. An emphasis is placed on the development of knowledge, competence, communication, and caring with the nurse’s professional role. Through class and clinical laboratory experiences, students learn to apply principles of safe and effective nursing care.

NURSING CARE OF ADULTS I
This course focuses on the application of the nursing process and further develops cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills necessary to provide nursing care for adults within a legal, ethical, and culturally sensitive framework. Students will integrate concepts from the sciences, liberal arts and nursing theory as a basis for their nursing practice. Evidence-based practice will be the foundation for providing care to patients on the continuum of illness and wellness.

CARE OF ELDERS AND FAMILIES
This course focuses on the integration of theories of aging, standards of practice, cultural influences, and pertinent public policy into the assessment of and interventions for older adults. Chronicity, caregiving, and end of life issues are included. Emphasis will be placed on utilization of evidenced based practice.

MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
This course focuses on therapeutic interaction, emphasizing the communication process and the concept of professional caring. Patterns of human responses associated with mental health and mental illness are examined across the lifespan. Within this framework, human responses to mental health and illness are identified. Students practice the therapeutic use of self, and implement culturally sensitive mental health nursing interventions in multiple clinical settings while utilizing methods of evidenced-based practice.

CARE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
This course focuses on the care of the child and adolescent specific to developmental levels. Age specific culturally sensitive health promotion issues and health problems through theoretical and clinical application are addressed. The course emphasizes the interrelationship of pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and complications, disease specific assessment, risk factors, nursing process, collaborative management, and expected outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on evidenced based practice.

NURSING CARE OF THE ADULT II
This course focuses on the utilization of the nursing process as a basis for providing nursing care to adult patients in acute and community based settings. The role of the nurse as a collaborator in the health care team will be emphasized. Students will apply concepts from the sciences, liberal arts, and nursing theory as a basis for their nursing practice. Students will examine culturally sensitive human responses along the continuum of illness and wellness utilizing evidenced based practice.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
This course emphasizes population-focused, community/public health nursing practice. Diverse multicultural, social, and environmental factors that influence population health are studied. Students focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health protection, health teaching and counseling, and coordination of care as the nursing process is applied across the lifespan to patients with multidimensional health needs in a variety of community settings.

NURSING OF WOMEN AND FAMILIES
This course explores reproduction, pregnancy, selected women’s health issues and newborn care through theoretical and clinical application. Individual family and cultural influences are explored as they relate to nursing care of the family unit. Specialized assessment techniques are integrated through clinical practice. Delegation and prioritization of nursing care are emphasized and integrated throughout the course.

PROFESSIONAL NURSING AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES
This course examines issues related to professional nursing and health care from a historical, economic, legal/ethical, global, political, multidisciplinary and multicultural framework. Evidence based strategies designed to influence organizational, institutional, and governmental decisions impacting nursing and health care are discussed. Topics for discussion are selected based upon current issues and trends in nursing practice, nursing education, and health care.

NURSING CARE OF ADULTS III
This course focuses on human responses to complex, multi-dimensional health problems of adult patients. The student will study care of the patient across the continuum of acute illness, chronic illness, and rehabilitation. The role of the nurse as coordinator of care will be emphasized. The course examines the interrelationships of pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and complications, risk factors, nursing process, collaborative management, and expected outcomes.

NURSING MANAGEMENT IN THE CARE OF ADULTS
This course involves the application and synthesis of evidence based nursing knowledge within the broader context of the professional role. Culturally sensitive care of adult patients with complex and multidimensional health problems is emphasized. Students will analyze the concept of nursing management and leadership within various healthcare scenarios and settings to discern the impact of professional nursing on patient outcomes and overall quality of care.

INTERNSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING
This course provides the students with a concentrated clinical experience designed to synthesize nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice. Students will refine leadership and management skills as they function as integral members of the health care team. Students provide and coordinate direct care for groups of patients in an approved clinical setting. Seminar discussion topics will be related to current clinical practice issues.

Other nursing schools in Evansville

University of Evansville (Department of Nursing) HISTORY The University of Evansville has been associated with nursing since 1939. Between 1939 and 1953, the University provided two years of a fiv... Address: 1800 Lincoln Ave, Wallace Graves Hall Room 233

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