University of Tampa (Department of Nursing)

The nursing profession, acknowledged as a critical component of all health care delivery, is being challenged to respond to the global alert that is occurring in response to the nursing shortage. Bright, committed students will discover exciting and stimulating career pathways, offering a variety of opportunities to contribute in very meaningful ways to the health and well being of the world's citizens.

The Department of Nursing invites you to join us as we renew and strengthen our commitment to preparing committed and caring nursing professionals. The four-year BSN program complements our established undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing that have been recognized for their excellence.

A nursing faculty, recognized internationally for their expertise and contributions, will guide and mentor you as you progress through the program you have selected. Opportunities to study under the direction of community experts, in 120 health care facilities, further ensures the development of the knowledge and skill necessary to affect health care delivery in very positive ways.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Department of Nursing is consistent with the mission of The University of Tampa in its commitment to challenge learners academically and contribute to the fulfillment of their aspirations to become productive individuals prepared to meet the global challenges of the future. The faculty believe that the education of students should promote the development and integration of intellectual, ethical/moral, and practical knowledge. The faculty support the University's aim of developing students who possess an appreciation for rational and disciplined thought, as well as a sense of obligation to provide service to the community.

The Department of Nursing promotes the integration of experiential and didactic learning that engages students, faculty and community experts in collegial partnerships. These relationships form the basis for lifelong contribution to the health of the community, nation and world.

PROGRAMS

The University of Tampa’s baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs prepare students to respond to diverse health care needs. Nursing graduates will find opportunities in an array of stimulating and meaningful careers.

UT’s four NLNAC-accredited nursing programs include:

Four-Year Bachelor of Science (BSN)
Designed generally for students without nursing college credit.

RN to Bachelor of Science (BSN) Completion
Allows RN graduates of diploma and associate degree programs to complete BSN.

RN to BSN/MSN
Helps registered nurses with associate degrees and professional experience to complete the BSN and MSN more rapidly than traditional programs.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Offers graduate-level study with adult and family nurse practitioner concentrations or nursing education. Nursing faculty have established collaborative relationships with more than 120 facilities and area experts in numerous health disciplines. This network helps prepare students for primary care and clinical management roles in pediatrics, adult and family health, geriatrics, women’s health, administration, informatics, education, and other fields.

FOUR-YEAR BSN

The Four-Year BSN program is designed for students without nursing college credit. High school graduates and transfer students first apply to the University by using the regular UT undergraduate admissions application. Students formally apply to the nursing department once all requirements have been met or nearly met.

124 credit hours (60 in general education courses and 64 in nursing courses) are needed to graduate. The curriculum includes a requirement of 1,232 clinical hours.

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Department of Nursing Location

Department of Nursing Courses

CONCEPTS OF NURSING
This course focuses on nursing as a profession including its history, theoretical foundation and the role of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse in today’s diverse health care delivery system. Using a seminar format, students are introduced to the Nursing Department’s philosophy and conceptual framework as these relate to the beginning level of nursing practice. The course explores definitions, models and theories of nursing from an historical perspective. Emphasis is placed upon group dynamics, writing and cultural awareness.

INTRO TO PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
This course provides students with a basic understanding of pathophysiology from a structural and functional organizational framework. It builds upon the student’s knowledge in the sciences and explores how alterations in structure and function disrupt the body as a whole. Physiological changes across the lifespan are examined. Students utilize critical thinking to analyze selected diseases for symptomatology, pathophysiology and implications for health care intervention.

FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING PRACTICE
This course introduces students to the cognitive and technical skills necessary to provide effective patient care to diverse populations. Topics include communication, critical thinking, nursing process and the delivery of culturally competent care. The promotion of wellness across the lifespan and collaboration with other health care professionals are emphasized.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS IN NURSING
Experiences include on-campus activities and supervised clinical learning opportunities in a variety of health care settings.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT
This course provides the Basic Nursing Student with knowledge and skills to obtain and record a health history and physical examination. Assessing the level of health and wellness of clients throughout the lifespan is also included. This course provides both a didactic and laboratory experience.

CONCEPTS OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING
The nursing profession is analyzed with foci on professionalism, socialization, theories, roles and philosophies.

NURSING LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT I
The concepts of leadership, power, change, decision-making and self-awareness are examined. Emphasis is on communication-skill building in group settings.

NURSING CARE OF ADULTS
This course explores the concepts and theories necessary to promote and restore health of adults with biological problems and related physiological and psychological responses.

NURSING CARE OF ADULTS LABORATORY
This course provides students the opportunity to apply concepts and processes required to help adults in the promotion and maintenance of health. Students examine adults from physical, social, psychological and developmental perspectives through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences will occur under faculty supervision in a diversity of patient care settings.

NURSING CARE OF OLDER ADULTS
This course is the examination of the theories of aging and developmental tasks of families who are aging. The physical, psychological, social, cultural, economic, legal, ethical and spiritual needs of the aging persons are addressed.

NURSING CARE OF OLDER ADULTS LABORATORY
This course provides students the opportunity to apply concepts and processes of the aging process through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a diversity of patient care settings.

NURSING CARE OF THE DEVELOPING FAMILY
This course examines the concepts associated with the diverse responses of families during the childbearing cycle, including normal and high-risk pregnancies, and normal and abnormal events occurring in women. Families experiencing normal developmental changes and developmental deviations are examined.

NURSING CARE OF THE DEVELOPING FAMILY LABORATORY
The course provides students the opportunity to apply the concepts associated with responses of families during the childbearing cycle through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of childbearing patient care settings.

NURSING CARE OF CHILDREN
This course presents the essential concepts, theories and development processes vital in understanding the health concerns and problems of children, adolescents and their families. Students examine family-centered nursing care in the health promotion and health maintenance of infants, children and adolescents.

NURSING CARE OF CHILDREN LABORATORY
This course provides students the opportunity to apply the essential concepts, theories and processes useful in meeting the health and developmental needs of children and their families. Learning experiences are provided that emphasize the role of the nurse and continuity of care in meeting the needs of children and families in acute care and community settings. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of childbearing patient care settings.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Health Assessment provides the nurse with the necessary knowledge to obtain and record a history and physical examination, as well as to assess the level of health and wellness of the client throughout the lifespan. This course offers a didactic and laboratory experience.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE
The health care delivery system is examined from political, economic, legal and ethical perspectives.

PHARMACOLOGY
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of pharmacology and therapeutics in the treatment of illness, and the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health in patients across the lifespan. The major drug categories are reviewed with emphasis placed on the therapeutic use, action and adverse reaction, as well as benefits and risks to the drug therapy. This prepares the health professional for safe, therapeutic pharmacological interventions.

CLINICAL HUMAN NUTRITION
This course provides information on the fundamentals of nutrition and application. Nutritional needs across the lifespan and nutritional support in selected disorders are specifically discussed.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HEALTH CARE
This course explores interrelationships between diversity, sociocultural, economic and political contexts of health and illness. It increases the student’s awareness of the biological variation, time and space perception, spiritual dimensions and complexities involved in caring for people with diverse world views. There is focus on specific cultural groups including African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and selected additional ethnically diverse groups.

MENTAL HEALTH NURSING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
This course examines the biological, environmental, cultural and interpersonal factors, which predispose individuals to mental illness. Mental health is viewed as the continuous adaptation to the inevitable stressors of life, and deviations are a result of the inability of individuals to adapt to life’s stressors. Individuals are viewed holistically across the lifespan.

MENTAL HEALTH NURSING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN LABORATORY
The course provides students the opportunity to apply the concepts of mental health nursing through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of settings in which patients and families with acute and chronic mental health problems may be found.

NURSING LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT II
Key concepts in leadership and management are explored. Emphasis is placed upon organizing and delivering health care, assessing financial resources, planning, managing human resources, improving quality, and promoting positive change.

NURSING CARE OF CLIENTS IN THE ACUTE CARE SETTING
This course examines advanced concepts related to patients experiencing complex multi-system biological problems and related physiological and psychological responses.

NURSING CARE OF CLIENTS IN THE ACUTE CARE SETTING LABORATORY
The course provides the opportunity for students to apply advanced concepts and processes required to help adults with complex multisystem problems. Students examine adults from physical, social, psychological and developmental perspectives through a combination of laboratory and supervised clinical practice activities. Clinical experiences occur under faculty supervision in a variety of acute care settings.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
This course examines key concepts in leadership and management within the health care system. Emphasis is placed on organizing and delivering health care, assessing financial resources, planning, managing human resources, improving quality, and promoting positive change.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
This course focuses on the community health system by examining it from historical, organizational and political perspectives. Emphasis is placed upon analysis of epidemiological trends and the relevance of community assessment to community health nursing practice. The impact of local, state and federal legislation is explored related to the impact on community health.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
This course focuses on the community health system by examining it from historical, organizational and political perspectives. Emphasis is placed upon analysis of epidemiological trends and the relevance of community assessment to community health nursing practice. The impact of local, state and federal legislation is explored related to the impact on community health.

COMMUNITY HEALTH LABORATORY
The course provides the opportunity to synthesize and apply the cognitive knowledge gained in Principles of Community Health through supervised clinical practice. Students provide culturally competent care to individuals, families and groups in a variety of community agencies.

HOLISTIC CARE: ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES FOR SELF-CARE AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Open to non-nursing students. This course examines alternative health practices from a cross-cultural perspective. Healing interventions such as acupuncture, biofeedback, homeopathy, meditation, and traditional Chinese and herbal medicine are studied and demonstrated by practitioners. Emphases are placed upon the historical underpinnings of holistic health practices and the political/economic ramifications on global health. This course also compares and contrasts non-traditional modalities of health care with industrial models.

INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH
Introduction to nursing research with emphasis on the research process and the critique of nursing research studies.

PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY HEALTH
This course focuses on the theoretical concepts of family development and functioning essential in understanding the contemporary family and the current trends related to families. The course emphasizes the role of the nurse in assessing and planning intervention strategies needed to provide comprehensive nursing care to families.

COMMUNITY/FAMILY PRACTICUM
This course provides the student with the opportunity for in-depth experiences with individuals, families and groups in the health system. This clinical practicum enables the student to synthesize the knowledge acquired in Principles of Community Health and Principles of Family Health.

SENIOR PRACTICUM
This course provides the student the opportunity to synthesize nursing knowledge and experience professional role implementation in a variety of health care settings.

LEGAL NURSE CONSULTING I
This course provides students the opportunity to explore legal foundations of nursing practice liability issues, nursing malpractice and the American legal system (with special emphasis on Florida law and personal injury claims) in depth. Case analyses, synthesis of fact and law, and introduction to written and oral communication skills that are essential in the role of legal nurse consultant are the foci, as well as the steps inherent in discovery. The evolving roles of legal nurse consultants are explored.

LEGAL NURSE CONSULTING II
This course provides students the opportunity to develop skill and knowledge related to the process of performing legal research (including record reviews) and medical and legal verbal and written communication. Emphases are on conducting and organizing literature searches, and reviews and facilitation of life-care and end-of-life planning, as well as preparation of documents for trial. The role of expert witness and risk manager also are explored

INDEPENDENT STUDY IN NURSING
An independent study in nursing that provides students with an opportunity to pursue a topic or project under the guidance of a nursing faculty member. By permission of instructor and department director. May include a practicum.

SELECTED TOPICS IN NURSING
For elective credit only. An in-depth study of a selected nursing topic of concern to students and faculty. Emphasis is on contemporary issues affecting nursing and health care.

CLINICAL PRECEPTORSHIP
This course provides in-depth clinical experience with a diverse patient population. The student will utilize knowledge from the physical, biological and behavioral sciences to provide culturally competent nursing care to clients of all ages across the lifespan. Critical thinking skills will be further developed to integrate research findings to validate and improve patient outcomes. The student will incorporate principles of teaching and learning to promote, maintain and restore health and the prevention of illness to individuals, families and groups.

SENIOR SEMINAR
This seminar course helps the student in understanding what it means to be a professional in the evolving health care delivery system. Discussions include methods to ease transition from student to practitioner, lifelong learning, professional commitment and political involvement. Students are assisted in defining their own professional practice with regard to political, economic, legal, ethical, social and cultural influences in nursing, both domestically and globally.

Other nursing schools in Tampa

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