Patricia (Patsy) Clarke, RN,MSN, PNP-BC
E-mail: ClarkeP@uthscsa.edu
Phone: (210) 567--0519
Pager: (210) 235-0124
Office:  2.370 NS
Office Hours:  TBA
Family Nursing Care

This course focuses on developing critical thinking and professional nursing role competence for clinical practice.  Case studies, seminar discussion and mentored clinical practicum will enable the student to develop competence in simulated and real world environments.  Clinical practice will occur in various settings based on student interest (pediatrics, OB, L&D, geriatrics, psychiatric, etc.) with clients who present with health problems. The nursing process will provide a framework for role development accompanied by enhanced critical thinking practice and clinical problem solving skills.

Flex LVN:           Completion of First Semester Flex Program

At the completion of this course the student will:

1.  Apply the nursing process when caring for targeted special population clients with complex health problems.

2.  Provide customized, therapeutic nursing care that is culturally sensitive.

3.  Create partnerships with clients, family and others in the health care team to protect,

  promote, and restore health to targeted special population clients with complex health

     problems.

4.  Utilize therapeutic communication skills with clients, families and other partners in

     the health care team.

5.  Apply critical thinking in clinical practice while developing nursing role competence.

6.  Utilize current literature & clinical evidence of best practices to evaluate effective

     nursing strategies.

7.  Display ethical and legal nursing practice consistent with professional nursing role and

     standards of practice.

8.  Demonstrate values of self-directed professional within context of role development

     and integrated learning experiences.

1.  Apply proficient, consistent critical thinking and decision making skills to implement

     nursing process with clients with complex health problems .

2.  Demonstrate consistent, proficient, systematic, holistic assessment of targeted special

     population clients with complex health problems.

3.  Apply consistent, proficient critical thinking and decision making skills to assessment

     data to identify priority diagnoses and nursing actions in collaboration with client,

     family and others.

4.  Demonstrate consistent, proficient critical thinking and decision making ability when

     designing, managing and coordinating care consistent with nursing role competence.

5.  Demonstrate consistent, proficient use of best practice strategies in managing delivery

     of care to complex clients.

6.  Demonstrate consistently safe, therapeutic, culturally sensitive, customized nursing

     care. 

7.  Demonstrate consistent, effective skills to collaborate and create partnerships with

     clients, families, and other members of the health care team.

8.  Apply consistent, proficient, critical evaluation of the care of clients with

     complex health care needs.   

9.  Demonstrate consistent, proficient use of ethical decision making congruent with

     client values and beliefs and standards of practice.

10. Display consistent accountability for self management of learning and role

      development. 

ELEMENTS  DEVELOPED:

Partnership

This elective facilitates collaboration between the SON and our community partners in developing nursing graduates who are able to apply practiced critical thinking skills to problem solve complex clinical issues.

Customization

This elective builds on the student’s evaluation of their individual clinical practice background and current expertise, including areas of strength and challenge, and provides selected opportunities to target learning to maximize overall practice strength.

Professionalism

Applied Critical thinking in nursing practice is the primary focus of this elective, building both appreciation of and evolved skill with the process. Discussion, role modeling and practice will all emphasize the nurses’ professional responsibility for client advocacy and care at this level of professional clinical practice.

Transition

This elective provides the student with repeated and varied hands on experiences in simulated and real world environments that evolve critical thinking skills application in clinical practice. The intent is to move beyond minimum mastery to the point where the application of this process is incorporated into the student’s routine practice habits allowing for a successful and smooth transition into professional practice post graduation.

Scholarship

Students are required to go beyond their current practice knowledge in planning and providing care to complex clients. They will be required to utilize current literature to identify best practices for selected simulated situations as well as in their clinical practice.

Seminar discussions will punctuate the research and theory behind the clinical decision making presented. 

Integrated Learning

This elective specifically challenges the student to pull from all areas of previous learning and experience to evolve their ability to systematically utilize integrated knowledge in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating professional nursing practice.

{additional Text}

Wong, D.L., Piotrowski, K.A., & Rentfro, A.R.  (2006)  Study Guide for Maternal Child Nursing Care. (3rd ed.)  Mosby Elsevier.

Critical thinking and decision making within the framework of nursing process as applied to clients in targeted special populations experiencing acute health care challenges across the lifespan to include but not limited to the following:
      critical thinking
      decision making  
      nursing process
      recommended clinical screenings
      fluid and electrolyte imbalance
      renal alternations
      respiratory alternations
      gastrointestinal alternations
      cardiovascular alternations
      neurological alternations
      musculoskeletal alterations
      hematological, immunological, oncology alterations
      endocrine alterations     
      reproductive alterations
      cognitive alterations
      gestational alterations
      congenital and genetic alterations
      developmental alterations