Courses of Study –
Clinical Courses
- Foundations of Assessment and Communications
- Competencies: Assess individuals as member of community or family unit; recognize spiritual/cultural aspects of the patient; apply interpersonal process in human relationships; gather health assessment data; implement nursing process in select settings; identify psychosocial and physiological concepts affecting health status of patients; and formulate a personal concept of the role of a professional nurse.
- Patient teaching: Knowledge of the professional nurse role as teacher was established.
- EBP: The term EBP was introduced and its importance was noted.
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to develop a picture of what the professional nurse’s role is. Basic assessment skills, therapeutic communication skills, medical terminology, and knowledge of the nursing process were gained.
- Foundations of Nursing Intervention
- Competencies: Use physiological principles in promoting health; apply interpersonal process in nurse-patient relationship; implement nursing process within selected settings; and practice selected aspects of professional nurse’s role such as assessment and technical skills.
- Patient teaching: Provided teaching to patients regarding medications or plan of care during hospital stay.
- EBP: Concept care maps were completed for all patients cared for at clinical site. EBP was examined when interventions and outcomes were established.
- Clinical Site: Affinity Medical Center- Massillon,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to achieve hands-on experience at the clinical site. The nursing process, with the utilization of therapeutic communication skills, was applied while providing care for patients.
- Parent and Newborn Nursing
- Competencies: Apply nursing process when providing care to those in the childbearing process; plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care with and for individuals and groups based upon systematic assessment of their health status and health potential during childbearing sequence; plan care based on patient’s learning needs; develop skill in purposeful communication; apply nursing research findings in practice; apply concepts of cultural diversity when providing care; and develop skills with administration of medication.
- Patient teaching: Provide teaching to mother and baby specific to learning needs. Attend childbirth education course at Summa Health System.
- EBP: Nursing Process Paper-
Caring for the Postpartum Mother and Newborn. Please click this link.
- Clinical Site: Aultman Hospital- Canton,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to examine the role of the professional nurse in the postpartum and labor settings. The course allowed me to apply the nursing process to practice and enhanced my medication administration skills. At the clinical site, I was able to care for mothers and babies.
- Health Care of Children
- Competencies: Use critical thinking skills when applying nursing process in meeting the comprehensive health care needs of children and families; implement therapeutic nursing interventions that facilitate children and families in attaining, maintaining, and regaining health; demonstrate effective communication skills; assume responsibility for professional and personal growth; examine role of nurse in health care of children setting; and use research findings in planning health care for children and families.
- Patient teaching: Incorporated teaching into plan of care for all patients cared for at clinical site. Documented teaching on computer.
- EBP: Nursing Process Paper –
Caring for the Septic, Febrile Patient. Please click this link.
- Clinical Site: Aultman Hospital- Canton,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to examine the role of the RN in the pediatric setting. The course expanded on my assessment skills, communication skills, and technical skills. Assignments focused on application of EBP to the clinical setting.
- Nursing of Adults
- Competencies: Collects patient health data; analyzes assessment data in determining a diagnosis; identifies expected outcomes individualized to the patient; develops plans of care that prescribes nursing interventions to attain expected outcomes; implements interventions identified in plan of care; and evaluates patient’s progress toward attainment of outcomes. The bigger picture is looked at, focusing on: quality of care, performance appraisal, education, collegiality, ethics, collaboration, research, and resource utilization.
- Patient teaching: Develop teaching plan for patients cared for.
- EBP: Incorporated into nursing
care plans. Need journal articles to support nursing interventions. Please click this link.
- Clinical Site: Mercy Medical Center- Canton,
- Personal reflection: The course enhanced assessment skills, communication skills, and medication administration skills. The nursing process was focused on, as well as providing holistic care. Knowledge of diagnostic tests and laboratory results was increased.
- Nursing of Adults with Rehab Needs and/or Gerontologic Changes
- Competencies: Develop knowledge base related to psychophysiological changes in older adults and those undergoing rehabilitation; identify changes, consequences, and nursing care related to aging and rehabilitation for individuals and families; identify community resources available; apply nursing process in caring for older adults or those undergoing rehabilitation; utilize nursing resources to substantiate the basis of care; incorporate elements of the role of the professional nurse in the provision of culturally competent nursing care for older adults and those undergoing rehabilitation.
- Patient teaching: Focus on teaching to improve or maintain quality of life in older adults and those undergoing rehabilitation. Teaching provided regarding activity and diet.
- EBP: Nursing Process Paper-
includes three nursing diagnoses. Please click this link.
- Clinical Site: Hanover House
Nursing Home-
Massillon,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to provide care to the elderly and those with rehabilitation needs. At the clinical site, I cared for patients with complex health problems. Documentation was a primary concentration, as well as medication administration.
- Nursing of the Critically Ill
- Competencies: Use critical and analytical thinking in the application of the nursing process in the care of the critically ill adult; perform and refine previously acquired skills; acquire knowledge and skills specific to critical care setting; integrate knowledge and skills in the critical care setting; enhance professional role development.
- Patient teaching: Provided teaching to patients and family members in the critically ill setting.
- EBP: Nursing Process Papers
- Clinical Site: Mercy Medical Center- Canton,
- Personal reflection: The course provided me the opportunity to care for those with complex health problems. The focus of the course is providing holistic care, unique to each patient. Technical skills, communication skills, medication administration skills, and application of the nursing process were enhanced.
- Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health Nursing Care
- Competencies: Apply selected nursing theory to clinical problem; consider culture, beliefs, and developmental stage when providing care; develop mastery of communication skills; practice in ethical and professional manner; develop understanding of the impact of political, professional, and economic issues on the experience and treatment of mental illness; apply nursing process to a patient with psychiatric disorder; provide care to psychiatric patients in a safe, clinically appropriate, evidence based, and effective manner.
- Patient teaching: Provided teaching to group of patients on relaxation techniques. Discussed and demonstrated exercise, deep-breathing technique, diet, and journaling.
- EBP: Nursing Process Paper-
Biopsychosocial Assessment Paper. Please click this link.
- Clinical Site: Heartland
Behavioral Health- Massillon,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to care for patients with mental health problems in a state psychiatric ward, as well as multiple other settings. I was able to focus on providing holistic care, concentrating on the importance of therapeutic communication. The course enhanced my communication skills.
- Community Health Nursing
- Competencies: Use critical thinking skills in the application of nursing process with families, population groups, and communities; use therapeutic communication techniques with families and population groups of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds; apply the epidemiologic approach to identify subgroups within population that are at risk for disease, disability, and premature death; collaborate with members of the multidisciplinary team to promote health; and accept responsibility and accountability for actions.
- Patient teaching: Provided patient teaching at various clinical sites, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
- EBP: Nursing Process Paper –
Community Health Assessment. Please click this link.
- Clinical Sites: Stark County Women’s Clinic, Mercy Medical Center (Jackson and North Canton) Stat Care, Wooster Home Health, Gabriel Cancer Center, Stark County Jail, and Canton Community Clinic
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to examine community health nursing and the role of the nurse in these settings. Each clinical setting provided a different, beneficial experience. Communication skills, assessment skills, and technical skills were enhanced.
- Integration of Leadership and Management in Nursing
- Competencies: Demonstrate effective and appropriate communication skills; apply nursing process to clinical situations; provide complete and accurate documentation; demonstrate competency in clinical skills; demonstrate time management and organizational skills; administer medications in safe, competent manner; function as team member; demonstrate critical thinking and decision making; assume accountability and responsibility for nursing actions; promote development and practice of nursing; and assume responsibility for learning. Understands difference between leadership and management. Knowledge obtained regarding effective staffing, politics, legal issues, delegation, team building, time management, prioritizing, power, conflict, change, decision making, quality improvement, budget concepts, and strategic planning.
- Patient teaching: Provided teaching to patients during hospital stay and provided discharge teaching regarding diet, activity, medications, and follow-up appointments. In specific, provided CHF teaching and Stop-Smoking teaching.
- EBP: Completed an EBP project on “Hand Hygiene” and presented findings to approximately two-hundred employees in the auditorium at Akron General Medical Center.
- Clinical Site: Akron General
Medical Center- Akron,
- Personal reflection: The course allowed me to apply all of my knowledge obtained throughout nursing school to providing care for several patients. By the end of the practicum, I was able provide safe, competent care to six patients on my own.
