Course Number:
Course Title:
Nursing 751
Advanced Practice Nursing: Acute/Critical Care Theory and Technology
Course Credit/Hours: 3 units, 3 hours lecture/discussion
Faculty: Darlene Burke
SDSU School of Nursing dburke@mail.sdsu.edu
760 214 0524
(Dr. Burke can be contacted by email or phone. All meetings are by appointment. Students are encouraged to use email for scheduling appointments and communicating between regularly scheduled class meetings.)
Time:
Place:
Tuesdays, 1-3:40 p.m.
AH 2134
Advanced Practice Nursing of Adults and the Elderly Concentration:
Prerequisites:
Concurrent:
Consent of advanced practice nursing concentration chair
Nursing 753, APN: Acute and Critical Care Practicum
Nursing 622, Quality Improvement and Program Evaluation in Nursing
Systems Organization
Catalog Description: Role of advanced practice nurse in acute/critical care settings. Problems and interventions with acutely and critically ill adults and elderly. Emphasis on research-based interventions, psychosocial responses, standards of practice, expanding technologies, and continuation of care to the home.
Course Overview: This course builds on the knowledge acquired in graduate core and advanced practice core courses including: pathophysiology (NURS 610), pharmacology (NURS 658), advanced health assessment (NURS 501). Knowledge acquired prepares the APN student to sit for either the
AACN national certification as an Adult-Gerontology, Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACCNS-
AG) or ANCC, Adult-Gerontology CNS. Acute care advanced practice nurses (CNS, NP-CNS) and
SDSU advanced practice faculty participate in the design and delivery of the course.
Course Outcomes:
Upon completion of N751, the student will be able to:
1.
Analyze components and implementation of the advanced practice role in the acute or critical care setting
2.
Evaluate standards of care for acute or critical care practice
1

3.
Analyze and synthesize research findings relevant to acute or critical care practice
4.
Analyze major health problems existing in acute or critical care settings
5.
Use knowledge of pathophysiology, assessment, pharmacology, and the social sciences to plan interventions for acutely or critically ill persons and populations.
6.
Evaluate community resources available for continuation of care
7.
Analyze current and future technologies for acute or critical care
8.
Evaluate interventions and technologies based on knowledge of pathophysiology, ethics, and social sciences
9.
Analyze the influence of federal and state health policies on care of patients in the acute or critical care settings
Required Texts:
Foster, J.G.W. & Prevost, S.S. (2012). Advanced Practice Nursing of Adults in Acute Care.
Philadephia: F.A. Davis Co.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (6 th ed.). Washington DC: Author.
Course Format and Teaching Methods:
The objectives of this course will be achieved through reading and preparing class assignments and participating in class activities. The course is taught as a seminar using both lecture and discussion formats and with student participation and contribution to seminar discussion an essential expectation.
Students are expected to incorporate all related content from previous courses.
Grading: Final course grades will be determined by achievement in:
Class Participation 108 points (10 x 12 minus the lowest score)
Skills & Procedures Presentation 62 points
Case Study Presentation
Final Examination
100 points
150 points
420 possible points ( total)
Class Participation/Contribution: In preparation for each class, students are required to complete the weekly readings/assignments posted in BlackBoard and will be expected to analyze, synthesize, apply, and critique class content.
On-time class attendance also is required. Class participation will be graded on Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 using the grading criteria in Appendix A, Rubric for
Class Participation (modified version of rubric developed by Claudia J. Stanley (2010), University of
West Florida) . Each student may obtain a maximum of 12 points per week. The lowest score for weekly participation will be dropped for each student. Student self-evaluation of weekly class participation will be considered by the instructor when assigning weekly point totals.
2

Skill/ Procedure Presentation: For this assignment, you will provide a 10-minute presentation that promotes the clinical judgment of a CNS in relation to a skill or procedure listed in the ACCNS-AG
Exam Handbook. The procedure or skill will be assigned to you by your instructor and must include the five most important things that a “CNS needs to know” about the skill or procedure. At least two references must be provided. Presentations must be e-mailed to your instructor one day prior to the date of your presentation. Five points will be deducted for a late submission.
The assignment will otherwise be graded using the criteria included in Appendix B.
Case Study Presentation: For this assignment, you will write a case study (either in a traditional or unfolding format) and six related multiple-choice questions on a clinical condition assigned to you by your instructor from the ACCNS-AG Exam Handbook. During a class session, you will facilitate a review of the case study and questions with your fellow students over a 30-minute period; providing four leaning objectives and three references. The case and the accompanying questions must include a patient, a CNS (as the central figure), a nurse manager or hospital administrator, and a physician.
Family members and other members of the health care team may be included as necessary. The questions accompanying the case study should assess the CNS competencies found on pages 16-20 of the AACN-AG Exam Handbook. Specifically, three of the questions must assess the CNS competency,
Clinical Judgment. Each of the three remaining questions must assess one of the following CNS competencies: (1) Advocacy/Moral Agency, (2) Caring Practices, (3) Collaboration, (4) Systems
Thinking, (5) Responses to Diversity, (6) Clinical Inquiry, and (7) Facilitation of Learning. The total number of competencies to be assessed is four. Each question must be labeled with the corresponding competency. Case studies must be e-mailed to your instructor three days prior to the date of your presentation. Ten points will be deducted for late submissions.
The assignment will otherwise be graded using the criteria included in Appendix C.
Final Course Examination: The final examination will be a closed book test consisting of 75 multiple-choice questions. Each question will be worth 2 points.
Final course grades are based on the following School of Nursing standardized graduate level grading scale:
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79
73-76
70-72
A
A-
B+
B
B-
67-69 D
Less than 67% F
C+
C
C-
Please refer to the 2013-2014 SDSU Graduate Bulletin regarding graduate division policies regarding passing grades and GPA.
3

Other Key Information:
Academic Dishonesty:
Students enrolled in this class are expected to adhere scrupulously to the SDSU Standards for Student
Conduct. Any evidence of academic dishonesty or breach of these standards will result in immediate course failure. Please refer to the 2013-2014 SDSU Graduate Bulletin for further clarification.
Behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Cheating that is intended to gain unfair academic advantage.
(2) Plagiarism that is intended to gain unfair academic advantage.
(3) Other forms of academic dishonesty that are intended to gain unfair academic advantage.
(4) Dishonesty, including: Furnishing false information to a University official, faculty member, or campus office.
(5) Dishonesty, including: Forgery, alteration, or misuse of a University document, key, or identification instrument.
(6) Dishonesty, including: Misrepresenting oneself to be an authorized agent of the University or one of its auxiliaries.
Executive Order 969, issued by the Office of the Chancellor and effective January 30, 2006, specifies how cases of academic dishonesty (cheating or plagiarism) are to be handled by the campuses:
“Academic dishonesty cases that occur in the classroom shall be handled by faculty members. However, after action has been taken by the faculty member, the faculty member shall complete a form that identifies the student who was found responsible, the general nature of the offense, the action taken, and a recommendation as to whether or not additional action should be considered by the campus judicial affairs office.”
Information Regarding Off-Campus Course Work:
This course requires students to participate in field trips, research, or studies that include course work that will be performed off-campus. Participation in such activities may result in accidents or personal injury. Students participating in the event are aware of these risks, and agree to hold harmless San
Diego State University, the State of California, the Trustees of the California State University and
Colleges and its officers, employees and agents against all claims, demands, suits, judgments, expenses and costs of any kind on account of their participation in the activities.
Students using their own vehicles to transport other students to such activities should have current automobile insurance.
Disability Accommodations:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible.
Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations cannot be provided based upon disability until an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services is received by the course instructor. Your cooperation is appreciated. After accommodations have been authorized by
SDS, students are responsible for notifying faculty. This can best be accomplished by making an appointment to meet privately with the faculty member early in the semester, or as soon as possible in the event that a disability is diagnosed during the course of the semester.
4

N751 Spring 2015
Class Schedule at a Glance ( Subject to revision by the instructor, as is the entire Syllabus )
1 1/27/15 1300-1540 Course Introduction & Orientation
The CNS: Roles and Competencies - Operationalizing the CNS role
2 2/3 1300-1540 Managing Pain in the Acute and Critically Ill
Guest Speaker: Karen Carroll, MS, RN, CNS
3 2/10 1300-1540 Phenomena of Interest, Evidence Based Practice & Critiquing Research
4 2/17 1300-1540 Essential Skills & Procedures in CNS Practice (Student Presentations)
5 2/24 1300-1540 Collaborative Management of Acute Lung Failure
6 3/3 1300-1540 Diabetes as a Comorbidity in the Acute Care Setting
Guest Speaker: Crisamar Anuncia, PhD, FNP-BC, BC-ADM
7 3/10 1300-1540 Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes/Overview Advanced Cardiac
Life Support
8 3/17 1300-1540 Inpatient Management of the Patient with Acute Decompensated Heart
Failure (ADHF)
Guest Speaker: Beverly Carlson, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN
9 3/24 1300-1540 Gastrointestinal Disorders in the Acute and Critically Ill
3/31 ******** Spring Recess *****************************************
10 4/7 1300-1540 Shock, SIRS, Sepsis & MODS: Early Identification and Treatment
Guest Speaker: Beverly Carlson, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN
11 4/14 1300-1540 CNS as Change Agent/EPB Project Updates
12 4/21 1300-1540 Student Case-Study Presentations
13 4/28 1300-1540 Student Case-Study Presentations
14 5/5 1300-1540 Student Case-Study Presentations
15 5/12 1300-1540 Final Examination
5

Appendix A
N 751 Spring 2015
Relevance of participation to the topic under discussion
Evidence of level of participation
Listening
Criteria
Participation
/Cooperation
Rubric for Weekly Class Participation
Week # ______________
Missing or
Serious
Problems (no points)
Absent or did not contribute
Contributions were off-topic or distracted class from discussion
Not adequately prepared; did not appear to have read the material in advance of the class
Inattentive or made inappropriate or disruptive comments
Below
Expectations
(one point)
Did not volunteer;
Some distracting material
Participated to the others responded to queries only contributions were off-topic or
Appeared to have read the material (but not closely) or did not read all the occasionally; did not respond contributions of
Meets
Expectations
(two points)
Voluntarily contributed to discussion without prompting
Contributions were relevant to the discussion material in advance of the class
Participated regularly; listened to and responded to the contributions of others
Clearly read and thought about the
Demonstrates
CNS
Leadership
Behavior
(three points)
Actively and regularly contributed to the discussion
Contributions were relevant and promoted in-depth analysis of the material
Investigated and shared relevant knowledge not assigned
Participated without monopolizing discussion; listened without interrupting; acknowledged contributions of others
Student Name __________________________________ ________ Total points = __________
6

Appendix B
N751 Skill/Procedure Presentation
Spring 2015
Grading Criteria
Earned
Points
Total
Points
10
Skill/Procedure Presentation
The presentation promotes learning with five “things the CNS needs to know” about the skill or procedure.
15
10
10
5
8
4
62
The presentation promotes the CNS competency of clinical judgment
(as outlined in the AACNS-AG Test Plan Booklet).
The content of the presentation contains evidence-based practice.
Speaker demonstrates a high level of knowledge of the content presented.
Audiovisuals are used effectively to enhance the success of the presentation in communicating content.
References are current (within seven years).
References are listed per APA manual.
Total Points
7

Appendix C
N751 Case Study Presentation
Spring 2015
Grading Criteria
Earned
Points
Total
Points
8
Case Study Presentation
Objectives are well written, measureable, and reflect CNS competencies.
8
10
Objectives are effectively met.
The case study is well organized.
10 The case study promotes learning in regard to the assigned medical condition.
10 Speaker demonstrates a high level of knowledge of the content presented.
10
10
10
10
Questions assess the learning objectives.
Questions assess CNS competencies (three clinical judgment; three other) and are labeled with the respective competency.
The case study and questions reflect evidence-based practice.
Active audience discussion is encouraged and facilitated. Questions are answered effectively.
5
6
3
100
Audiovisuals are used effectively to enhance the success of the presentation in communicating content.
References are current (within seven years).
References are listed per APA manual.
Total Points
8