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Proposed Revised Undergraduate Nursing Major-RN to BS Completion Option
Original February 3, 2009
A. Statement of major focus and objectives of the revised program
Major Focus: Changes in accreditation standards, new guidelines for clinical practice from a variety of regulatory agencies,
changes in University and departmental mission and philosophy, needs for promoting engaged learning and community
partnerships, and program assessment findings have resulted in the need to revise the RN to BS Completion undergraduate
nursing program. The following table illustrates the Program Outcomes/0bjectives based on the new American Association
of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing Education
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/pdf/BaccEssentials08.pdf
Objectives: Baccalaureate Program Outcomes
Current
1. Incorporate caring as an integral part of
nursing in the human health experience.
2. Apply theoretical and empirical knowledge
from nursing and other disciplines to make
nursing judgments and provide nursing care.
3. Use effective communication, therapeutic
nursing interventions, appropriate
technological skills, and ethical decisionmaking in the care of individuals, families, or
communities.
4. Accept responsibility and accountability for
own safe and ethical practice of professional
nursing.
5. Collaborate with client and others in the health
care delivery system to promote health.
6. Participate proactively in change related to
health care needs in a complex global
community.
7. Apply results of nursing research to improve
nursing practice.
8. Practice nursing as a member of a professional
discipline in an environment of change.
Proposed
1. Critical Thinker: Independently and
interdependently integrates questioning,
analysis, synthesis, interpretation, inference,
inductive and deductive reasoning, intuition,
application and creativity to aid in clinical
reasoning and to make appropriate clinical
judgments.
2. Culturally Competent: Demonstrates
knowledge, understanding, and skill in
providing culturally sensitive care to diverse
groups.
3. Effective Communicator: Demonstrates
effective professional communication with
patients, patients’ support systems, and
interdisciplinary teams to build relationships
that promote patient-centered care and
improve patient outcomes.
4. Competent Provider of Care: Provide safe,
compassionate, patient-centered, evidencedbased care to patients, families, and
populations across the lifespan and continuum
of care.
5. High Ethical Standards: Demonstrates moral,
ethical and legal conduct in practice.
6. Facilitator of Learning: Implements teaching
strategies to ensure acquisition of attitudes,
knowledge and skills to maximize health
outcomes.
7. Systems Thinker: Uses leadership skills to
manage environmental and system resources,
within and across health care systems, to
provide evidence-based nursing care that
contributes to safe, high quality, patient
outcomes and improvements in healthcare
delivery.
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B.
New Catalog Content
B.S. MAJOR - NURSING: RN-TO-BS OPTION (NURN)
54 S.H. (Required courses must be taken for a letter
grade.)
Note: Includes 24 S.H. of nursing in transfer or exam.
REQUIRED COURSES (NURS)
375 Nursing Research, Theory and Technology (3)
415 Holistic Caring (5)
435 Holistic Assessment (4)
445 Management and Leadership (3)
455 Continuity of Care (4)
465 Nursing Roles and Health Promotion (4)
475 Community Health Nursing (4)
491 Capstone Experience in Role Synthesis (3)
B.S. MAJOR - NURSING: RN-TO-BS COMPLETION (NURN)
52 S.H. (Required courses must be taken for a letter
grade.)
Note: Includes 24 S.H. of nursing in transfer or exam.
REQUIRED COURSES (NURS)
375 Evidence-based Research (3)
415 Holistic Caring (4)
435 Holistic Assessment (3)
445 Evidence-based Leadership and Management (3)
455 Continuity of Care (4)
465 Population Based Care (4)
475 Community Health Nursing (4)
491 Professional Development (3)
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING
64
Other requirements for the Nursing major
Statistics
3
Credits from a four year institution
25
Subtotal
28
Total AD /Other requirements
92
Stats 110 or Psy 231
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
N375 Evidence Based Research
3
N415 Holistic Caring
4
N435 Holistic Assessment
3
N445 Evidence Based Leadership and Management
3
N455 Continuity of Care
4
N465 Population Based Care
4
N475 Community Health Nursing
4
Writing Flag
N491 Professional Development
3
Oral Flag
C.
Subtotal
28
TOTAL CREDITS IN MAJOR
120
Critical Analysis Flag
Writing Flag
Description of Revisions (The table below answers C. 1-3 and provides a narrative description of the table in B. 1)
Old Curriculum 30 credits
375 - Nursing Research, Theory and Technology (3 S.H.)
(Generic & RN-to-BS Options)
Develops the ability to analyze, critique, and interpret research
findings and data based on nursing theory and practice needs.
Revised Curriculum 28 credits
375- Evidence-based Research (3 S.H.) (RN to BS
Completion)
Basic elements of the research process and models for
applying evidence to clinical practice are introduced. The
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Includes use of selected software and technological modalities.
Prerequisite: Statistics course or instructor’s permission. Grade
only.
415 - Holistic Caring - (5 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
This course introduces the WSU nursing curriculum and
organizing framework to the RN student. Holistic caring is
related to critical thinking, teaching-learning, role development,
and nursing practice. Prerequisite: Admission to RN-to-BS
Option; corequisites: NURS 375, NURS 435, NURS 475. Grade
only.
435 - Holistic Assessment (4 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
This course teaches the student to assess the client and family in
a holistic manner. Traditional physical history and assessment of
the individual is expanded to include multiple variables.
Prerequisite: Admission to RN-to-BS Option; Corequisites: NURS
415 and NURS 475. Grade only.
445 - Management and Leadership (3 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
This course explores the management and leadership roles of
the professional nurse, analyzing current nursing practices as
well as applying the change process to a nursing situation.
Prerequisites: NURS 375, NURS 415, NURS 435, NURS 475.
Corequisites: NURS 455, NURS 465, NURS 491. Grade only.
455 - Continuity of Care (4 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
This course explores professional nursing situations or
populations involving continuity of care issues: complex
acute/chronic care issues; loss; the elderly; and other cultures.
Teaching-learning theory and skills are applied to the adult
learner. Prerequisites: NURS 375, NURS 415, NURS 435, NURS
475. Corequisites: NURS 445, NURS 465, NURS 491. Grade only.
465 - Nursing Roles and Health Promotion (4 S.H.)
(RN-to-BS Option)
Focuses on the professional nursing roles of provider of care,
advocate, teacher, case manager, change agent, and researcher
of individuals and families in a variety of situations. Students will
apply communication skills in various interpersonal situations.
Sixty hours of site-based experiences. Prerequisites: NURS 375,
NURS 415, NURS 435, NURS 475; corequisites: NURS 445, NURS
455, NURS 491. Grade only.
475 - Community Health Nursing (4 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
Focuses on the nursing roles and functions of the community
health nurse in maintaining and restoring health of individuals,
families, and groups in a variety of situations and settings.
Prerequisite: Admission to RN-to-BS Option; prerequisites or
corequisites: NURS 375, NURS 415, NURS 435. Grade only.
491 - Capstone Experience in Role Synthesis (3 S.H.)
(Generic & RN- to-BS Options)
application of retrieval, appraisal, synthesis and evidence to
improve patient outcomes is emphasized. Cooperative
group work is integrated throughout the course. This
course is a flagged course for University Studies and is
designed to meet the requirements in critical analysis.
415-Holistic Caring (4 S.H.) (RN to BS Completion)
This course serves to assist in the transition of the RN - BS
Completion student as they build on their prior basic
nursing education and identify with the baccalaureate
nursing major. The student is introduced to the Winona
State University Department of Nursing
curriculum/organizing framework which serves as the base
upon which to build their future career in nursing. Evidencebased teaching-learning theory and skills will provide the
basis for teaching health promotion to a young learner
population. Analysis of a political issue related to health
care delivery will foster an appreciation of the political
process within the baccalaureate role as a nurse. Holistic
caring is related to critical thinking, teaching-learning, role
development, and nursing practice. Application of critical
thinking skills to holistic caring will promote insight into a
new vision of professionalism and professional values within
this baccalaureate degree for the RN-BS Completion
student.
435-Holistic Assessment (3 S.H.) (RN to BS Completion)
Focus is building on theoretical concepts, critical thinking,
decision-making and application of clinical skills. Students
will be responsible for self-management of completing
learning activities. Emphasis will be on the knowledge and
skills necessary to perform a holistic assessment of
individuals across the lifespan. An online learning library is
used to understand and apply assessment content.
445 Evidence-based Leadership and Management (3 S.H.)
(RN to BS Completion) This course fosters heightened
awareness of management and leadership theory within the
essence of baccalaureate professional role development
and the practice of nursing. Change theory applied to a
nursing situation assists in the future application of this
complex concept. An appreciation of complex
organizational structure will promote successful
employment of management and leadership skills with
emphasis on evaluation and quality control. Use of small
group process facilitates planning a professional nursing
conference and developing a nursing marketing project.
455 - Continuity of Care (4 S.H.) (RN to BS Completion)
This course explores complex continuity of care issues
involving the individual, family, and/or community. The
content will assist the student to perceive the significance of
professional evidence-based nursing interventions related
to specific situations and/or populations. Some of the
diverse situations include: self care, stress management,
experience of loss, novice to expert. Some of the diverse
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Intense preceptor-led, site-based experience designed to
encapsulate the essence of baccalaureate professional role
development. Ninety hours of practicum for semester including
seminar. Prerequisite: Last semester of nursing major or
instructor’s permission. Grade only.
populations include: elderly, dementia, end of life issues,
mental illness, and cultural diversity. Evidenced-based
teaching-learning theory and skills are applied to the adult
learner population.
465 – Population Based Care (4 S.H.)
(RN to BS Completion)
This course focuses on evidence-based health promotion
interventions to populations. Students are expected to
provide competent care by using high ethical standards and
critical thinking. Students will elaborate on prior
teaching/learning principles in developing a sophisticated
health promotion teaching tool. Students will become a
student of the community, to learn from families and other
aggregates in the community how they define and promote
their own health. Students will appraise and critique their
professional portfolio.
475 - Community Health Nursing (4 S.H.) (RN to BS
Completion)
Focuses on assessment and evidence-based practices to
assess protective and predictive factors that influence the
health of individuals, families, groups, communities, and
populations. Health promotion and specific disease
preventions, early diagnosis and treatment, and managing
the disease or problem to maximize health are discussed.
Public health concepts are introduced along with
population-focused interventions.
491 – Professional Development (3 S.H.)
RN to BS Completion)
This course synthesizes all previous courses and past
learning experiences through intense site- based experience
designed to encapsulate the essence of baccalaureate
professional role development. From the past, the present
is formed. With this course the student forms a new vision
of the future. It includes application of theory and role
development as a professional nurse. This course should
lead the student to the completion of the Winona State
University Department of Nursing Baccalaureate Program
Outcomes.
The following table identifies the four courses and credits that are awarded by examination. Twenty-four credits in the
RN-to-BS Completion of the nursing major (NURS 302, NURS 304, NURS 306, and NURS 308) will be granted by transfer
to RN students who have completed an Associate Degree in Nursing from an NLNAC-accredited program. The
Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test (CNAT) is used as a challenge for these credits for RNs who are graduates of
diploma programs and A.D.N. programs that are not accredited by NLNAC.
302 - CNAT: Care of the Adult Client (6 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam focusing on
the nursing care of clients in a variety of settings and at
302 - CNAT: Care of the Adult Client (6 S.H.) (RN to BS
Completion)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam focusing on
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various stages of the wellness-illness continuum. Items
also assess nursing skills in meeting physiologic and
psychosocial needs of clients with stable conditions. The
Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test (CNAT) is
required for RNs who are graduates of diploma programs
and A.D.N. programs that are not accredited by NLNAC.
P/NC only.
the nursing care of clients in a variety of settings and at
various stages of the wellness-illness continuum. Items also
assess nursing skills in meeting physiologic and psychosocial
needs of clients with stable conditions. The Comprehensive
Nursing Assessment Test (CNAT) is required for RNs who are
graduates of diploma programs and A.D.N. programs that
are not accredited by NLNAC. P/NC only.
304 - CNAT: Care of Client During Childbearing (6 S.H.)
(RN-to-BS Option)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam focusing on
nursing care during the antepartal, intrapartal, and neonatal
periods. Emphasis is on the normal, with some common
complications. The Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test
(CNAT) is required for RNs who are graduates of diploma
programs and A.D.N. programs that are not accredited by
NLNAC. P/NC only.
306 - CNAT: Care of the Child (6 S.H.) (RN-to-BS Option)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam concerned with
nursing care of children of all ages at various stages of health
and illness. The Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test (CNAT)
is required for RNs who are graduates of diploma programs and
A.D.N. programs that are not accredited by NLNAC. P/NC only.
308 - CNAT: Care of the Client with a Mental Disorder (6 S.H.)
(RN-to-BS Option)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam addressing the
broad spectrum of psychological wellness-illness. The content
includes psychosocial assessment and intervention strategies to
support the client’s strengths. The Comprehensive Nursing
Assessment Test (CNAT) is required for RNs who are graduates
of diploma programs and A.D.N. programs that are not
accredited by NLNAC. P/NC only.
304 - CNAT: Care of Client During Childbearing (6 S.H.)
(RN to BS Completion)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam focusing on
nursing care during the antepartal, intrapartal, and neonatal
periods. Emphasis is on the normal, with some common
complications. The Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test
(CNAT) is required for RNs who are graduates of diploma
programs and A.D.N. programs that are not accredited by
NLNAC. P/NC only.
306 - CNAT: Care of the Child (6 S.H.) (RN to BS
Completion)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam concerned
with nursing care of children of all ages at various stages of
health and illness. The Comprehensive Nursing Assessment
Test (CNAT) is required for RNs who are graduates of
diploma programs and A.D.N. programs that are not
accredited by NLNAC. P/NC only.
308 - CNAT: Care of the Client with a Mental Disorder (6
S.H.) (RN to BS Completion)
Demonstration of knowledge through an exam addressing
the broad spectrum of psychological wellness-illness. The
content includes psychosocial assessment and intervention
strategies to support the client’s strengths. The
Comprehensive Nursing Assessment Test (CNAT) is required
for RNs who are graduates of diploma programs and A.D.N.
programs that are not accredited by NLNAC. P/NC only.
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