Texas County Technical Institute – Houston
RN Bridge Program
RN 200: Introduction to Professional Practice:
Transition from LPN to RN
Course Syllabus
Fall Semester, 2007
Instructors:
Debra Buckle, RN, MSN
Marie Lasater, RN, MSN
*Syllabus is subject to change
Course Title:
Introduction to Professional Practice:
Transition from LPN to RN
Instructors:
Debra Buckle, Marie Lasater
Course Code and Number: RN 200
Course Description:
This course presents the mission and philosophy of Texas County
Technical Institute incorporating Roy Adaptation Theory, describes the
framework and expectations of the RN Bridge program, provides an in-depth
look at the change in role from LPN to professional nurse, and includes
introduction to pharmacology and physical assessment.
Content and activities are provided which enable the student to master
core competency skills, including intravenous medication administration,
electronic searches and information retrieval, physical assessment, patient
interviews, and documentation. An introduction to basic pharmacology is
presented. Beginning nursing research concepts are introduced.
Dates: August 23 – December 6, 2007
Course Length: 15 weeks
Course Schedule: Thursday lecture: 0800-1200, skills lab: 1300 – 1500.
Prerequisites: BIO 107 w/lab (Anatomy and Physiology)
ENG 150 (English Comp.)
Co-requisite: Microbiology
Credit Hours: 5
Learning Objectives:
1. Apply the educational philosophy and framework of the school to
yourself and define your role as a student.
2. Identify professional practice issues in relation to the Missouri Nurse
Practice Act.
3. Demonstrate accurate calculation and safe administration of
medication.
4. Define the five steps of the nursing process and describe their
application to nursing practice.
5. Identify your role in professional practice in relationship to the
nursing process, legal and ethical principles, and nursing theory.
6. Demonstrate basic interpersonal and therapeutic communication
techniques.
7. Plan patient care according to information obtained from patient
history and physical assessment.
8. Define critical thinking and describe its application to nursing
practice.
9. Identify a research question and demonstrate beginning competence
in reading research reports.
10. Create a nursing care plan by integrating findings of physical
assessment, lab and diagnostic tests, and the nursing interview.
11. Define evidence-based practice and describe its application to nursing
practice.
12. Utilize electronic nursing and medical databases to obtain up-to-date
resource literature.
13. Demonstrate an understanding of pharmacological interventions as
they apply to the nursing process.
14. Demonstrate safe practice of selected professional nursing skills in
the lab setting.
Instructional Materials
Claywell, L, & Corbin, B. (2003).
LPN to RN Transitions. St. Louis: Mosby.
Polit, D, & Beck, C. (2006).
Essentials of
Nursing Research. Sixth Edition
Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Estes, M. (2005)
Clinical Companion for Health Assessment
and Physical Examination.
Clifton Park: Thomson
Lehne, R. (2007) Pharmacology for Nursing
Care. St. Louis: Saunders.
Instructional Methods:
Didactic, videos, computer lab, skills
lab, student presentations
Assessment Criteria and
Methods of Evaluation
(late work policies determined by instructor)
A: 94 – 100 pts.
B: 86 – 93 pts.
C: 80 – 85 pts.
< 80 pts. Failing
Electronic Literature review 5 pts.
4 Tests, 10 pts. each
Professional Issues paper 10 pts.
Critical Thinking 5 pts.
IV Push Med. Administration 5 pts
Quizzes 10 pts. Total
Final 25 pts.
Attendance
Students are expected to be in class. Excessive absences will be
reflected in the student’s grade and can lead to termination of the
student from class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as taking someone else’s work and
presenting it as one’s own. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade
for the assignment.
Conduct
Each student is required to conduct him or herself in a professional
manner while attending classes, externship, clinical sites and
school functions. No smoking, intoxication, stealing, vandalizing
the facility or an individual’s property, breach of dress code,
profanity, lewd or inappropriate gestures, comments or jokes
considered undesirable, insubordination to school officials, weapon
usage, the possession, distribution, or usage of drugs/alcohol.
Food, drinks and smoking will be allowed in designated areas only.
Children are not permitted in the facilities at any time.
Cell phones/pagers must be turned off and out of site during class
time.
Library/Computer Computers may be used for school assignments only. Students
have free access to LIRN and CINAHL, a computer based Library
reference system and are encouraged to use these sites.
Information from these sites are considered legitimate sources.
ADA Students
Texas County Technical Institute is committed to providing a
sound-learning environment to academically qualified students
with disabilities and to comply fully with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Disclaimer
Dates, textbooks and materials, and assignments on this syllabus
are subject to change by instructor and/or institution.
Date Syllabus Was Last Reviewed:
August, 2007
Week 1: Thursday, August 23rd.
Related Reading:
Lecture Topics
Student Handbook
Educational Philosophy and framework of
the school and nursing bridge program.
APA Handbook
Nursing Theory: Roy’s Adaptation Model.
(TCTI’s adopted theorist)
Maslow Hierarchy
Adaptation Model
video
Writing professional
papers, the APA format.
Professional practice issues paper and
Presentation
MO Nurse Practice Act
BON Report
http://www.moga.state.mo.us/STATUTES/C335.HTM
Transitioning to the Student Role
Claywell & Corbin
Chap. 1-3
Lab: orientation to the computer lab. CINAHL,
Pub med, literature searches.
Library resource
handout
Accucheck certification.
Week 2: Thursday, August 30th.
Lecture:
Becoming a Successful Student
Claywell and Corbin
Preparing for Med Calculations
ch. 4,5,6
Interviewing and health history
Estes, Chap. 2,3
Introduction to Pharmacology &
Nursing accountability
Lehne, Chap. 1-3
Math Test Review
Lab:
Dosage calculation with practice exam
Pikar Handouts
Peripheral venipuncture
Converting IV to Heparin lock, IVPB
Verbal and phone orders
Handout: Error Prone
Abbreviations/ISMP.org
Week 3: Thursday, September 6th.
Lecture:
Related Reading:
Nursing Research
Polit: Part 1
RN as Researcher
Claywell and Corbin
Chap. 14
Issues topic due
Reading research reports
Understanding the RN Role
Claywell & Corbin Chap.
7
Basic Principles of Pharmacology
Lehne Chapt. 4-8
Mental Status Exam
Estes, Chap. 19
Lab: Perform an information search on
Nursing issues topic. Procure at least 5 refs.
Computer Lab
Suctioning, NG tube insertion
Week 4: Thursday, September 13th.
Lecture
Physical assessment techniques
Estes, Chap. 8,9
General Survey and Measurements
Bates Assessment Videos
Drug Therapy Across the Life Span
Lehne Chap. 9 - 11
Overview of The Nursing Process
Claywell & Corbin
Chap. 8
First Exam
Lab
Inspection, percussion, palpation, ausculation
Estes, Chap. 8
Week 5: Thursday, September 20th.
Lecture
Critical Thinking
Claywell & Corbin Chapt. 9
Evidence-based nursing practice
Polit Chapt. 18
Reading research reports
Handout – Flintstone virus
Polit Part 2-5
Ethics
ANA Code of Ethics
Special assessments
(Cultural and spiritual)
Estes Chap. 4,5,6,7
Health history and Interview
Estes handout (ROS,
assessment form)
Lab
IV push medication administration
Take home quiz
Students obtain each other’s health
history
Week 6: Thursday, September 27th.
Lecture
Knowledge and skill acquisition
Claywell Chapt. 10
Skin, Hair & Nails, Head, Neck, Lymph
Estes, Chap. 10, 11
Drug Therapy: Peripheral Nervous System
Lehne Chap. 12 & 13
Lab
NG tube insertion
Skin, hair and nail care
Sterile dressing changes
Week 7: Thursday, October 4th.
Lecture
RN as communicator
Claywell, Chap. 11
Drug Therapy/ Central Nervous
System Drugs
Lehne Chap. 20
Eye, ear, nose, mouth and throat
Estes, Chap. 12, 13
Exam 2
Lab
Arterial punctures
Starting IV infusion
IV push medications
Handout, video
Week 8: Thursday, October 11th.
Lecture
RN as Teacher
Chapt. 12, Claywell
Drug Therapy: Antimicrobials/
Resistant Organisms
Lehne Chap. 82-86
Thorax and Lungs
Estes, Chap. 15
Abdomen
Estes, Chap. 17
Lab
Critical Thinking Exercises
Handout
Isolation Technique
Week 9: Thursday, October 18th.
Lecture
RN as Manager of Care
Claywell Chapt. 13
Drugs Affecting Fluid and
Electrolyte Balance
Lehne Chap. 40, 41
Heart and Peripheral Vascular System
Estes, Chap. 16
Lab
Stoma care: colostomy, ileostomy
Interpreting drug orders,
Understanding drug labels,
Taking verbal and phone orders
Week 10: Thursday, October 25th.
Lecture
Primary Health Care
Factors Influencing Health Promotion
Claywell Chap. 15
Healthy People 2010
handout
Musculoskeletal and Neurological
systems
Estes, Chap. 18, 19
Hemodynamic Drugs
Lehne Chap. 42
Missouri Health Care needs
Video: Remaking
Missouri Medicine
Exam 3
Lab
Tracheostomy care, suctioning, chest
Tubes
Evaluating Missouri Health needs
Computer lab: Healthy
People 2010 online
Week 11: Thursday, November 1st.
Managing care in secondary and
tertiary settings
Claywell, Chapt. 16
Breasts and female genitalia
Estes, Chap. 14, 20
Principles of chemotherapy
Lehne Chap. 100
Pain Control and laxatives
Lehne Chap. 28,29,77
Lab
PCAs and documentation
Male and female catheterization,
Straight cath, urine specimen collection,
Bladder irrigation
Handling of chemo drugs and body
Fluids
Week 12: Thursday, November 8th.
Putting it all together
Claywell, Chap. 17
Male genitalia, anus, prostate
Estes, Chap. 21,22
Blood Transfusion Reaction
Immune System
Lehne Chap. 66
Lab
Blood Transfusions
Week 13: Thursday, November 15th.
Integration of the physical exam
Estes, Chap. 25
Putting it all Together
Claywell/Corbin Chap 17
Medication calculation test
IV Nutrition
Lehne Chap 79,80
Lab
Permanent IV access acre: Hickman,
Port, pheresis cath
TPN administration
Week 14: Thursday, November 29th.
Exam 4
Professional Issue Presentation materials due
(½ class presents papers)
Return Demo Physical Assessment
Videotaped
Week 15: Thursday, December 6th.
Final Exam
Professional Issue Presentations
(Second half of class presents)
Return Demo Physical Assessment
Videotaped
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