NUR 2000 in the General Education Curriculum
This is not a syllabus template.
Because the Nursing program uses standardized syllabi maintained by the course
coordinator for all courses, the general education common core syllabus template is not
used for NUR courses. You should use the syllabus provided by your course coordinator
that will include the required general education information. (If it does not, please call
this to the attention of the course coordinator). This document will help to explain why
the nursing faculty choose this particular course to be part of the general education
program and placed in this category.
NUR 2000 partially fulfills the general education requirement for Values and Choices A
Ethical Inquiry. Students will also address this requirement when they take NUR 3900.
Here is the general description of a Values and Choices A course
In the ethical inquiry category students explore different systems or models of ethical decision
making and apply them to specific cases.
Here is the description of NUR 2000:
NUR 2000 Introduction to Professional Nursing
This course is designed to facilitate the student’s understanding of the professional nurse’s
behavior and role as influenced and/or governed by individual, societal and cultural values;
professional ethical codes; and state and federal laws and regulations. The course examines
current issues impacting the practice of professional nursing and develops beginning fluency in
medical terminology. Ethical, leadership, legal, and political knowledge and skills are introduced
as critical issues affecting health care systems and professional nursing practice in contemporary
society. Students will explore the major health care challenges and controversies of today in
light of the history of nursing care and health care delivery; the moral, ethical and legal
parameters of nursing practice; and, the political, economic, social and technological issues
affecting the delivery of health care. Students are expected to develop professional behaviors
necessary to the nursing profession and to demonstrate beginning understanding of the
concepts of advocacy, leadership, ethical discourse, and political action, as well as developing
writing skills using correct medical terminology and APA style
Here are the general education outcomes addressed by this course together with an explanation
of how the course addresses these outcomes as provided by the nursing faculty who proposed
this course for general education credit.
This course, in combination with NUR 3900, meets the University General Education
requirement for Values and Choices A by meeting the following objectives:
Students will compare, contrast and apply various philosophical models of individual
ethics and of collective social ethics [V&C 1].
Students’ individual values and choices, using the cognitive behavioral and other models, are
compared to societal expectations, cultural differences and nursing ethics, nursing social policy
statement, scope of practice statements and other professional requirements for behavior and
accountability.
Students will articulate various ethical and moral questions and explore their own
system of values through examination and analysis of examples drawn from history,
literature, popular culture, or current events and controversies. [V&C 6].
Course readings, class discussion and activities and the Ethics Case Study involve students in
addressing this outcome. A specific example of a controversial case study would be the Terry
Schiavo Case. Cultural differences regarding health care beliefs is another topic of discussion in
the course as it is a frequent source of conflict in health care settings. The meaning of culturally
competent care is also explored.
Students will apply their understanding of ethical systems and models to develop and
demonstrate a conscious value system as individuals, students, professionals and
citizens [V&C 7].
NUR 2000 was designed to begin the students’ socialization process into the use of nursing
professional ethics as a framework for personal and professional behaviors and decision making.
Students’ individual values and choices, using the cognitive behavioral and other models, are
compared to societal expectations, cultural differences and nursing ethics, nursing social policy
statement, scope of practice statements and other professional requirements for behavior and
accountability. The Political Action Project and Paper especially involves students in addressing
this outcome.
Students will understand a range of meanings for concepts associated with individual and social
ethics such as rights and responsibilities, justice and impartiality, citizenship and social
responsibility [V&C 8].
All assigned readings (with the exception of APA format and Medical Terminology) are directly
related to objectives addressing examination and comparison of individual, societal
values/ethics and professional nursing ethics, behaviors and decision making. Nurses’ Social
Policy, Code of Ethics, and a variety of other principles e.g., beneficence, non malfeasance,
justice, objectivity, veracity, fidelity, are introduced.