Description: Lecture, three hours; clinical, three hours. Corequisite: course 254B. Examination of nursing assessment and management of common health problems of adults. Theory content in basic assessment, health history, and diagnostic reasoning for selected health problems, with emphasis on social, cultural, and developmental influences. Integration of basic knowledge of pathophysiology, stress and adaptation, adult development theory, therapeutic interventions, and communication concepts as applied to care of medical and surgical patients and their families across adult lifespan. Introduction to concept of nurses as bedside scientists, with emphasis on critical and contextual thinking skills and diagnostic reasoning. Nursing process, ethical principles, clinical research, evidence-based practice, and clinical thinking that maximize patient safety and quality care employed during clinical experiences. Diagnosis and management of healthcare problems managed by master's-level clinical nurses in acute care settings. Letter grading.

Units: 4.0