============== WESTERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE CATALOG ==============
Revised 12/2021
Page | 132
common adverse effects, and clinically important drug-drug interactions for each of the major drug groups. Lastly,
students will relate the importance of renal and hepatic function with drug therapy, and describe the nursing
considerations related to drug therapy, including important teaching points, for each of the major drug groups.
NURS 3300 MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING I 30/0/2.0
This course provides an understanding of the nurse’s role in patient-centered care within evolving practice
environments and across the spectrum of health and illness. This course will address nursing care issues including
pain management; fluid and electrolyte balance; perioperative care; gas exchange; digestive function; renal function;
sensory and integumentary function from a physiologic, pathophysiologic, and psychosocial context. Students will
apply this knowledge through the nursing process and clinical reasoning in an acute care clinical setting as they
assume the roles of practitioner, educator, advocate, and researcher through NUR300L Medical Surgical Nursing I
Lab/Clinical which must be taken concurrently.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to discuss genetics and genomics, chronic illness, and
rehabilitation as they relate to professional nursing practice, and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of pain,
fluid and electrolyte balance, perioperative care, gas exchange, digestive, renal, sensory, and integumentary function.
Students will apply the nursing process to patients experiencing pain, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, surgery, and
disorders of gas exchange, digestion, renal, sensory, and integumentary dysfunction. Furthermore, students will be
able to discuss safe, effective nursing care for patients with pain, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, perioperative needs,
and disorders of gas exchange, digestion, renal, sensory, and integumentary dysfunction through the nursing roles of
practitioner, educator, advocate, and researcher.
NURS 3500L MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING I LAB/CLINICAL 0/120/4.0
This course emphasizes safe, effective, compassionate patient care as nursing students learn to incorporate cognitive,
technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal aspects of skill application. The skills include interventions commonly
applied to patients experiencing acute and critically acute health conditions, with an emphasis on safe intravenous
medication administration, ECG interpretation and life-saving nursing interventions. Students will apply this
knowledge through the nursing process and clinical reasoning in an acute care clinical setting as they assume the
roles of practitioner, educator, advocate, and researcher.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate nursing care in a safe manner in an instructor supervised skills laboratory and real-life patient
care settings.
• Collect subjective and objective health assessment data for adult patients in an acute care setting.
• Apply the nursing process as a method for clinical reasoning and decision making.
• Demonstrate accurate calculation and administration of medication dosages including intravenous therapy.
• Demonstrate accurate and complete documentation of patient care in the DocuCare electronic medical record.
• Demonstrate the following procedures according to best practices and evidenced based research: Medication
Administration, Skin Integrity and Wound Care, Comfort and Pain Management, Nutrition, Urinary
Elimination, Bowel Elimination, Oxygenation: suctioning, Cardiovascular, Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base
Balance, and Laboratory Specimen collection.
• Apply the nursing process to patients experiencing pain, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, surgery, and
disorders of gas exchange, digestion, renal, sensory, and integumentary dysfunction.
• Implement safe, effective nursing care for patients with pain, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, perioperative
needs, and disorders of gas exchange, digestion, renal, sensory, and integumentary dysfunction through the
nursing roles of practitioner, educator, advocate, and researcher.
• Demonstrate nursing interventions to promote basic needs including activity and exercise; patient safety;