Nursing
(413) 662-5031
www.mcla.edu/nurs
Chairperson: Nicole Porther Ph.D.
Email: nicole.porther@mcla.edu
(413)-662-5591
Program Director: Elizabeth Fiscella DNP, APRN, GCNS, CNE.
Email: Elizabeth.Fiscella@mcla.edu
MCLA’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program integrates a strong liberal arts foundation to prepare graduates for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). A variety of clinical practice experiences are infused throughout the curriculum from newborn care to geriatric care with an emphasis on developing skills in critical decision-making, exercising independent nursing judgements as well as the importance of collaboration within the healthcare team as a professional registered nurse.
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing major students will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
- Patient-Centered Care: Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
- Safety: Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance.
- Evidence-Based Practice: Integrate best current evidence, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspectives, and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal healthcare
- Informatics and Technology: Demonstrate skills in using patient care technologies, information systems, and communication devices that support safe, effective nursing practice.
- Teamwork and Collaboration: Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
- Quality Improvement: Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of healthcare systems.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is rooted in the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses QSEN Competencies, the End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes (EoPSLOs) will prepare future nurses who have the knowledge, attitudes and skills (KASs) necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work.
Nursing Courses
NURS 200 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice3 cr
Introduces the student to the major concepts and ideas forming the context of contemporary professional nursing practice including professional standards of practice and development of professional behaviors. The evolution of nursing, nursing practice, and nursing theory is explored. This course is intended to help students develop a beginning personal philosophy of nursing as well as a foundation for quality and safety in professional nursing practice.
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Nursing Program
NURS 201 Adult Physical Assessment4 cr
Explores the concept of health and patient-centered assessment, integrating the essentials of communication, professionalism, safety, quality care, and evidence-based practice. The student will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to perform a health assessment within the context of the nursing process. The laboratory focus is on the performance of assessment skills through data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Required Laboratory.
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Nursing Program
Corequisite: NURS 201L, NURS 202, NURS 202L, NURS 202C
NURS 202 Fundamentals of Nursing5 cr
Focuses on the acquisition of the basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for providing safe, patient-centered nursing care. Emphasis is on the nursing process, functional health patterns, communication strategies, clinical reasoning and decision making, and professional role development. The clinical focus is on the beginning application of nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice interventions in the laboratory setting and with selected patients in clinical settings. Required Laboratory. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Nursing Program
Corequisite: NURS 202L, NURS 202C
NURS 210 Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I3 cr
Introduces basic concepts and principles of pathophysiology and pharmacology. Students will study the science of pharmacology to develop an understanding of medications and their interactions in human disease and the mechanisms that govern them. Students will examine the pathophysiological and pharmacological phenomena that produce alterations in human physiology and the resulting human response to pharmaco-therapeutic interventions. Topics are arranged by major body system.
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Nursing Program
NURS 211 Medical Dosage Calculations1 cr
Builds upon the student's basic math skills to calculate safe medication dosages, convert measurement systems, select appropriate dosage calculation tools for medication administration, and determine the parameters for safe medication administration. This course is intended to prepare the student nurse for safe, patient centered administration of medications, and accurate documenting in both traditional and electronic records.
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Nursing Program
NURS 301 Nursing Care of the Adult and Older Adult I6 cr
Focuses on the beginning clinical reasoning for common health problems of the adult and older adult building on prior knowledge and skills gained in NURS 201 and NURS 202. The roles and responsibilities of the nurse in the acute care setting in relationship to safety, quality, legal and ethical issues will be discussed. Evidence-based practice and standards of care are integrated in course content, laboratory exercises and clinical experiences. Required Laboratory. Required Clinical.
Corequisite: NURS 301L, NURS 301C
NURS 302 Nursing Care of the Adult and Older Adult II6 cr
Builds on prior knowledge and skills gained in NURS 301 Nursing Care of the Adult and Older Adult I. Evidence-based practice and standards of care are integrated in course content, laboratory exercises and clinical experiences with exposure to a diverse patient population experiencing varying levels of wellbeing. The roles and responsibilities of the nurse in the acute care setting in relationship to safety, collaboration, discharge planning, and health education will be discussed. Required Laboratory. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS 301 with a minimum grade of C
Corequisite: NURS 302L, NURS 302C
NURS 303 Mental Health Nursing4 cr
Focuses on nursing care of individuals, families, and/or groups when mental health alterations exist. Specific psychiatric diagnoses are examined including but not limited to the following: anxiety/depressive disorders, substance related disorders, suicidal behaviors, and dissociative disorders. Current trends in mental health nursing are explored in course content and clinical experiences. The professional role is expanded through the development of skills as a nurse counselor. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS 301 with a minimum grade of C
Corequisite: NURS 303C
NURS 304 Nursing Care of Children and Families4 cr
Explores family and developmental theories and pediatric practice in didactic and clinical experiences. Communication, health history, growth and development, social and cultural influences of the pediatric client are explored. Applying concepts enable students to provide anticipatory guidance and empowerment of parenting. Leadership skills are demonstrated in the clinical setting through participation within the healthcare team for the purpose of meeting the patient and family needs. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS 301 with a minimum grade of C
Corequisite: NURS 304C
NURS 305 Maternal-Newborn Nursing4 cr
Focuses on developing the skills necessary to provide safe, quality-driven care to the childbearing family. A major focus will be the healthy and at-risk mother and baby within the context of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum/neonatal periods. Evidence-based practice is emphasized in the theoretical and clinical components of this course. Concepts related to perinatal physiology, genetics, psychological and developmental theories as well as cultural awareness are explored. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS 301 with a minimum grade of C
Corequisite: NURS 305C
NURS 310 Pathophysiology/Pharmacology II3 cr
Builds on NURS 210, with the introduction of further advanced concepts and principles of pathophysiology and pharmacology. Students will develop a deeper understanding of medications and their interactions in human disease and mechanisms that govern them. Students will continue to examine the pathophysiological and pharmacological phenomena that produce alterations in human physiology and the resulting human response to pharmacotherapeutic intervention. Topics are arranged by major body system.
Prerequisite: NURS 210 with a minimum grade of C
NURS 400 Nursing Research3 cr
Introduces the student to the quantitative and qualitative research process in nursing and examines the relationship between nursing theory, research, and practice. The foundation for how to conduct, interpret, critique, and apply nursing research findings into clinical practice is emphasized. This course familiarizes the student with the concept of evidence-based practice and the use of research-based findings for the purpose of informing decisions about care delivery.
Prerequisite: Senior status
NURS 401 Population-Based (Community) Health Nursing4 cr
Focuses on the assessment and identification of a priority public health need for a focused population. Working in communities, students will apply public health principles of epidemiological investigation, assessment of social and environmental influences on health and identification of societal resources. By partnering with individuals, families, and communities in activities to improve health and avoid illness, students will appreciate the nursing leadership needed for a healthier society. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS major, senior status
Corequisite: NURS 401C
NURS 402 Nursing Leadership and Management of Care5 cr
Explores leadership and management theories that facilitate entry-level nursing graduates to become leaders at the bedside, among inter-professional groups, and in the community. Classroom and clinical experiences are designed to build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for visionary leadership. Emphasis is placed on the role of the professional nurse in promoting safe, cost-effective care in a rapidly and radically changing healthcare environment. Required Clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS major, senior status
Corequisite: NURS 402C
NURS 410 Senior Seminar: Trends in Nursing2 cr
Promotes synthesis of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education's Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Competencies. A primary focus of this seminar is to solidify knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for the role transition from student to professional nurse. Emphasis will be placed on how nurses impact quality patient outcomes through inter-professional collaboration, evidence-based practice, safety and informatics.
Prerequisite: NURS major, senior status
NURS 411 Preparation for Professional Licensure2 cr
Assists in preparing the senior nursing student for success in the profession, including the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). It includes history of the NCLEX-RN, current test plan, skills in reading and understanding standardized test item formats, and techniques to maximize self-confidence and improve test performance.
Prerequisite: NURS major, senior status