Clinical Decision-making

1.  Apply the theories and concepts learned throughout the program to clinical situations.

2.  Utilize problem-solving approaches in recognizing and meeting patient care needs.

3.  Apply clinical judgment skills in the coordination of patient care.

4.  Implement the nursing role of coordinator of care.

5.  Integrate effective communication, research, and teaching-learning principles in coordinating patient care.

6.  Evaluate effective and non-effective nursing interventions in providing care to patients.

7.  Examine the legal, ethical, cultural, economic, and spiritual issues related to the care of patients.

Required Textbooks/Materials

Curriculum Test Code Senior 2 Level, Elsevier: ISBN: 2818390029796

Recommended Textbooks / Materials:

Additional Course Requirements:

1.         Students must maintain satisfactory health as determined by the total faculty consensus.

2.         Clinical performance, campus and/or clinical laboratory, are evaluated. Students are expected to pass both clinical and classroom components of the course. Failure in either one will constitute failure in the course. A course average of at least 74% is required to successfully complete this course.

3.         Students must maintain a current immunization record on file at the Vinson Health Clinic plus proof of a current CPR card, validated Health Insurance and paid Liability Insurance on file with the Wilson School of Nursing secretary during the entire semester. In order to attend class or clinical experiences, each student MUST comply with each of these requirements. 

4.         Four function calculators are allowed during exams. The use of programmable calculators, statistical or graphing calculators and calculators stored on personal data assistant devices are NOT allowed. In addition, sharing a calculator with another student is NOT allowed. Calculators may not make a discernable noise during use.

5.         Students are to notify the course coordinator either by phone or e-mail prior to administration of exams and the competency transcript if the student is unable to attend the administration of these assignments. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in a grade of “0” for the exam or assignment.

6.         Faculty reserve the right to make changes at anytime to this syllabus.

7.         Students will be held accountable for all communications sent by faculty via the course’s WebCT site; therefore, you will be expected to check the site for announcements, assignments, messages, etc. daily. Faculty asks that students use the discussion board or clinical group sites as a means to make a specific request, ask for content clarification, to submit clinical dates…and so forth…rather than using our school/work email addresses.

There will be no rounding of grades.

Course Content:

Weekly Quizzes:

1.         Eight weekly quizzes will be given over the semester.

2.         Weekly quizzes can only be taken during class at the time of administration. There will be no “make up” quizzes.

3.         The two lowest scores on the quizzes will be dropped and the average of the 6 highest scores will be calculated into the overall course score.

4.         Each quiz will consist of 5 dosage calculation problems and one clinical scenario problem.

5.         Weekly quizzes are to reflect the student’s individual effort, therefore collaboration will be considered academic dishonesty.

Exams:

1.         Three exams will be given over the semester. The dates for these exams are: September 20, 2010; October 1, 2010; and November 1, 2010.

2.         Missed exams can be taken on the make-up exam dates (October 15, 2010 and December 3, 2010 at 1300) providing the student adequately and appropriately notified the course coordinator prior to the administration of the exam that he/she would be absent for the exam.

3.         The exams will consist of clinical scenario problems including problems that might include dosage calculations.

4.         Textbooks and notes maybe used during these exams.

5.         Patient reviews and case studies are available through the Curriculum Test Code to prepare students for this exam.

6.         The exams will be graded using the rubric below.

7.         Exams are to reflect the student’s individual effort, therefore collaboration will be considered academic dishonesty.

Exam and Competency Transcript Grading Rubric

HESI Exam:

1.         The HESI Exit Exam will be administered three times over the semester. The dates for administration are:  September 17, 2010; October 15, 2010; and November 29, 2010.

2.         The student must score at least an 880 on the exam to successfully complete the course. If a score of 880 or higher is not obtained, the course grade for this assignment will be a zero.

3.         Two attempts are included in the cost of the Curriculum Test Code. If the student requires a third attempt, the student will need to pay an additional charge.

4.         Practice tests are available through the Curriculum Test Code for students to prepare for this exam.

5.         The highest weighted conversion score of the exam will be used in calculating the course average as described under evaluation methods.

Competency Transcript:

1.         The competency transcript will be administered on November 22, 2010.

2.         The transcript will be graded using the exam rubric.

3.         The competency transcript consists of 13 clinical scenarios.

4.         Textbooks and notes maybe used during this assignment.

5.         Missed assignment can be taken on the make-up exam date (December 3, 2010 at 1300) providing the student adequately and appropriately notified the course coordinator prior to the administration of the assignment that he/she would be absent for the assignment.

6.         The competency transcript is to reflect the student’s individual effort, therefore collaboration will be considered academic dishonesty.

Clinical Content

1.         Each student will be required to complete 60 clinical hours with a preceptor, 12 clinical hours in the simulation lab, 6 clinical orientation hours and 12 hours completing two clinical assignments.

2.         12 hours of precepted clinical experience must be completed by September 28, 2010, 36 hours must be completed by October 26, 2010 and 60 hours must be completed by November 23, 2010.

3.         The student is to work with the preceptor(s) to develop a clinical schedule. That schedule is to be submitted to the Clinical Instructor and written approval received from the Clinical Instructor prior to the student attending any clinical experiences. Failure to receive written approval for the experience will result in rejection of the clinical hours completed. If any changes need to be made to the submitted schedule, the student is to notify the Clinical Instructor in advance of the change being made and receive written approval. If a student must miss a scheduled clinical, then the student is responsible for notifying the preceptor and the Clinical Instructor prior to the scheduled experience.

4.         The student is to complete a Student Clinical Assignment by October 4, 2010 and by November 29, 2010. This assignment is located on WebCT under the Assignment tab. A faculty member will grade the assignment using the rubric posted on WebCT. The completed assignment serves as the student’s mid-term and end-of-course clinical evaluations.

5.         The student is to complete an evaluation of the preceptor using the Assessment Function in WebCT by November 29, 2010.

6.         Clinical instructors will periodically visit the student and his/her preceptor.

Clinical Simulation Lab

1.         Students will complete three clinical simulations at the Regional Simulation Center for a total of 10 hours plus 2 hours for preparation for the first simulation experience.

2.         Students will sign up for three separate visits to the simulation center.

3.         Students will complete assigned readings for the first experience and two clinical hours will be awarded for this assignment.

4.         Students are expected to bring equipment needed to provide patient care and to have the resources they would normally use during a clinical experience.      

5.         Students who are late to the simulation lab will be considered absent. Absences may be rescheduled depending on space availability. If it is not possible to reschedule a simulation experience, the student may elect to complete additional patient care experiences to obtain clinical hours.

Clinical Failure:

1.         Clinical failures are awarded students who fail to meet the objectives of the clinical experience, students who fail to uphold the ANA Practice Standards and the ANA Code of ethics, students who fail to maintain patient safety, and students who fail to complete all of their clinical hours.

2.         Scoring a “0” on any component of the Student Clinical Assignment will constitute clinical failure. If a “0” is scored on any component on the mid-semester submission of the Student Clinical Assignment, the student may improve for the final submission (except if committed sufficient clinical infractions to warrant clinical failure). If a “0” is scored on any component of on the final submission, the student fails the clinical component of the course.

3.         Each student will receive a mid-term and final clinical evaluation of the student’s performance using the Student Clinical Assignment posted on WebCT.

Infractions constituting clinical failure:

STUDENTS ARE NOT TO ADMINISTER MEDICATIONS UNLESS DIRECTLY SUPERVISED BY A FACULTY MEMBER OR PRECEPTOR

Failure of the clinical component of the course occurs when the student receives an unsatisfactory rating in any area of the evaluation tool or does not complete 90 hours of clinical. Absences will be rescheduled at the discretion of the course coordinator. 

Certain behaviors result in an unsatisfactory rating in the professional behavior section of the evaluation rubric.

Three incidents of infractions to the standard of professional behavior to include but not limited to:

• Arriving to a clinical experience without completing the pre-clinical assignment even if allowed to stay in the clinical
• Not conforming to the dress code even if allowed to stay in the clinical
• Not bringing appropriate supplies to the clinical experience even if allowed to stay in the clinical
• Unprofessional/inappropriate language or gestures
• Unprofessional/inappropriate behavior such as disrespectful behavior, chewing gum, using tobacco products in non-smoking areas, disruptive behavior, or failure to comply with a written or verbal instruction including reminders to update immunizations and other clinical requirements
• Arriving late to any clinical site even if allowed to stay in the clinical
• Non-compliance with the policy to notify the instructor and the agency of a clinical absence prior to the absence or as soon as possible if immediate notification is not possible
• Leaving the premises without permission from the clinical instructor
• Failure to complete assignments by the due dates
• Failure to return from meals or breaks at the assigned time
• Falsification, omissions, and/or lying about a non-patient care situation
• Use of a cell phone for calling, texting, e-mailing or receiving calls, texts or e-mails in the clinical area unless given permission by the clinical instructor

Two incidents of infractions to the standard of professional behavior to include but not limited to:

• Disregarding patient confidentiality without malice or intent to disclose
• Patient negligence that does not result in patient injury
• An error in care that does not harm a patient
• Committing two infractions from the list above as well as one in this list

Infractions to the standard of professional behavior that results in immediate failure of the clinical component of the course to include by not limited to:

• Administering medications without the direct supervision of a faculty member or preceptor
• Failing to check two patient identifiers prior to administering medications.
• The smell of alcohol on the breath
• Testing positive for illicit drugs or alcohol
• An error in care or patient negligence that harms a patient
• Falsification, omissions, and/or lying about a patient care situation
• Intentionally revealing confidential information
• Placing self, staff or patient at risk of harm due to abandonment of duties and/or sleeping during clinical experiences
• Cheating, collusion, plagiarism, or stealing. Cheating/collusion/plagiarism – cheating means intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work offered for credit; plagiarism means intentionally representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.
• Performing in an unsafe manner.
• Failure to report a patient care error or incident.
• Physical or verbal abuse of patients, patient’s family members, faculty or staff