Overview

NURS 250 explores professional nursing practice focusing on levels of practitioners, their roles, responsibilities and positions within the health care system as determined by standards of practice and professional competencies. The course is intended to assist the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in transition to Registered Nurse (RN) roles, including population health, primary health care, and health promotion. It is recognized that the LPN has a sound practice orientation and comes from a profession with its own standards of practice, code of ethics, and continuing competency program. The course builds on the professional attributes of the LPN in preparing the LPN to assume the role of the RN.

Objectives

This course is designed to assist the LPN to acquire the introductory knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgments required to prepare for a new role of Registered Nurse in the health care system. At the completion of NURS 250 the LPN will:

• Understand and apply the concepts of role transition and change process to their own journey from LPN to RN roles and responsibilities.
• Identify the effect of significant historical events on the development of nursing.
• Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of LPN, RN and RPN in the health care system of Alberta.
• Describe the ethical and legal foundations for professional nursing practice as outlined in the code of ethics, professional competencies and the standards of practice.
• Articulate the role changes of the professional nurse as the focus of care shifts from the individual to families, groups, and communities.
• Articulate the role changes of the professional nurse as the focus changes from illness to health promotion.
• Discuss the influence and effect of societal and political changes on the role of the RN.
• Examine the effect of personal values, beliefs, and assumptions on the development of one’s own professional identity and self-concept as an RN.

Outline

Evaluation

To receive credit for NURS 250, you must complete all of the required assignments including a comprehensive final exam and achieve an overall composite grade of at least
a “C-” (60 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, J. (2002). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Other materials

The course materials also include an online study guide and a selection of online readings.