RNRS 200: Role Transitions: LVN to RN

• Examine and distinguish between the various educational routes and duties of the nursing assistant, the LVN, and the RN through classroom discussion, written assignments, and exams in order to have an understanding of the responsibilities and competencies of each nursing level.
• Compare and contrast the competencies expected by the state’s legal standards, as reflected in clinical judgment assignments, nursing care plans, concept maps, class discussions, and exams so that the student is able to delineate the unique responsibilities of the RN professional role.
• Demonstrate through written assignments, simulation, clinical judgment assignments, nursing care plans, and exams, the processes employed in critical thinking to improve critical thinking and analytical thinking while using clinical judgment and the nursing process to care for clients.
• Describe major communication techniques which both facilitate and block communication, including cultural factors, through role play, exams, and nursing care plans, so that the student can effectively revise care plans to be individualized according to clients’ needs.

1. Transitioning to the Registered Nurse (RN) Role 
   1. Elements of Transition
   2. Role transition - Role socialization and role elements
   3. Difference between LVN and RN roles
   4. Professional socialization
   5. Educational pathways and expanded roles of an RN
2. Competencies and roles of Registered Nurse
   1. Competencies of a Registered Nurse
   2. Role elements of a Registered Nurse
3. Therapeutic Communication 
   1. Elements of communication
   2. Types of communication 
   3. Therapeutic communication facilitator and barriers
   4. Therapeutic communication techniques
   5. Nursing process and therapeutic communication 
4. Nursing Theories and Models
   1. Nursing theories
   2. Nursing model
   3. Conceptual framework
   4. Citrus College ADN philosophy and conceptual framework
5. The Nursing Process and the Clinical Judgment Model
   1. Assessment / Recognize and Analyze Cues
   2. Nursing Diagnosis / Prioritize Hypothesis
   3. Outcomes and planning / Generate Solutions
   4. Implementation / Take Actions
   5. Evaluation / Evaluate Outcomes
6. Critical Thinking 

      a. Critical thinking and reasoning

      b. Elements of reasoning

      c. Attributes of the critical thinker

      d. Critical thinking and evidenced based practice

Health History and Physical Assessment

1. Interview and health history
   1. Components of health history
   2. Techniques of collecting health history
2. Physical Assessment
   1. Components of physical assessment
   2. Principles of physical assessment
   3. Techniques of performing physical assessment
   4. Physical assessment sequence- head to toe / system bases
3. Pharmacology review and drug dosage calculation
   1. Systems of measurement
   2. Dosage calculation
   3. Pharmacokietics and pharmacodynamics of drugs
   4. Nursing interventions related to different drug classification
   5. Nursing process and drug administration
   6. Patient teaching and drug administration
4. Legal/Ethical Concerns
   1. Ethics
   2. Universal principles of ethics
   3. Ethical dilemma
   4. Legal issues: Assault, battery, malpractice, negligence
   5. Mandatory reporting

Under the supervision of the clinical instructor, the student will demonstrate the following skills safely and competently :

1. Perform a complete head to toe physical assessment
2. Collect complete health history utilizing the principles of therapeutic communication
3. Demonstrate basic nursing skills
4. Perform the following skills
   1. Insertion and discontinuing (D/C) of nasogastric tube (NGT)
   2. Insertion and D/C of Foley Catheter
   3. Tracheostomy care
   4. Suctioning techniques for nasal, oral and tracheostomy routes)
5. Demonstrate preparation, administration, and documentation of medications for all routes.