VNRS 150: Fundamentals of Nursing

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Winter 2021
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Prerequisite: NRS 100.
Corequisite: VNRS 151L and current admission to the Vocational Nursing program.
Transferable to CSU: No
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course presents the evolution of nursing through history until the present time, defines the paradigm of health and illness, explores the issues of culture and ethnicity, and examines the nurse-client relationship. The course presents a wide variety of basic nursing procedures used in the practice of vocational nursing, including how to do the procedure, as well as why and when these procedures should be done. The course presents special tools of nursing: the nursing diagnosis and the nursing process, which are used to provide individualized care to clients. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • demonstrate knowledge of fundamental nursing skills.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the nursing process for planning individualized care for clients.
  • define safe, ethical and legal principles of basic nursing in compliance with the Nurse Practice Act.
  • demonstrate knowledge of effective verbal and written communication.
  • demonstrate understanding of the role of vocational nursing in society.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the impact of culture, ethnicity, gender, and age on caring for the individual client.
  • demonstrate the ability to correctly perform physical assessments on clients.

Major Course Content

  1. Introduction to Nursing
    1. Nursing Foundations 
    2. Nursing Process
    3. Health and illness
    4. Documentation 
  2. Nursing Basics
    1. Asepsis
    2. Admissions, Discharge, Transfer and Referrals
    3. Physical assessment
    4. Specimen collection
    5. Hygiene  
    6. Safety-Restraints
    7. Comfort, Rest & Sleep/Bed-making
    8. Infection control
    9. Specimen Collection/exams & procedures
    10. Body Mechanics/Positioning/Range of motion
    11. Transfer/ambulation
  3. Clinical Skills and Care
    1. Nutrition
    2. Fluid balance-Intake & output
    3. Oxygen administration
    4. Mechanical immobilization
    5. Wound care
    6. Urinary elimination   
    7. Bowel elimination-enemas

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Nursing periodicals, online nursing forums, nursing diagnosis guides

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

When assigned, write a summary about the articles that were read about the influences of culture and ethnicity on the healthcare environment or regarding the use of the nursing process in providing patient care.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Read articles regarding the influences of culture and ethnicity on the healthcare environment. Read about the use of the nursing process.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture