Clinical - Nursing Concepts I Syllabus for 2025-2026
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Instructor Information

Course Information

AI Statement

Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Reporting

Amarillo College prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, under Title IX and Texas Education Code §51.253–255. Faculty and staff are mandatory reporters and must share any related concerns with the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@actx.edu. Reports and additional information are available at https://www.actx.edu/hr/title-ixtitle-ix. Confidential counseling and advocacy services are available through the Counseling Center and Advocacy & Resource Center.

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

RNSG-1161-001 Clinical - Nursing Concepts I

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, ENGL 1301, EDUC 1100, HITT 1205 Pre or Co-req: Any SPCH course Corequisites: RNSG 1216, RNSG 1128, RNSG 1430, RNSG 1201

Course Description

A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills, and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional.  

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(1 sem hr; 3 clinical hrs)

Class Type

Clinical

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Swearingens's: All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource, Snyder, J.; Sump, C. Elsevier. 6th Ed. 2023. (ISBN: 9780323825368) 

2025 Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses, Vallerand & Sanoski. F.A. Davis. 19th Edition; 2025. (ISBN-13: 978-1-7196-5003-8)

Supplies

Royal Blue scrubs (see student handbook for uniform requirements), name badge, Stethoscope, penlight, goggles, trauma sheers, pen, small notepad, a watch with a third hand (no smartwatches allowed), Computer/Mobile Device (Laptop).

Student Performance

Member of the Profession

1: Practice Within Legal and Ethical Frameworks

The student will demonstrate professional nursing behavior by practicing within legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks. This includes adhering to professional standards, applying relevant policies and laws, engaging in ethical decision-making, and demonstrating safe, accountable conduct in the care of adult patients. The student will communicate effectively using the appropriate language of the nursing profession while demonstrating respect for political, economic, environmental, and social systems influencing healthcare.

• Evaluation Methods:
  • Case study analysis of ethical dilemmas
  • Clinical performance evaluation using rubric
  • Simulation-based assessments with legal/ethical focus

Provider of Patient-Centered Care

 2: Apply Clinical Reasoning and a Systematic Process in Patient-Centered Care

The student will apply a systematic nursing process and clinical reasoning skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care for adult patients. This includes addressing health promotion, maintenance, and restoration needs across the developmental lifespan while recognizing the psychosocial, cultural, and individual needs of patients and families.

• Evaluation Methods:
  • Clinical care plans/concept maps
  • Patient teaching projects
  • Faculty observation and feedback in clinical settings

Patient Safety Advocate

3: Ensure Patient Safety Using Evidence-Based Practices

The student will apply current, evidence-based data to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered care. This includes identifying potential risks, adhering to safety standards, and utilizing healthcare technologies effectively while meeting governmental and organizational guidelines for adult patient care.

• Evaluation Methods:
  • Quality and safety improvement project
  • Use of EHR in simulation

Member of the Healthcare Team

 4: Collaborate to Provide Holistic, Interdisciplinary Care

The student will collaborate with patients, families, and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to plan and provide holistic, compassionate care to adult patients. The student will utilize community resources, demonstrate effective communication, and function within the professional nursing role in various care settings.

• Evaluation Methods:
  • Communication role-play scenarios
  • Community resource mapping assignment
  • Clinical performance and teamwork evaluations

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Students are full partners in fostering a clinical environment which is conducive to learning. In order to assure that all students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in clinical, unless otherwise approved by the instructor; students are prohibited from engaging in any form of behavior that detracts from the learning experience of fellow students.
Inappropriate behavior in the clinical may result in a request for the offending student to leave clinical and a clinical warning issued.
A.D.N. Student Handbook “Professional Conduct”
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, not only in interaction with patients,
but also with peers, faculty, and staff. Students represent the nursing profession and thus assume specific responsibilities toward society, which are delineated in the Code of Ethics for Nurses, American Nurses Association (ANA), 2015. The provisions of the code and their interpretation provide guidance for nursing student behavior in relation to carrying out nursing responsibilities within the framework of ethical decision-making.

See Student Handbook and Course Syllabus about Clinical Warnings.

Grading Criteria

GRADING CRITERIA:
A=90-100 B=80-89 C=75-79 D=60-74 F=Below 60
Grades will be posted on the AC Online grade book.
Rounding of Grades:
The final course average will be rounded to the tenth place. For example, a course average of 79.50% would be rounded to a letter
grade of B. Additional examples of final course averages rounded to the tenth place include:
• 74.62% will be rounded to a letter grade of C
• 74.38% will be rounded to a letter grade of D
• 79.77% will be rounded to a letter grade of B
• 79.499% will be rounded to a letter grade of C
• 89.87% will be rounded to a letter grade of A
• 89.478% will be rounded to a letter grade of B
There will be no rounding of individual assignments, quiz, or examination scores earned during a semester. This includes all
didactic (classroom and online) and clinical scores as well as Evolve Specialty Exam, ATI Specialty Exam scores. For example,
a 79.50% Module exam score will not be rounded to a letter grade of B and a Module Exam score of 79.499% will not be
rounded to 79%.

Nursing I: Clinical grades will be determined by:
1. Clinical Performance Evaluation of Competencies (CPEC)- 100% of clinical grade
The following clinical components are mandatory; they are embedded within the CPEC scoring:
• Weekly Clinical Assignments
• Physical Assessment
• Medication Administration
• Safety Project
• Clinical Performance

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students must complete 100% of all required clinical hours.

Calendar

Additional Information

Clinical Calendar and assignments subject to change

Syllabus subject to change

Academic Grievances

A student who has a grievance concerning an academic course in which he or she is enrolled should make an appeal in the following order to the:

1)     Instructor: Annette Watts 356-3692

3)     Program Director: Kerrie Young: 467-3002

4)     Dean/Division Committee: Kim Crowley 354-6087

5) Associate VP of Academic Affairs:  Becky Burton 371-5122

6)   VP of Academic Affairs:  Dr. Frank Sobey 345-5518 

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