Concepts of Clinical Decision Making II Syllabus for 2023-2024
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Recording Policy

Disability Statement

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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-1248-002 Concepts of Clinical Decision Making II

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: RNSG 1247, RNSG 1151 and RNSG 2101 Corequisite: RNSG 2261

Course Description

Integration of previous knowledge and skills into the continued development of the professional nurse as a provider of patient-centered care, patient safety advocate, member of health care team and member of the profession. Emphasis on clinical decision-making for clients in medical-surgical settings experiencing health problems involving gastrointestinal disorders, endocrine and metabolic disorders, reproductive and sexual disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, eye-ear-nose-throat disorders and integumentary disorders. Discussion of knowledge, judgment, skills and professional values within a legal/ethical framework. This course lends itself to a blocked approach.

Student ResourcesStudent 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

(2 sem hrs; 2 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Required Textbooks and Online Resources:

1. Harding, M., Kwong, J., Roberts, D., Hagler, D., & Reinisch, C. (2020). Lewis’s medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (11th ed.). Elsevier, Inc.

Supplies

Required Supplies:

1. Course Syllabus 
2. Required textbooks and online resources as outlined under the textbook section of the syllabus.
3. Course manual (located in the blackboard course).
4. Full operating system portable electronic device/computer that meets the computer requirements outlined below.
5. Reliable internet access to use on-campus during class time for course activities, assignments, and studying (AC guest WiFi).
6. Reliable internet access to use off-campus outside of class time for course activities, assignments, and studying.

Computer Requirements:

Clinical requirement- Mobile Device with Webcam, Maximum size 10 inch
System Requirements	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	Windows 7, 8, or 10 Mac OSX 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, or 10.9	Windows 10 Mac OSX 10.7, 10.8, or 10.9
Processor	1 GHz processor	2 GHz or faster processor
Memory	2 GB of RAM	4 GB of RAM or higher
Monitor Resolution	1024 x 768	1024 x 768 or higher
Free Hard Disk Space	32 GB of free disk space	64 GB or higher of free space
Internet Connection	Broadband (high-speed) Internet connection with a consistent minimum speed of 1.5 Mbps.	Broadband (high-speed) Internet connection with a speed of 4 Mbps or higher
Internet Browser**	Respondus Lockdown Browser and IE8, IE9, Safari 4+, Chrome or Firefox	Respondus Lockdown Browser and Firefox
Java	Java is required to use Blackboard. Download Java.
Macromedia Flash Player	Flash is required to play videos within the Blackboard system. Download Flash

Student Performance

Student Performance:

The student will utilize critical thinking and a systematic problem-solving process as a framework for providing care for patients in structured healthcare settings, and integrate the roles of the associate degree nursing student in the provision of care for patients and families.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

MEMBER OF THE PROFESSION:

1. Discuss an ethical-legal framework in accordance with the regulation and applicable legal scope of practice professional standards and requirements in caring for adults with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
2. Describe own personal accountability, professional responsibility, and professional development in the role of the advanced medical-surgical nurse.
3. Identify activities that promote the development and practice of professional nursing and nursing competence in holistic care as an advanced medical-surgical nurse.

PROVIDER OF PATIENT-CENTERED CARE:

4. Summarize the role of the professional nurse in the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health of adult patient with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
5. Utilize a systematic process and clinical reasoning to plan comprehensive, holistic patient-centered care for adult patient with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
6. Explain nursing concepts specific to meeting unique psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual needs of adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
7. Outline the principles of health teaching in the care of adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
8. Identify basic nursing and advanced nursing skills used in the care of culturally diverse adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
9. Discuss compassionate behaviors and appropriate communication skills used in the care of diverse adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems. 
10. Identify community resources in meeting the needs of adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.

PATIENT SAFETY ADVOCATE:

11. Analyze evidence-based practice data with patient-centered data to promote safety and quality in care of the advanced medical-surgical patient.
12. Identify governmental and organizational requirements and professional standards and requirements to patient safety situations on medical-surgical units.

MEMBER OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM:

13. Describe strategies to effectively identify the role of the professional nurse and work with other disciplines to provide holistic patient-centered care to adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
14. Discuss appropriate communication skills with other health care team members in writing, verbally, non-verbally, and electronically in the care of adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
15. Evaluate information systems and technology in the efficient management of holistic patient-centered care for adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.
16. Discuss the role of the professional nurse in relation to other health care team members.
17. Summarize the professional nursing role within the health care team during local and global health emergencies in the provision of care to adult patients with advanced medical-surgical health problems.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student 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

Expected Student Behavior:

1. Students are full partners in fostering a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.  Students are expected to participate in the in-class activities.  To assure that all students can gain from time spent in class 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 classroom may result in a request from the offending student to leave the class.
2. See the A.D.N. Student Handbook, Professional Conduct, ANA Code of Ethics, and Amarillo College Student Rights and Responsibilities. 
3. Students have signed many contracts that are in the Student Handbook.  One of these policies is the two-strike policy which states:  A student is ineligible to continue in the program when they have two or more course failures.  A course failure means a grade of "D" or "F" and when a student withdrawals (drops) from a course.
4. Students will have outside-of-class time assignments and studying that will need to be completed prior to the next scheduled class.
5. Students will have online assignments on test days that must be completed prior to the next scheduled class.  

Grading Criteria

Grading Schema:

• A = 90 - 100
• B = 80 - 89
• C = 75 - 79
• D = 60 - 74
• F = below 60  

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 80%. Additional examples of final course averages rounded to the tenth place include:  

• 74.62% will be rounded to 75%, letter grade of C 
• 74.38% will be rounded to 74%, letter grade of D 
• 79.77% will be rounded to 80%, letter grade of B 
• 79.499% will be rounded to 79%, letter grade of C 
• 89.87% will be rounded to 90%, letter grade of A 
• 89.478% will be rounded to 89%, letter grade of B 

There will be no rounding of individual assignment, 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 80% and a Module Exam score of 79.499% will not be rounded to 79%. 

Course Average Weights:

The following criteria will be used to determine the course grade:

• Four Module/Major Examinations = 75% of the course grade.
• Evolve Specialty Exam = 5%  
• Tickets to Class = 3% 
• Evolve Case Studies/Patient Reviews = 2% 
• Final Exam = 15%

*Mandatory Tutoring for Failed Exams are as follows:

• If a student scores less than 75% on a module/major examination, the student will be required to attend mandatory tutoring.
• If a student fails to attend tutoring, the student will not be allowed to take the next exam, which will result in a zero.

 *Remediation Hours for Evolve Specialty Exam are required as follows:

• All students must access the provided remediation through HESI Assessment Next Generation after the course HESI specialty exam.  Students should review the information in their packets and then complete any assigned case studies.  remediation is complete once the student has reviewed the specific number of packets, assigned case studies, and fulfilled the time requirements based on their individual score.  Remediation must be completed by the due date listed on the course calendar.  

Score	Minimal Number of Packets	Remediation Time
900 or higher	2	1 hour
899-850	4	2 hours
849-800	6	3 hours
799-750	8	4 hours
749-700	10	5 hours
699 or below	12	6 hours

 

• Assignments, including Evolve case studies/patient reviews, lab activities, and Ticket to Class activities will not be accepted after the due date/ time for credit.  Any assignment not submitted by the due date and time will be given a grade of zero for the assignment.  
•  
• All Evolve case studies/patient reviews must be submitted prior to the due date prior to each exam for credit.  A grade of 75% or greater must be achieved to receive credit for successful completion of the assignment and course requirements. See due date on the calendar for Required Lab Hours.  
•  
• All Required Lab Hours case studies/patient reviews (Evolve) must be complete for successful completion of the course.  If required Lab Hours (Evolve), the student will not be allowed to sit for the Final Exam and will receive a zero (0) for the final Exam leading to a failure in the course. 
•  
• All students must access the online remediation through HESI Assessment after the course’s Evolve Specialty or Custom Exam. All students will develop an individualized study packet, and review all areas designated as needing improvement. 
• All students will reivew the information in their packets then complete any assigned case studies. 
• Completion of HESI Remediation and development of a study packet are due by the Friday before the final exam. If it is not completed as assigned, then the student will fail (grade of “F”) the course due to not completing all course requirements.  
• Completion of HESI Remediation will require meeting the minimum number of packets and a minimum number of hours of remediation requirements.

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class. Students must attend 90% of class meetings. This means 90% of the total number of hours that is allotted to this class.

Calendar

Additional Information

Academic Grievances

A student who has a grievance concerning an academic course in which he or she is enrolled should utilize the chain of communication in the following order:

1. Instructor: Rebecca Matthews (806) 354-6018 (Preferred Method of Contact: Remind)
   • Local RNEC Instructors will provide contact information on the first day of class.
2. Associate Degree Nursing Assistant Program Director/Coordinator: Teresa Herrera (806) 467-3002
3. Associate Degree Nursing Program Dean - Kim Crowley (806) 354-6087
4. Associate Degree Nursing Program Dean/Division Committee - Kim Crowley to schedule appointment
5. Dean of Health Sciences: Kim Boyd (806)354-6060
6. Associate VP of Academic Affairs:  Becky Burton (806) 371-5122
7. VP of Academic Affairs:  Dr. Tamara Clunis (806) 371-5226