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

Course Information

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Course

RNSG-1247-002 Concepts of Clinical Decision Making I

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: RNSG 1331 Corequisite: RNSG 1263

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

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

REQUIRED:

1. Faculty course syllabus and manual for RNSG 1247 for current semester.
2. Harding, M. M., Kwong, J., Roberts, D., Hagler, D., Reinisch, C.: Lewis’s Medical- Surgical Nursing Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems.  11th Edition. 2020. Elsevier, Inc.
3. Access to Lewis Resources (in Evolve)
4. Access to ATI Resources (ATI.com)

SUGGESTED:

1. Any Nursing Care Plan Book
2. Any Medical Dictionary
3. Any Laboratory & Diagnostic Test Reference
4. Any Drug Guide
5. Any NCLEX reference book or program.

    

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

 

Supplies

IV Start Kit. Obtained in bookstore.

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Student Performance

STUDENT PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of RNSG 1247 Concepts of Clinical Decision-Making I, the student will be able to:

Member of the Profession

1. Describe the professional standards and an ethical-legal framework within the nurse’s legal scope of practice pertinent to caring for adult patients.
2. Identify personal accountability and professional responsibility to promote professional development.
3. Discuss evidence-based practice data relevant to promote nursing competence in holistic care to adults.

Provider of Patient-Centered Care

1. Discuss interventions to assist in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health of the adult patient.
2. Utilize a systematic process and clinical reasoning skills to develop comprehensive, holistic patient-centered plans of care that address the unique needs of the adult patient.
3. Identify theoretical concepts and principles to meet the unique psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual needs of the adult patient.
4. Summarize principles of health teaching needs in the care of adults.
5. Identify basic nursing skills utilized in the care of the culturally diverse adult patient.
6. Outline effective compassionate behaviors and communication skills for providing care to diverse adult patients.
7. Identify community and in-patient resources in meeting the needs of diverse adult patients.

 Patient Safety Advocate

1. Discuss evidence-based practice data from current literature that supports safe, quality nursing care to adults.
2. Outline governmental and organizational requirements and professional standards pertinent to safe care of adults.

       Member of the Healthcare Team

1. Explain the professional nurse’s role in participating with other disciplines to provide holistic patient-centered care to adults.
2. Summarize appropriate communication skills to use while interacting with other health care team members caring for adult patients.
3. Explain ways that current technology can be utilized in the efficient management of holistic patient-centered care for adults.
4. Discuss the professional nursing role within the health care team while providing care to adults during local or global pandemics or health emergencies.

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

 

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS/CLASSROOM GROUND RULES

• Students are full partners in fostering a classroom environment which is conducive to learning. In order to assure that all students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in class students are prohibited from engaging in any form of behavior that detracts from the learning experience of fellow students.

• Inappropriate or disruptive behavior in the classroom may result in a request for the offending student to leave class.

• All cell phones, pagers, noisy devices are to be turned off or put on vibrate. No text messaging in class. Only emergency communications should be answered and students need to quietly leave the classroom.

• Students are expected to maintain high academic standards and not engage in any form of cheating as outlined in ADN testing policy found at: http://www.actx.edu/nursing/index.php?module=article&id=226

• See the A.D.N (Associates Degree of Nursing) Student Handbook “Professional Conduct,” ANA code of Ethics for Nurses, and the AC Student Rights and Responsibilities.
   

*The instructor reserves the right to ask students to leave the classroom for any disruptive, aggressive, or unprofessional behavior issues.

Grading Criteria

GRADING CRITERIA/GRADE SCALE

Passing course grade: 75% or higher

Rationale: The National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) has become harder, to reflect the need for nurses who have a high level of critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. The increase in patient acuity and nursing responsibilities is placing greater demand on current entry-level nurses in comparison to their cohorts in the past. The National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) prepares the NCLEX-RN and establishes the minimum passing standard.

The Grading scale for RNSG 1247 is:

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%. 

Grading matrix for RNSG-1247

Module Exams 1-4 (15% each)	60%
Tickets to Class, Exit Tickets	2.5%
ATI assignments, Lab assignments	2.5%
ATI Specialty Exam	10%
Final Exam	25%
Total	100%

ATI Specialty Exam Conversion Table and Focused Review Time

Focused Review (Remediation) must be complete before you can take the Final Exam.

COURSE TUTORING REQUIREMENT

• Required tutoring will be prescribed each time a student does not achieve the minimum passing score of 80 % on a Module Exam.

• Students who do not complete the required tutoring will not be allowed to take the course’s next Module Exam and will earn a grade of zero (Ø) for that exam.

• A student does not achieve the minimum passing score of 80 % on a Module Exam is required  to review the test with an instructor.

• All students regardless of grade can request to review the Module exam.

• Students must contact the instructor via email to request an exam review time prior to the next module exam and should be completed one week prior to the next Module Exam.

• Students may complete their tutorials in the Academic Success Center (Tutoring Center).  Please print, sign, and return the Tutorial Prescription Form to the instructor.

TESTING/MAKE-UP TEST POLICY

• If a module exam is missed, the make-up exam must be taken within one week of that scheduled exam, will be given outside of the course meeting hours, and will be in the format of the instructor’s choosing.  That format may include written exam questions, short answer, fill-ins, or essay questions.

• The instructor must be notified if the student is unable to attend the exam. The instructor may request a medical release for absences related to illnesses and must have that release prior to the make-up exam.

• It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor and arrange for any make-up exam within the required time frame and provide general documentation of absence.

COURSE TUTORING REQUIREMENT

• Required tutoring will be prescribed each time a student does not achieve the minimum passing score of 80 % on a Module Exam.

• Students who do not complete the required tutoring will not be allowed to take the course’s next Module Exam and will earn a grade of zero (Ø) for that exam.

• A student does not achieve the minimum passing score of 80 % on a Module Exam is required  to review the test with an instructor.

• All students regardless of grade can request to review the Module exam.

• Students must contact the instructor via email to request an exam review time prior to the next module exam and should be completed one week prior to the next Module Exam.

• Students may complete their tutorials in the Academic Success Center (Tutoring Center).  Please print, sign, and return the Tutorial Prescription Form to the instructor.

ATI ASSIGNMENTS, TICKETS TO CLASS (TTC), EXIT TICKETS & CASE STUDIES

• Assignments will be made for content in ATI. There will be skills modules, quizzes, and learning experiences assigned for this class.  Lab assignments must be completed by the specified date. These assignments may be taken on any computer at the location of your choice (i.e. home, school, etc.) and may be taken 2 times.  The highest grade will be recorded. There will be time allotted for each assignment. Each assignment must have the minimum time allotted spent in the assignment for a grade to be received. The time allotment is listed on the Assignments schedule. Module assignments must be completed in order to sit for the Module Exam.

• Assigned tickets to class (TTC) will be completed individually.  These will be assigned in the weekly module folders on BlackBoard.  Instructions will vary depending on the activity.  Failure to submit the TTC as assigned will result in a grade of zero (Ø).

• Assigned exit tickets will be completed individually.  Exit tickets will be assigned during class time with the specified due date/time.  Failure to submit the exit ticket as assigned will result in a grade of zero (Ø).

Assisting others with quizzes/case studies, photos/screenshots, sharing of quiz content, etc. is considered academic dishonesty and may result in dismissal from the nursing program.

**Late assignments for this course will be accepted ONLY for extenuating circumstances that are discussed with the instructor PRIOR to the due date/time.  

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

• Regular attendance is required for satisfactory achievement in this class.
•  Less than 90% attendance of classroom hours may result in failure of the course.
• Class roll will be taken for each class.
• Individuals not present for roll call may be recorded as absent. This includes in class attendance or online Zoom attendance.
• All assigned labs must be completed.
• Any anticipated class/lab absence must be reported to the instructor.

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Calendar

Additional Information

COURSE COMMUNICATION:

• - AC Connect will be used for course communication.
• - Emails will be sent through AC Connect (Blackboard) as well as course announcements.
• - Students need to check the on-line course frequently for information and announcements.
• - Module folders have content posted in blackboard (BB). Students need to be familiar with the BB set-up of the course.  
• -Students need to be familiar with the AC Student Engagement Portal.

This syllabus is subject to change.  Students will be notified in a timely manner.

Academic Grievance Policy: