Nursing
Mission and Purpose
The LaGrange College Nursing program provides a program of study that focuses on innovative learning, critical insight, and diversity. The nursing program is part of a caring community that emphasizes service learning to the local and global community.
Through this program of study, students will develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that reflect responsible decision-making, communication, and nursing excellence. The LaGrange College Nursing program challenges the student to think critically, perform creatively, ethically, and with integrity and humility.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum consists of two plans of study. The basic program prepares graduates for entry into professional nursing practice and confers eligibility for initial licensure as a registered professional nurse (RN). A degree-completion option is designed for licensed RNs who wish to earn the BSN degree.
The BSN program is approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; Marsal Stoll, EdD, Chief Executive Officer; 404-975-5000, mstoll@acenursing.org.
The 121 - semester hour BSN degree is based on a strong liberal arts foundation, national standards that include the AACN-BSN Essentials, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies (QSEN) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies for nursing. The curriculum is based on nine essential concepts: Patient-centered care, Teamwork and Collaboration, Evidenced-based practice, Quality Improvement, Safety, Informatics, Professionalism, Leadership, and Communication.
Program Threads and Student Outcomes
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Program Concepts |
Mid-Program Student Learning Outcomes |
End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes |
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Patient-centered care |
Recognize that the practice of nursing is patient-centered, caring, culturally sensitive and based on the physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients. |
Recognize that the practice of nursing is patient-centered, caring, culturally sensitive and based on the physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients. |
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Teamwork and Collaboration |
Participate as a member of the interprofessional health care team in the provision of patient-centered care. |
Collaborate with members of the interprofessional health care team to promote continuity of patient care and achievement of optimal outcomes. |
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Evidence Based Practice |
Identify current evidence from scientific and other credible sources as a basis for nursing practice and clinical decision making. |
Integrate use of current evidence, expert opinion, and clinical expertise as the basis for nursing practice and clinical judgment. |
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Safety |
Practice safe and competent nursing care by identifying and minimizing safety risks. |
Practice safe and competent nursing care by identifying and minimizing safety risks. |
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Informatics |
Use information and patient care technology to support decision-making and mitigate error. |
Use informatics and patient care technology to communicate information, manage care, mitigate error and support clinical judgments when providing patient care. |
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Professionalism |
Practice nursing in a civil, professional, ethical, and legal manner while ensuring mutual respect in the delivery of optimal patient care. |
Assimilate integrity and accountability into practices that uphold established regulatory, legal and ethical principles while providing optimal patient care. |
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Leadership |
Use the leadership skills of time management, organization and priority setting when providing safe, quality patient care. |
Integrate leadership and management skills into care when directing and influencing the behavior of individuals and/or groups to meet desired patient-related outcomes. |
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Communication |
Use verbal and nonverbal communication that promotes an effective exchange of information, development of therapeutic relationships, and patient satisfaction. |
Evaluate verbal and nonverbal communication that promotes an effective exchange of information, shared decision making, patient satisfaction, and achievement of optimal patient outcomes. |
Majors and Minors
Major Minor
B.S. in Nursing R.N. to B.S. in NursingCourses
An introduction to nutrition concepts and current dietary trends, focusing on health promotion. Nutrients are explored with regard to sources, dietary requirements, and health implications.
This course provides the framework for preparing students to perform comprehensive health assessments on patients. Emphasis is placed on taking a thorough nursing history, performing physiological, psychological, sociological, cultural, and spiritual assessments, as well as identification of stressors and health risks. Laboratory experiences provide an opportunity to practice assessment skills.
This course provides an introduction to the professional roles of the nurse in micro- and macrosystems, as well as profession-related and patient care concepts. The nursing process provides a decision-making framework to assist students in developing effective clinical judgment skills. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, quality care while developing in the role of a professional nurse. The student is given an opportunity to demonstrate these skills in a clinical and laboratory setting. ( 3 hrs. class 2 hrs. lab/clinical per week)
This course provides an introduction to the professional roles of the nurse in micro- and macrosystems, as well as profession-related and patient-related and patient care concepts. The nursing process provides a decision-making framework to assist students in developing effective clinical judgment skills. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, quality care while developing in the role of a professional nurse. The student is given an opportunity to demonstrate theses skills in a clinical laboratory setting. ( 5 hr. class, 2 hrs. lab/clinical per week)
This course provides an introduction to the principles of pharmacology, including: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, medication interactions and potential adverse medication reactions. Emphasis is placed on drug classifications and nursing care related to the safe administration of medication to patients across the life span. (4 hrs. class per week)
This course focuses on the care of adult patients with health alterations that require medical and/or surgical intervention. Emphasis is placed on the care of patients with alterations in selected body functions. Concepts of patient centered care, cultural sensitivity, informatics, safe practice, and professionalism are integrated throughout the course. Clinical experiences provide the student an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts and implement safe patient care to adults in a variety of settings. (3 hrs. class, 6 hrs. lab/clinical per week)
This course focuses on the care of patients across the lifespan experiencing cognitive, mental and behavioral disorders. Emphasis is placed on management of patients facing physical, sociocultural, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional and psychological stressors as well as promoting and maintaining the mental health of individuals and families. Concepts of crisis intervention, therapeutic communication, anger management, and coping skills are integrated throughout the course. The community as a site for care and support services is addressed. Clinical experiences provide the student an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts and implement safe patient care to patients in selected mental health settings. (6 hrs. class, 2 hrs. clinical per week)
This course provides the practicing nurse with theory and skills needed to successfully conduct a comprehensive health history and head-to-toe assessment on persons throughout the lifespan, with emphasis on building knowledge and skill in data acquisition.
A course focusing on the transition from technical to professional nursing. It addresses the scope and standards of professional nursing practice, the theoretical basis of practice, the ethical and legal components of practice, information management and application of patient care technology, and inter professional communication and collaboration for improving patient health outcomes.
The purpose of this course is to examine pharmacotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of illness and the promotion, maintenance and restoration of wellness in diverse individuals across the lifespan. It focuses on drug classification, concepts and principles of pharmacology with special consideration for the nursing role in developing a comprehensive approach to the clinical application of drug therapy through the use of the nursing process. Nursing implications relative to the utilization of drug therapy are examined. Safety and legal implications of drug administration are discussed. This course may be challenged by Exam.
A course designed to enhance knowledge of the relationship between health care policy and professional nursing. This course will explore the broader context of health care including how patient care services are organized and financed, and how reimbursement is structured. Regulatory agencies define boundaries of nursing practice and students need to understand the scope and role of these agencies. There will be discussion of how health care issues are identified, how health care policy is both developed and changed, and how that process can be influenced through the efforts of nurses, other health care professionals, and lay and special advocacy groups. Students are introduced to theories of nursing with an emphasis on developing an understanding of how they are used in evidence-based practice.
This course focuses on the care of adult patients with complex medical/surgical health problems. Emphasis is placed on helping patients and their families cope with alterations in body functions. Concepts of pharmacology, health promotion and education, evidence based practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be integrated throughout the course. Clinical experiences provide the student an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts and implement safe care to patients and selected groups in a variety of settings. (5 hrs. class, 3 hrs. lab/clinical per week)
This course is designed to assist students in developing a sense of inquiry as well as an increased understanding of research strategies. The course will introduce students to the research process with exploration of research designs, sampling strategies, and data analysis methods. Evaluation of research findings and use of nursing research as the basis for evidence-based practice will be emphasized. (3 hrs. class per week)
A seminar to assist students in synthesizing learning related to the roles and practices of professional nurses, exploring the health care system and the legal-ethical, sociopolitical, cultural, and professional issues influencing contemporary nursing. A research project is completed and presented from a proposal developed in NURS 4431. (4hrs. class per week)
This course focuses on advanced concepts of nursing care as they relate to patients across the lifespan with complex, multisystem alterations in health. Emphasis is placed on implementing time management and organizational skills while managing the care of patients with multiple needs and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team. Complex clinical skills, as well as priority setting, clinical judgment, and tenets of legal and ethical practice, are integrated throughout the course.(4 hrs. class per week)
This course is intended to introduce students to nursing care of individuals, families, aggregates, communities, and populations. Principles and practices of community health are discussed. Emphasis is placed on assessing factors that influence the health of populations and the use of evidence-based practices in the delivery of spiritually and culturally appropriate health promotion and disease prevention interventions. The role of the nurse as advocate for social justice is explored.(3 hrs. class, 3 hrs. lab/clinical per week)
This course is directed toward the nursing care of aggregate systems within a community. Topics include community health nursing roles and basic concepts of community health. The course addresses the implementation of population-focused care through the nursing process, collaboration, and interdisciplinary skills. It includes the importance of health promotion, along with disease and injury prevention, throughout the lifespan and the assistance of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations to prepare for and minimize consequences of emergencies, including mass casualty disasters, infectious and communicable disease, and bioterrorism. The course includes a practicum where the student integrates concepts from theory within a health care environment. Theory and practicum are designed to build on the student’s professional experience and to prepare him or her for population-focused practice in community public health settings where he or she can meet the health needs of the community. The practicum is overseen by the instructor and developed and designed in collaboration with the student.
A course that focuses on professional nursing practice that is grounded in the translation of current evidence into practice. It is designed to assist students in developing a sense of inquiry, including the research process, designs, sampling strategies, data and analysis methods, protection of human subjects and patients, and the dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve patient outcomes.
This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to be a nursing leader who can function as a contributing member of the interprofessional team. The development of transformational leadership skills and management techniques needed to coordinate the provision of safe, quality patient-centered care are highlighted. Emphasis is placed on professional behaviors, communication that supports information exchange, collaboration and conflict mediation, ethical comportment and establishment and provision of evidenced based practice. Students will develop the skills of delegation and conflict management. Legal and ethical issues are discussed with a focus on personal accountability and responsibility. Students will be given the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professional nurse in their preceptorship to provide care for a caseload of patients where they can demonstrate professional behaviors, communication skills, collaboration with healthcare team members and ability to use conflict mediation skills and ethical comportment.(2 hrs. class per week, 180 total hours of clinical practice per student)
This course focuses on nursing leadership including developing and refining knowledge, skills, and attitudes in working within organizational and community arenas. It also focuses on the actual provision of care and/or supervising care provided by other licensed and non-licensed assistive personnel. This course examines nursing leadership and management through use of a systems approach with a focus on quality and safety of client care. Leadership models, behavior, and strategic planning will be discussed at various organizational levels. Focus is on use of outcome data to evaluate nursing care delivery systems and to proposed quality improvement initiatives. The examination of current practice issues, social justice/diversity issues, and the process of personal/professional development will be included. Leadership and management roles assumed in clinical practice and increasing autonomy in patient care are guided through preceptorial experiences.
This course provides an introduction to the concepts and issues related to global health promotion. Special consideration will be given to infectious and communicable diseases, environmental issues, nutrition, and vulnerable populations. International health organizations and governmental policy will also be analyzed. Informatics in healthcare will include how computer-based information systems are designed, developed, and implemented. With innovations in healthcare technology, unique opportunities and challenges for the end-user will be considered and carefully addressed. This course will provide students with a thorough understanding of confidentiality issues surrounding information management. Additionally, participants will gain an understanding of the impact information management systems have on the healthcare team, delivery of care, efficiency and productivity, patient safety, and health outcomes.
For students meeting requirements, the opportunity to pursue special interests beyond those in the formal course of study.
