Nursing (NURS) 676

Overview

NURS 676: Clinical Practicum II is a required course leading to a Post-Masters Diploma: Nurse Practitioner or a Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner degree. Learners continue supervised clinical practice to meet the Entry-Level Competencies for Nurse Practitioners in Canada (College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta [CARNA], 2016).

Health promotion, disease prevention, acute episodic and chronic care is provided to clients across the life span. Learners will demonstrate autonomy in decision-making, and critical analysis of organizational and system issues that influence scope of practice, professional accountability, and outcomes.

Clinical Practicum

In NURS 676, learners continue supervised clinical practicum hours focusing on assessment, diagnosis and case management of clients in primary health care setting. Students will have already completed 250 clinical practicum hours prior to entering this course. This course supports attainment of entry-level competencies for nurse practitioners in Canada. Continued development of clinical expertise and establishment of role identity as an advanced practice registered nurse are expected outcomes. Increasing independence and expertise in clinical decision-making and diagnostic reasoning evolves over 250 clinical practicum hours.

Nurse practitioner leaners demonstrate the application of theory from population focused courses to supervised clinical practice, reflect on professional interactions and participate course-based discussions of clinical experience.

Emphases are placed on learners having direct patientcare experiences that develop the knowledge and skills necessary for primary care and mastering the ability to work independently as a primary care provider. Students complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients’ health records. Students are also anticipated to develop and demonstrate leadership and professionalism in the course of working with healthcare professionals from a variety of disciples to improve the health status of individuals, families, and communities.

Outline

NURS 676 consists of virtual clinical conferences, asynchronous clinical learning, and supervised clinical practice to complete a block of up to 250 clinical hours with exposure to patients across the lifespan within one to two terms (i.e., Fall / Winter; Winter / Spring, or Spring / Fall).

Clinical faculty who are licensed nurse practitioners will provide support in evaluating clinical performance and role development throughout the course term and will interact with students during clinical seminar sessions.

All details regarding the clinical practicum experience are found in the NP Guide located in the NP Student Resource Forum.

Learning outcomes

In this course, you will access health-related websites worldwide. You will also participate in email and computer conferencing with other students. Practice-Based Small Group Learning opportunities are offered throughout the term. Students are expected to connect to an Internet Service Provider at their own expense.

Objectives

By the end of NURS 676 you will demonstrate:

1. Integration of medical and nursing management of health concerns by providing evidence-based clinical services to those presenting with acute and chronic health concerns, at a level appropriate to a beginning practitioner, including:
   • health history and physical examination
   • clinical diagnoses and decision-making
   • ordering of laboratory and diagnostic tests
   • prescription of medications and treatments
   • administering treatments or procedures
   • therapeutic communication
   • collaborative relationships
2. Promotion and implementation of evidence-based primary, secondary and tertiary health promotion and illness prevention strategies along the health-illness continuum.
3. Documentation of clinical data, diagnoses, collaborations, communications and treatments, monitoring and follow-up.
4. Progressive role development and leadership competency, including effective communication and collaboration in the care of individuals, families and communities.

Evaluation

The assessment structure for NURS 676 is based on the following course activities. The final grade for the course is a pass/fail mark based on your performance on these course activities.

Materials

Textbooks and readings from other Nurse Practitioner Practice courses will be used as appropriate. A list of optional additional reference texts is included.

Other Materials

Introduction: Provides essential information about the course materials, the design of the course, and the procedures you should follow to complete the course successfully.

Schedule: Outlines the timing of course activities.

Assessment: Outlines the assignments/evaluation procedures of the course.

Preceptor Request Form: Located in Typhon and must be completed and submitted via Typhon six months in advance of clinical placement.

Technical Requirements

Computer System

In order to successfully complete this course, you must own or have ready access to certain computer hardware and software programs. For complete and up-to-date information on the minimum computer requirements required to complete the graduate nursing courses, visit the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies technical page.

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
• Request assistance
• Support services