VNSG 1460 Clinical-Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Training:  Introductory (4-0-16) 

This course is 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. With emphasis on clinical reasoning, nursing process and evidence-based practice, the student develops skills in the role of the vocational nurse as provider of patient-centered care, patient safety advocate, member of the health care team, and member of the profession.  Clinical experiences provide opportunities for students to apply foundational nursing concepts and basic nursing skills necessary to provide safe care for adult patient/s. 

Corequisites: VNSG 1423. Course Type: W/C. VNSG 1460 is a clinical course that meets twice a week during designated weeks of the semester for a total of 256 contact hours. 

Course Skill: P

Course Type: W/C

Credit Hours: 4

Classroom contact hours per week: 0

Laboratory Contact hours per week: 16

Course Rationale:

The levels of the program have a logical progression of introducing the student to the roles of the Vocational Nurse. VNSG 1460 provides a foundation for the beginning nursing student in the basic care of the patient and transitions into a supervised clinical practicum. The course provides the student with clinical opportunities to practice therapeutic communication skills, basic nursing care to include performance of vital signs, bed making, hygiene, elimination needs, basic wound care, physical and focused assessments, positioning and transfer/ambulation, medication administration; while allowing an emphasis on the basic concepts of clinical reasoning and beginning caring behaviors. Courses in other levels will build upon this basic concept of providing care to the patient. VNSG 1460 is a prerequisite course to VNSG 1429, VNSG 1461, VNSG 1201, and HPRS 2300.

COURSE POLICIES

1. Attendance:

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students.  Nursing is a practice discipline. Attendance at scheduled classroom, clinical, and laboratory experiences reflects accountability and is required for professional growth. Students must be present in order to meet the learning objectives of the classroom and/or clinical experience.  If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

1. Clinical:

1.   VNSG 1460 Clinical Packet.  Students must bring the clinical packet to class/clinical to clinical identified days in the course schedule.

       2.  Clinical attendance is required in order to meet clinical objectives. Clinical absences are not allowed in any of the clinical rotations throughout the VNG program.

If an emergency arises during a semester, and a student must be absent from clinical, the student’s situation will be evaluated by the full-time faculty and the student will be required to attend an additional clinical day in order to meet the clinical objectives.       

The additional clinical day will be scheduled according to staff and facility availability and will be in addition to the student’s regularly scheduled clinical hours. The additional clinical day hours may occur during the day or evening, on a weekend, or during the week of final exams.

If a student has a second clinical absence at any point during the semester, the student may be withdrawn from the program.

4.   The student will receive a written conference at 1 absence.  Should the student have another absence, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

5.   Rotations will be specifically defined in individual course syllabi, but apply to Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Leadership, Level II Medical-Surgical and Psychiatric clinical, and Level I clinical.

VNSG 1460 – LEVEL I CLINICAL ROTATIONS ARE

IDENTIFIED AS:

1. LONG TERM CARE
2. REHABILITATION

6.   Tardies (late arrivals) will be counted in totaling cumulative absences each semester. (Three tardies to the assigned clinical area will be counted as one clinical absence).

7.   Any absence due to an illness of three consecutive days or more requires a release signed by the physician stating the student can return to clinical without any restrictions on activities.*

8.   Any injury that could jeopardize the safety of the student and/or the patient requires a release signed by the physician stating the student may return to clinical without any restrictions on activities.*

*Please refer to the “Non Discrimination” statement in the VNG Student Handbook

9.   If a student is absent on the day assignments are made or absent on a clinical day, the student must contact the instructor for assignments prior to reporting to the clinical setting.

1. Students who have or have been exposed to a contagious illness may not be allowed in certain areas of certain clinical facilities. The student must check with the clinical instructor to determine those requirements in these situations:
   1. Diarrhea
   2. Fever
   3. Respiratory infections
   4. Open lesions on hands, face

1. If a student will be absent for clinical, he/she must notify the clinical facility first, then the instructor no later than one hour before the designated time to begin clinical activities.

1. Students who plan to attend clinical but cannot arrive at the designated time must call and inform the instructor no later than 15 minutes after the designated hour and then must be on the unit no later than 45 minutes after the designated hour. Failure to follow the outlined procedure will result in the student being directed to leave the unit and will be counted absent for the clinical period.

1. Students who arrive in the clinical area without having received and prepared necessary written work for the clinical assignment will be dismissed from the clinical area and counted absent for the clinical day.

1. Clinical times may vary according to hospital policy. These times may vary from the times published in the Course Schedule and could be as early as 5 am or as late at 11 pm.

1. Students are encouraged to limit telephone calls to the instructors’ cell phones to matters that cannot be handled during class, clinical, and/or instructors’ office hours.

1. Students are to remain at the clinical facility for the entire clinical time, including lunch and break, unless specifically directed otherwise by the instructor.
2. NO INVASIVE PROCEDURES OR MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR SUPERVISION.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

1. Berman, A., Snyder, S., & Frandsen, G. (2021). Kozier and Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process and Practice (11th Ed.). Prentice-Hall. ISBN: 978-0135428733
2. Lewis, S. (2023). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (12th Ed.). ISBN: 978-323756846
3. Lewis, S. (2023). Sherpath for Medical-Surgical Nursing. (12th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby: Elsevier. ISBN: 9780443110054
4. Deglin, J. & Vallerand, A. (2023) Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses (18thed.) Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. ISBN: 978-1719646406
5. Pagana, K. & Pagana, T. (2022). Mosby’s Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests (7th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby: Elsevier, ISBN: 978-0323697033
6. Perry, A. & Potter, P. (2022) Clinical Nursing Skills & Techniques, Mosby, (10th Ed). St. Louis: Mosby: Elsevier. ISBN: 978-0803659049
7. VNSG 1460 Clinical Packet.  Students must bring the clinical packet to class/clinical to clinical identified days in the course schedule (will be provided to all students via Blackboard course).
8. Carroll, L. & Collier, J. (2022). Success in Practical/Vocational Nursing: From Student to Leader (10th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier, Saunders. ISBN: 978-0-323-81017-3
9. Recommended: Venes, D. & Fenton, B. (2021). Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (24th Ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company. ISBN: 978-1719642859
10. OPTIONAL: Nursing Central for Mobile + Web App.

Curriculum essential concepts are specified concepts that are integrated throughout the curriculum to strengthen the students’ development of clinical reasoning. They reflect areas of increased knowledge, skills, and attitudes of students as they progress in the program. These curriculum essential concepts create cohesive learning experiences. The curriculum essential concepts integrated in VNSG 1460 include: 

1. Clinical Reasoning and the Nursing Process
2. Evidence-Based Practice
3. Caring Behaviors
4. Therapeutic Communication Skills
5. Competence in Nursing Interventions
6. Roles of the Vocational Nurse
7. Growth and Development
8. Health Care Settings
9. Professional Values
10. Cultural Competency
11. Culture of Safety
12. Use of technology and informatics

Vocational Nursing Student Learning Outcomes

Underlined phrases indicate the curriculum essential components present in this course.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Apply the theory, concepts, and skills involving specialized materials, tools, equipment, procedures, regulations, laws and interactions within and among political, economic, environment, social and legal systems associated with the occupation and the business/industry, and will demonstrate legal and ethical behavior, safety practices, interpersonal and teamwork skills (D II-E, H, III-B, IV-A, S 2, 6-8,).
2. Demonstrate legal and ethical behavior while providing nursing care to assigned patient/s (EPSLO 3, D II-E, S 2, 6, 8).
3. Discuss and demonstrate clinical reasoning while applying the nursing process in the delivery of basic nursing care (EPSLO 4, D II-A, S 2, 3, 6, 7).
4. Demonstrate caring behaviors and therapeutic communication skills while interacting with patient/s and their families (EPSLO 1 & 3, D II-D, S 2, 6, 8)
5. Demonstrate competence in selected nursing interventions (EPSLO 1 & 3, D I-A, II-D).
6. Use appropriate written and verbal communication skills to interact effectively with patient/s, families, faculty, peers and the interdisciplinary health care team while using correct terminology of the occupation and the business/industry (EPSLO 5, D IV- A, D, E, S 2, 6-8).
7. Document concise, relevant information on the patient’s record, according to facility-specific policies using technology and informatics when applicable (EPSLO 4 & 5, DII-H, DIV-E, S 6).
8. Contribute to a culture of safety while providing safe patient care through the utilization of evidence-based practice guidelines (EPSLO 1 & 4, D I-A, II-A).
9. Identify the roles of the vocational nurse as a member of a profession, provider of patient-centered care, patient safety advocate and member of the health care team in a variety of health care settings (EPSLO 1-5, D I-IV).
10. Implement basic teaching plans (EPSLO 4, D II-G, S 1-3, 6-8).
11. Demonstrate the role of the vocational nurse in the management of material resources (EPSLO 4, D II-H, S 1-3, 6-8).
12. Provide culturally competent care to assigned patient/s (EPSLO 4, D II-B, S 2, 3, 6-8).
13. Demonstrate professional values by assuming personal responsibility for: (EPSLO 2, DI-B, S 8):
    1. exhibiting professional legal and ethical clinical behaviors.
    2. preparing and submitting assignments by specified date and time.
    3. participating in pre/post conferences by sharing information with the clinical group.
    4. respecting the dignity and worth of humans and their inherent rights.
    5. demonstrating the acceptance of constructive criticism.
    6. adhering to program and clinical policies according to the VNG 3 Semester Student Handbook.

VOCATIONAL NURSING END OF PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the Certificate in Vocational Nursing program, the student will be able to:

Legal & Scope of Practice

1. Provide patient care within the legal scope of practice in accordance with the policies and procedures of the health care facility, as well as all regulatory and governing bodies.

Professional Practice

2. Assume responsibility and accountability for the quality of nursing care provided while demonstrating competency, self-directed learning, and promoting the development and practice of vocational nursing.

Patient Safety

3. Ensure patient safety in a safe environment by implementing nursing best practices, safety protocols, and National Patient Safety Goals.

Clinical Reasoning & Evidence-Based Practice

4. Use clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice to interpret health-related data and determine the health status and needs of culturally diverse patients within a directed and supervised scope of practice.

Communication & Reporting

5. Communicate, report, and collaborate in a timely manner with the interdisciplinary health care team, including the use of technology, to provide optimal patient care, prevent errors, and support decision-making.

Revised 10/14/19; adopted 11/25/19.