Acute Care of Patients and Families Across the Lifespan

This course provides theoretical perspective, evidence-based nursing knowledge, and critical thinking experiences basic to providing research-based nursing care directed towards promoting, maintaining, and restoring health in or providing end-of-life care for patients and families across the lifespan. Clinical and didactic components of care will address relevant contextual and environmental issues for infants, children, adolescents and young, middle, and older adults. Course content will build on foundational knowledge from basic and social sciences, humanities, pharmacology, as well as previous clinical courses. The course concepts, environment, health and illness, family and self, developmental processes across the lifespan, therapeutic nutrition, communication, and genetics will be integrated by students. Emphasis will be on the acquisition and integration of evidence, knowledge and skills basic to identifying biological, physiological psychological, sociological and environmental interactions that disrupt or enhance health or functional wellness in infants through older adults within the context of family systems. Such efforts will lead to analysis of the multiple variables necessary to develop nursing diagnoses and develop evidence-based nursing care strategies for individuals and families across the lifespan who are under threat of or are experiencing acute and acute on chronic health alterations. Along with the patient and family issues, the student will examine the influence they themselves exert on the therapeutic relationship when providing health and illness care. System issues including legal, ethical, and information technologies will also be examined as an integral part of delivering care.  10 weeks.