The course provides an overview of nursing concepts and theories focusing on meeting basic human needs across the lifespan based on the wellness/illness continuum within the practical nurse scope of practice. Theoretical concepts focus on caring for the well client, elderly client, and clients with selected physiological, psychological, and mental health problems. Emphasis is on the role of the practical nurses as a competent practitioner who contributes to the nursing plan of care while utilizing established nursing diagnoses. Focus is on the development of safe clinical judgment and appropriate communication related to nursing care of clients in acute, long term, and community settings.

This course provides the student with an understanding of acute, complex disease conditions encountered in clinical practice. Comprehension of pathophysiology provides the foundation for competency and clinical judgment in nursing practice. Topics include etiology, manifestations, and the physical and psychological reactions to acute, complex diseases and injury. These are discussed in order for the nurse to recognize, interpret, and communicate client needs.

The focus of this course is on basic health assessment, history taking skills, effective communication, health promotion and illness prevention by using holistic nursing assessments for well clients. Using a developmental perspective, the course will provide the student with the opportunity to develop beginning knowledge and skills necessary to assess and care for the health status of the client by collecting health history, performing a physical assessment on well clients across the lifespan while using appropriate clinical judgment. The content builds upon the student's knowledge of sciences and humanities, as related to the holistic aspects of health. Assessment will focus primarily on recognizing normal, with some introduction to deviation of normal findings. The course provides supervised practice in the laboratory setting to assist the student with developing a foundation of skills, caring, and competence in the clinical setting.

This course provides the student with an in-depth working knowledge of the need for appropriate use of medications. Emphasis is placed on the nurse understanding drug actions, interactions, side effects, and adverse reactions in relation to cardiovascular, hematological, endocrine, and neurological medications. This course emphasizes the importance of appropriate clinical decision making that considers the human needs of the client and appropriate client teaching and communication that addresses the impact of medication on the health of the individual.

This course focuses on application of nursing concepts and theories related to health of individuals and families with stable and predictable basic human needs. It provides opportunities for continuing development of clinical competency in the performance of selected, increasingly complex nursing skills and procedures while caring for clients across the life span. The course provides for clinical practice experiences to facilitate development of clinical judgment while caring for clients in an acute medical surgical, long term care, maternal-child, and pediatric acute care settings. The student will focus on acute and chronic alterations of human needs. The student will be given opportunities to enhance communication skills, while learning to prioritize patient needs, identify legal and ethical implications for care, and learn how to appropriately design patient care assignments for unlicensed personnel.

This course provides an in-depth look at the role of the practical nurse with an emphasis on preparation to enter practice. It includes a focus on the course values of communication, caring, competence, and clinical judgment in NECC's nursing program, as they apply to professional behavior, working with others, dealing with conflict and change, as well as maintaining a license. It focuses on assigning and directing care, teamwork, and leadership.

Designed for nursing and health care profession majors. Covers general development of skills involving computations of fractions, decimals, ratios, percents, and basic algebra equations. Basic systems of measurement are used to calculate dosages between metric, apothecary and household systems. Basic mathematical computations are used to reconstitute medications and prepare irrigating solutions.

Introduction to the major biological concepts: ecosystem dynamics, cell structure and function, cell division, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and genetics, as well as a variety of laboratory techniques.

Introduction to the form and function of the following human body systems: special sense, endocrine system, blood and cardiovascular systems, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, metabolism, urinary system, fluid, electrolyte and pH balance, reproductive systems, and immune system. Lab exercises will use demonstration and inquiry techniques.

Designed to develop writing skills. Students write papers and essays which emphasize the importance of clarity, idea development, focus, organization, word choice, logic and sentence construction. The process of planning, writing, revising, and editing essays for a particular audience and basic research-related skills are also emphasized.