Minimum Course Hours: 60

Course Description

Learners are introduced to the foundations of disease and illness across the lifespan to gain an understanding of pathophysiological alterations of body systems. Learners will discuss nursing management of diseases and illnesses across the lifespan with an emphasis on interventions and treatment. A major focus of this course is on the care of older adults experiencing health challenges, and learners will further develop an understanding of pathophysiology as it relates to the aging process and selected chronic illnesses. Learners also explore Indigenous health and cultural safety in healing practices and evidence-informed research and practice.

Prerequisites: Admission to the Access to Practical Nursing Program; completion of Human Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses or equivalent course with a minimum grade of 65%

Corequisites: Professional Communication A; Integrated Nursing Practice A; Professional Practice A; Health Promotion A; Pharmacology A

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the learner will be able to:

1. Discuss how the current British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) LPN Professional Standards, Practice Standards, and Entry-Level Competencies are used to guide practice when caring for clients with variations in health, including older adults and those with chronic diseases and/or mental health conditions.
   • 1.1 Examine how standards, scope, and employer policies inform nursing management of disease and illness.
   • 1.2 Discuss the complexities of providing nursing care to clients who are not able to give consent.
   • 1.3 Identify appropriate evidence-informed research and practice resources.
2. Describe pathophysiology as it relates to common presentations of illness.
   • 2.1 Give examples of cellular alterations.
   • 2.2 Describe the inflammatory and tissue reparative processes.
   • 2.3 Describe chronic versus acute illness in the context of disease (health continuum and disease versus illness).
   • 2.4 Identify the influence of illness and disease on homeostasis.
3. Explain physical and psychosocial stressors.
   • 3.1 Describe the differences between mental health, mental wellness, and mental illness.
   • 3.2 Explain compensatory and decompensatory mechanisms.
   • 3.3 Identify physical and psychosocial stressors that affect health and wellness.
   • 3.4 Define general adaptation syndrome and how it affects health.
4. Explain the physiology of pain.
   • 4.1 Differentiate between acute and chronic pain.
   • 4.2 Identify the types of pain.
   • 4.3 Describe the gate control theory of pain.
   • 4.4 Identify factors influencing the client’s experiences of pain.
   • 4.5 Describe the nursing management of pain.
5. Describe the nursing management of diseases and illnesses in clients across the lifespan.
   • 5.1 Explain the pathophysiology of common chronic illnesses related to the aging process.^[1]
   • 5.2 Identify altered presentations of illnesses associated with aging.
6. Describe what is meant by a chronic mental illness and the differences between mental illness, mental health, and mental wellness.
   • 6.1 Identify common mental health conditions and mental illnesses experienced by older adults.
   • 6.2 Differentiate between the nursing management in the typical aging process and nursing management required for older adults with mental illness.
7. Explore holistic and traditional Indigenous healing practices in the management of chronic illnesses, including mental health conditions.
   • 7.1 Describe the historical and current impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and how this has impacted their health and health care experiences.
   • 7.2 Discuss examples of holistic and traditional healing practices.
   • 7.3 Explain the influence of culture, cultural diversity, and cultural safety on health and healing.

Course Concepts

Course outcomes will be met through examination and exploration of the following:

• BCCNM LPN Professional Standards, Practice Standards, and documents that guide scope of practice
• Introduction to pathophysiology
• Maintaining homeostasis
• Compensatory and decompensatory mechanisms
• Cell alteration: types of cell injury and repair, cell aging and degeneration, and irregular cell growth
• Alterations to all body systems (e.g., inflammation, infection, obstruction/occlusion, genetics, familial, cancer, trauma)
• Physical and psychosocial stressors
• Chronic versus acute disease (health continuum); illness versus disease
• Mental health, mental wellness, and mental illness
• Nursing management of disease and illness across the lifespan
• Nursing management, including:
  • Assessment (holistic assessment and data collection, including lab values and diagnostics)
  • Pharmacology
  • Identification of real and potential problems
  • Nursing diagnoses
  • Planning and documenting specific nursing interventions on a care plan
  • Implementing culturally safe care
  • Evaluation of care
  • Collaborating with other members of the health care team
  • Health promotion
  • Client teaching
• Therapeutic interventions and treatments, including pharmacology
• Introduction to diagnostics
• Cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racist practice in health and healing, particularly Indigenous-specific anti-racism
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Impacts of colonialism on the health and experiences of Indigenous Peoples
• Introduction to evidence-informed research and practice
• Physiological changes in older adults contributing to disease and illness
• Recognition and presentation of common diseases and illnesses in older adults
• Nursing management of disease and illness for older adults according to body systems
• Mental health as a chronic illness
• Traditional healing practices (e.g., acupuncture, smudging, sweat lodge ceremony, Reiki)