Minimum Course Hours: 30

Course Description

Learners focus on health promotion strategies for clients experiencing an acute illness or acute exacerbation of a chronic illness. They examine how health-promoting strategies improve or help maintain clients’ health status during hospitalization and after discharge. Learners continue to reflect on and deepen their understanding of trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism as essential components of health promotion in acute care. An emphasis is placed on Indigenous-specific anti-racism and providing culturally safe care for Indigenous clients.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of all Level 3 courses and Consolidated Practice Experience 3

Corequisites: Integrated Nursing Practice 4; Variations in Health 4

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Explore health promotion and health promotion strategies for clients in acute care settings, including clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions.
   • 1.1 Discuss health promotion approaches in acute care settings and in relation to discharge planning.
   • 1.2 Formulate teaching strategies to manage or improve client health.
   • 1.3 Explain the use of screening tools for early detection of illness.
   • 1.4 Explain which immunizations are important for clients experiencing acute illness.
2. Explore how the continuum of care supports nursing practice with clients in acute care settings, including clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions.
   • 2.1 Explain the continuum of care from pre-admission to end-of-life care.
   • 2.2 Identify the interprofessional health care team in the acute care setting.
   • 2.3 Describe the role of the practical nurse in discharge planning.
   • 2.4 Compare resource allocation and inequities across the province for diverse demographics.
3. Identify culturally safe and culturally informed health promotion materials.
   • 3.1 Analyze the importance of Indigenous cultural rights, values, and practices, including ceremonies and protocols, in the acute care setting.
   • 3.2 Describe the significance of the client’s request for involvement of family and others (e.g., community and Elders, Indigenous cultural navigators, and interpreters) to their experiences of safety.
   • 3.3 Evaluate trauma-informed practice within acute care settings.
4. Explain the discharge planning process, including teaching and learning strategies to prepare the client for discharge.
   • 4.1 Discuss the practical nurse’s role as client navigator in assisting clients and families with health care decisions and access to services.
   • 4.2 Evaluate 2SLGBTQIA+^[1] needs for discharge teaching, including gender-affirming procedures.
   • 4.3 Evaluate the various forms of advocacy that a practical nurse may engage in when discharging clients from acute care settings, including advocacy for clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions.
5. Explore the concepts and principles of harm reduction and recovery-oriented care for clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions in acute care settings.
   • 5.1 Define recovery-oriented care in the acute care setting.
   • 5.2 Identify client needs and strategies to effectively provide clients and families with emotional support in acute care settings.
   • 5.3 Describe trauma-informed and harm reduction strategies and how these strategies are integrated into the discharge planning process.

Course Concepts

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

• Risk-management strategies
• Early detection of illness through screening
• Client teaching and learning
• Continuum of care (pre‐admission and discharge planning)
• Harm reduction
• Recovery-oriented care
• Trauma-informed practice in acute care settings
• Cultural safety, cultural humility, anti-racism
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in acute care
• Advocacy
• Health promotion for clients with mental health and/or substance use conditions
• 2SLGBTQIA+ health promotion