Minimum Course Hours: 214

Course Description

Learners develop nursing skills aimed at promoting health and healing with clients across the lifespan experiencing acute health challenges, including concurrent mental health and/or substance use conditions. Learners use a variety of approaches (such as simulation) to build on theory and practice from Level 1, 2, and 3 and integrate new knowledge and skills relevant to the acute care setting. Learners explore critical thinking, clinical judgment, collaboration, and the provision of culturally safe and person-centred care.

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

Corequisites: Variations in Health 4; Health Promotion 4

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, in the simulated learning environment the learner will be able to:

1. Analyze the current British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) LPN Professional Standards, Practice Standards, and Entry-Level Competencies that guide decision making and practice in acute care settings.
   • 1.1 Evaluate one’s own learning needs to enhance competence and readiness for practice in an acute care setting.
   • 1.2 Evaluate how legislation and the BCCNM Practice Standards inform nursing practice in acute care.
2. Perform clinical skills and assessments for nursing practice in an acute care setting competently and safely.
   • 2.1 Apply critical thinking, clinical judgment, and knowledge of assessment to plan, implement, and evaluate care of clients experiencing acute illness.
   • 2.2 Perform comprehensive nursing assessment and interventions including principles of medication administration and accuracy in medication calculations for clients experiencing acute illness.
   • 2.3 Document assessment data and nursing interventions in objective and non-stigmatizing language.
   • 2.4 Carry out a quick priority assessment (QPA) to prioritize and plan care.
   • 2.5 Use decision support tools (DSTs) to assist with decision making and implementation of care.
   • 2.6 Use Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) tool and other nursing shift reports commonly found in acute care settings.
3. Collaborate effectively with clients, the interprofessional health care team, peers, and faculty, while respecting scope of practice.
   • 3.1 Provide a caring environment for clients by connecting, sharing, and exploring with them in a collaborative relationship.
   • 3.2 Identify the unique considerations and needs for initiating, maintaining, and concluding a therapeutic relationship with clients experiencing acute illness.
4. Provide person‐centred care that recognizes and respects the uniqueness of each individual and demonstrates cultural safety, cultural humility, anti-racism, particularly Indigenous-specific anti-racism.
   • 4.1 Uphold anti-racist practice through advocacy and actions.
   • 4.2 Identify one’s own values, biases, and assumptions as a self‐reflective, responsible, and accountable practitioner.
5. Examine practical applications associated with leadership, management, and followership.
   • 5.1 Describe approaches to facilitate and strengthen interprofessional collaborative practice, including collaborative leadership, in an acute care setting.

Course Concepts

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

• Comprehensive holistic health assessment, including mental health assessment
• Admission history, assessment/screeners and care planning, best possible medication history, discharge planning, and discharge teaching
• Quick priority assessment
• Documentation
• Clinical decision making
• Decision support tools
• Nursing interventions with clients experiencing acute illness, including a mental health and/or substance use condition
• Continuous bladder irrigation
• Risk management
• Principles of infection control
• Surgical wound management (assessment, cleansing and irrigation)
• Removing sutures, staples, and drains; inserting and removing wound packing
• Review of IV therapy
• IV initiation
• Blood and blood products (checking client identification, monitoring infusion, responding to blood reactions)
• Initiating blood and blood products (theory and knowledge only)
• Maintaining and removing nasogastric tubes
• Inserting nasogastric tubes (theory and knowledge only)
• Care of medical and surgical clients
• Management of chest tubes, epidural catheter, drainage tubes, suprapubic catheter, tracheostomy, and ostomy
• Individualizing nursing care plans in acute care setting
• Medication administration for clients in the acute care setting
• Pain management for clients in the acute care setting
• IV medication administration
• Reporting and documentation in the acute care setting, including SBAR, client transition reports, client handover, and transfer of accountability
• Leadership competencies