NURS 60: Certified Nursing Assistant

Units: 6.5
Prerequisites: ACE 150, ENGL 50, ESL 150, or eligibility determined by the English placement process; AHA BLS Provider card. (Submit valid SSN, MCC physical, current flu shot, and TB clearance to T420 two weeks before first class meeting.)
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4 hours, laboratory 7.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course covers basic nursing skills, including fundamentals of nursing, nutrition, gerontology, and home nursing. It is a prerequisite for MiraCosta's Licensed Vocational Nursing program and has been approved by the California Department of Public Health for the Certified Nursing Assistant certification. Upon successful completion of the course, students may seek employment in long-term and skilled nursing facilities, acute care, and in-home care. Students with prior convictions for misdemeanors or felonies will need to be cleared by the California Department of Public Health. This is done with a Live Scan on the second day of class.

NURS 64: Home Health Aide

Units: 2
Prerequisites: Current California Certified Nursing Assistant certificate; and current physical and TB test (done within a year) on MiraCosta physical form; and current American Heart Association Basic Healthcare Provider CPR card.
Lecture 1.50 hours, laboratory 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Spring

This 48-hour course is designed for the certified nursing assistant to meet the state requirement of 40 hours to obtain a Home Health Aide Certificate. Topics include the role of the home health aide, federal and state requirements for the home health aide, interpretation of medical and social needs of people being served, personal care services, nutrition and cleaning, and care tasks in the home.

NURS 151: Body Systems Survey for Health Professions

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This basic anatomy and physiology course is intended for students who are preparing for a career in health professions. The content is presented from simple to complex, beginning with cellular functioning and progressing through the various organ systems. Students learn how an organ is anatomically designed to perform a specific physiological task and how each organ system plays a role in maintaining homeostasis.

NURS 153: Pathophysiology for Health Professions

Units: 3
Prerequisites: NURS 151.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This pathophysiology course is intended for students who are preparing for a career in health professions. The course focuses on disease processes in the human body from a systems approach and includes an analysis of the most common and significant diseases. Students use appropriate medical terminology to examine the signs, symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

NURS 155: Basic Medical Terminology

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course covers the origin, correct spelling, pronunciation, meaning, and correct usage of common medical terms and their application to clinical records and reports. It emphasizes the roots, prefixes, suffixes, medical abbreviations, symbols, and terms commonly used in medical records.

NURS 166: American Medical Corps Transition to Vocational Nurse

Units: 3
Prerequisites: 12 months' experience as a Medical Corps Member or equivalent.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces the American military medical member to the role of vocational nurse through a review of basic nursing skills, the nursing process, communication, medication administration/pharmacology, adult growth and development, obstetric and pediatric, gerontology, medical/surgical nursing, oncology, and hematology. The related anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial, and nutritional considerations of patients are integrated with their respective units.

NURS 170: Licensed Vocational Nursing I

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 60 or a current California CNA license; and PHAR 100; and NURS 151 or BIO 210, BIO 210H, or BIO 220; and admission to the LVN program.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall even years

This course introduces the beginning vocational nursing student to therapeutic communication, the nursing profession, basic nursing skills, basic pharmacology, and the nursing process. (Materials Fee: $30.00)

NURS 171: Licensed Vocational Nursing II

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 170.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Spring odd years

This course introduces the vocational nursing student to nutrition, medication administration, gerontology, adult growth and development, the diabetic patient, and the integumentary system. Each unit integrates related anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial, and nutrition considerations of the patients.

NURS 172: Licensed Vocational Nursing III

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 171.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Summer odd years

This course introduces the vocational nursing student to perioperative and medical-surgical nursing, the genitourinary and gastrointestinal systems, and communicable diseases. Each unit integrates related anatomy, pathophysiology, psychosocial, pharmacology, and nutrition considerations.

NURS 173: Licensed Vocational Nursing IV

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 172.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall odd years

This course introduces vocational nursing students to the nursing care of the neurological, endocrine, oncology, orthopedic, and rehabilitation patient as well as the patient with a hematological and lymphatic disease. Each unit integrates related anatomy, pathophysiology, psychosocial, pharmacology, and nutrition considerations.

NURS 180: Fundamentals of Nursing

Units: 4
Prerequisites: None
Enrollment Limitation: Admission to RN program.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This entry-level nursing course introduces students to the core concepts, principles, and clinical skills common to all areas and levels of the nursing practice. It provides the platform upon which all subsequent nursing courses build. Its integration of clinical experiences may include acute, long-term, and perioperative/ambulatory care settings as well as college laboratory simulations. (Materials Fee: $697.00)

NURS 181: Medical Surgical Nursing I

Units: 4
Prerequisites: NURS 180 (ADN).
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces the basic concepts required to care for adult patients with stable and/or less complex medical-surgical health problems. It emphasizes the management of unmet needs and the nursing process as organizing frameworks for providing nursing care. Students integrate and apply theoretical concepts and clinical skills in acute, long-term, and perioperative/ambulatory care settings as well as college laboratory simulations.

NURS 182: Maternal-Child Nursing

Units: 5
Prerequisites: NURS 181 (ADN).
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course relates the nursing process to the needs of maternity and pediatric patients and their families. Students adapt previously learned skills and knowledge to the observation and direct care of normal- and high-risk populations. The integration of students' clinical experiences may include acute, long-term, and perioperative/ambulatory care settings as well as college laboratory simulations. Non-clinical and clinical activities may be presented in an online format. (Materials Fee: $667.00)

NURS 183: Medical Surgical Nursing II

Units: 4.5
Prerequisites: NURS 181 (ADN).
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 7.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course continues the study of caring for adult patients with unmet medical needs. It emphasizes perioperative health care needs across the adult life span and respective nursing interventions. Clinical simulations and experiences provide students with opportunities to apply theoretical concepts, improve clinical judgment, and broaden clinical skills in acute, long-term, perioperative/ambulatory, and/or college nursing lab care settings. Non-clinical activities in this course may be presented in an online format.

NURS 274: Licensed Vocational Nursing V

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 173.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Spring even years

This course introduces the advanced vocational nursing student to the nursing care of patients with circulatory and respiratory diseases and disorders as well as home health/hospice and leadership. Each unit integrates related anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial, and nutrition considerations. The course also covers leadership, supervision skills, and interpersonal relationships.

NURS 275: Licensed Vocational Nursing VI

Units: 7.5
Prerequisites: NURS 274.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 4.50 hours, laboratory 9 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Summer even years

This course introduces the advanced vocational nursing student to the nursing care of obstetric, gynecologic, pediatric, and mentally ill patients as well as growth and development of the child and adolescent. Each unit integrates related anatomy, pathophysiology, psycho-social, pharmacology, and nutrition considerations. The course includes professional adjustment to prepare the nursing student for employment.

NURS 280: Transition from LVN to RN

Units: 2.5
Prerequisites: None
Enrollment Limitation: Acceptance into LVN to RN program.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1.50 hours, laboratory 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Summer

This course facilitates the transition of the licensed vocational nurse (LVN) into the roles and responsibilities of the registered nurse (RN). It introduces the philosophy and conceptual framework of the RN as member of the discipline and provider of care. The course content focuses on competencies expected of the graduate Associate Degree Nurse (ADN), including clinical reasoning skills, role development, clinical skills, and the nursing process.

NURS 281: Medical Surgical Nursing III

Units: 7
Prerequisites: NURS 183 (ADN) or NURS 280 (LVN to RN).
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 12 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course continues the study of caring for adult patients with unmet medical needs. It examines the effect of complex and chronic health problems on the physiologic and psychosocial integrity of the adult and elderly patient. Students apply theoretical concepts, improve clinical judgment, and broaden clinical skills in acute, long-term, perioperative/ambulatory, and/or college nursing lab settings. Non-clinical activities may be presented in an online format. (Materials Fee: $667.00).

NURS 282: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Units: 3.5
Prerequisites: NURS 183 (ADN) or NURS 280 (LVN to RN).
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 2 hours, laboratory 4.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of nursing as related to mental health and illness. It examines how mental healthcare problems impact client integrity in various healthcare settings, and it emphasizes how therapeutic communication establishes and maintains effective nurse-client relationships. Non-clinical activities may be presented in an online format.

NURS 283: Medical Surgical Nursing IV

Units: 7
Prerequisites: NURS 281 and NURS 282.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 12 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course focuses on the theory and practice of nursing necessary to assist the acute and critically ill across the lifespan in achieving client integrity. It emphasizes refining use of the nursing process to provide nursing care for individuals with complex and acute health problems. Students apply advanced theoretical knowledge, critical thinking, and psychomotor skills in practical situations. Non-clinical activities may be presented in an online format.

NURS 284: Contemporary Nursing Practice and Leadership

Units: 1.5
Prerequisites: NURS 281 and NURS 282
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course facilitates the student's transition to entry-level registered nursing practice. It presents management and leadership concepts that are applicable to a variety of health care settings. Topics include transitioning from student to registered nurse, decision-making, organization, values clarification, resource allocation, and health care trends.

NURS 288: Nurse Externship

Units: 1-4
Prerequisites: NURS 183 (Generic RN) or NURS 280 (LVN-RN Bridge)
Corequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Nursing Program and complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Laboratory 12 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course provides registered nursing (RN) students an opportunity to obtain clinical experience in the application of all previously learned knowledge and skills. Students work collaboratively with a faculty mentor, RN supervisor, and members of the health care team to meet job-oriented learning objectives. Under an RN's supervision, students are provided opportunities to increase their nursing judgment and enhance their nursing skills as preparation for their role as professional graduate nurses. A maximum of 16 units may be earned during community college attendance.

NURS 290: Critical Care

Units: 1.5
Prerequisites: None
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor Consent. Students need to be in the last semester of an RN program or equivalent.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces students to critical care concepts and care of critically patients experiencing varied disorders. It discusses the relationship of pathophysiology to clinical manifestations that patients experience and the interventions the registered nurse needs to implement to improve patient outcomes. Topics include rhythm and 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis and treatment, shock syndromes, medications used to maintain hemodynamic stability and perfusion, maintenance of artificial airways, and mechanical ventilation.

NURS 292: Internship Studies

Units: 0.5-3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor, dept chair, and Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

This course provides students the opportunity to apply the theories and techniques of their discipline in an internship position in a professional setting under the instruction of a faculty-mentor and site supervisor. It introduces students to aspects of the roles and responsibilities of professionals employed in the field of study. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students must develop new learning objectives and/or intern at a new site upon each repetition. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.

NURS 296: Topics in Nursing

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1 hour.
Lecture 2 hours.
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

This course gives students an opportunity to study topics in Nursing that are not included in regular course offerings. Each Topics course is announced, described, and given its own title and 296 number designation in the class schedule.

NURS 299: Occupational Cooperative Work Experience

Units: 1-4
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

Cooperative Work Experience is intended for students who are employed in a job directly related to their major. It allows such students the opportunity to apply the theories and skills of their discipline to their position and to undertake new responsibilities and learn new skills at work. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.