Academic Catalogs

NURS G160: Fundamentals of Nursing

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Eff Term Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 03/18/2025
Top Code 123010 - Registered Nursing (CTE)
Units 4 Total Units (Lecture Units 4)
Hours 72 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 72)
Total Outside of Class Hours 144
Total Student Learning Hours 216
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Open Entry/Open Exit No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

This course focuses on care of diverse individuals across the lifespan to meet physical and psychosocial health needs. The course introduces the student to the foundations of professional practice; emphasizing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for safe, quality nursing care. The nursing process will be utilized as the framework for patient-centered nursing care. The concept-based curriculum provides structure and is threaded throughout the course. Permission is required to enroll in the course. PREREQUISITE: PSYC G118, COMM C1000, BIOL G210, BIOL G220, BIOL G225, and ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1000E. COREQUISITE: NURS G160C. ADVISORY: NURS G131. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Explain the theoretical basis and procedural steps for foundational psychomotor skills.
  2. Identify the health needs of individuals across the lifespan to plan care.
  3. Compare and contrast between normal assessment findings and abnormal assessment findings.
  4. Utilize the nursing process to provide care to meet physical and psychosocial patient needs that adheres to legal, ethical, and professional standards.
  5. Determine professional communication techniques and tools used in nursing and health care.

Course Objectives

  • Determine health needs of individuals across the lifespan.
  • Describe patient-centered care and how/when foundational psychomotor skills should be implemented in a safe manner.
  • Integrate the nursing process and model its use in providing care to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of patients across the lifespan.
  • Differentiate normal assessment findings and abnormal findings to identify actual and/or potential health problems and promote quality care.
  • Examine safe, evidence-based nursing care, based on the nursing process framework, that is patient-centered and meets physical and psychosocial needs.
  • Assess cultural needs and provide nursing care for patients from diverse cultural groups.
  • Utilize standardized communication techniques to communicate with members of the health care team.
  • Identify factors that influence patient compliance with the therapeutic plan and use this information to develop effective teaching plans to promote health.

Lecture Content

  1. Overarching standards that will be addressed in each concept:
    1. Patient-centered Care
      1. Utilizing the nursing process to provide compassionate culturally sensitive care that is based on the physiological psychological sociological spiritual and cultural needs preferences and values.
    2. Safety and Quality Improvement (QI)
      1. The minimization of risk factors that could cause harm while promoting quality care and maintaining a secure environment for patients self and others in order to improve health care services and better meet the needs of patients.
    3. Nursing Judgment/Evidence Based Practice (EBP)
      1. The use of current knowledge from research and other credible sources in consideration of the nurse's clinical expertise and patient preferences to make nursing clinical judgments and provide patient, family and community centered care.
    4. Teamwork and Collaboration
      1. The delivery of patient care in partnership with nursing and interdisciplinary teams to achieve continuity of care and promote patient outcomes.
    5. Informatics and Technology 
      1. The use of information and technology as a communication and data gathering tool that supports clinical decision making and safe scientifically based nursing practice.
    6. Professional Identity Adherence to legal, ethical and professional standards of practice to provide nursing care for patients across the lifespan.
  2. For the following concepts, apply the nursing process and collaborative management for improved patient outcomes focusing on the adult and geriatric patient:
    1. Cognition: Thinking skills, including language use, calculations, perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, learning, intellect, social skills and imagination.
      1. Introduction to the concept of cognition as it relates to the care of patients. Nursing assessment of patients with cognitive issues. Nursing interventions to safely care for patients with dementia and delirium.
    2. Elimination: The secretion and excretion of bodily waste.
      1. Introduction to the concept of elimination as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the elimination patterns of the adult patient.
      3. Nursing interventions to maintain proper elimination patterns in adult patients with incontinence.
    3. Fluid & Electrolytes: The physiological mechanisms that maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
      1. Introduction to the concept of fluid and electrolytes as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of adult patients with fluid balance issues.
      3. Nursing care of adult patients with fluid volume excess or fluid volume deficit.
    4. Grief & Loss: A series of responses that occur following a physical and/or psychological insult with a goal of returning to homeostasis.
      1. Introduction to the concept of grief and loss as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the dying patient and their family.
      3. Nursing interventions for the dying patient and their family.
    5. Health & Wellness: A subjective perception of what makes life meaningful and manageable and is the result of adaptation to life's immediate experiences to maintain physical, psychological, social and cultural harmony.
      1. Introduction to the concept of health and wellness as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the adult patient.
      3. Safe administration of oral, parenteral, and topical medications for the adult patient.
    6. Immunity: The natural induced resistance to infection and conditions associated with impaired responses.
      1. Introduction to the concept of immunity as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the immunity status of patients.
      3. Nursing interventions of patients with immunity issues.
    7. Infection: A state of tissue destruction resulting from the invasion of microorganisms into the body.
      1. Introduction to the concept of infection as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment to detect infection.
      3. Nursing care of patients with infections.
    8. Inflammation: The physiological response to injury, infection or allergens.
      1. Introduction to the concept of inflammation as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment to identify patients at risk for inflammatory response.
      3. Nursing interventions for patients with inflammation.
    9. Mobility: Mechanisms which affect the ability to move within an individual and living environment.
      1. Introduction to the concept of mobility as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the mobility status of patients.
      3. Nursing interventions to promote optimal mobility of patients.
    10. Nutrition: The process by which the body ingests, absorbs, transports and uses nutrients and food.
      1. Introduction to the concept of nutrition as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of the nutritional status of patients.
      3. Nursing interventions to promote optimal nutrition in patients.
    11. Oxygenation: The exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the cells.
      1. Introduction to the concept of oxygenation as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of patient's oxygenation status.
      3. Nursing interventions to promote optimal oxygenation.
    12. Pain and Comfort: An experience of emotional, spiritual, psychological and physical well-being.
      1. Introduction to the concept of pain and comfort as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessments to identify pain levels of patients.
      3. Nursing interventions to decrease and/or alleviate pain in patients.
    13. Sensory Perception: Factors contributing to receiving and interpreting internal and external stimuli.
      1. Introduction to the concept of sensory perception as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment to identify sensory/perception difficulty in patients.
      3. Nursing interventions of patients with deficits in senses/perception.
    14. Stress & Coping: Conditions which disturb physiological and/or psychological equilibrium and the body's attempt to return to homeostasis following disequilibrium.
      1. Introduction to the concept of stress and coping as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment to identify stress levels and coping mechanisms of patients.
      3. Nursing interventions to assist patients' attainment of equilibrium.
    15. Tissue Integrity: Mechanisms that facilitate intact skin and mucous membranes and their physiological functioning.
      1. Introduction to the concept of tissue integrity as it relates to the care of patients.
      2. Nursing assessment of a patient's tissue integrity.
      3. Nursing interventions to take care of patients with impaired tissue integrity.

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

-

Reading Assignments

Textbook Interactive software for students

Writing Assignments

Nursing care plans Critical thinking exercises Presentations

Out-of-class Assignments

Reading assignments from required textbooks and online resources Internet research for evidence-based practice articles View audio-visual material as assigned

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

144

Methods of Student Evaluation

  • Short Quizzes
  • Written Assignments
  • Objective Examinations
  • Projects (Individual/Group)
  • Problem Solving Exercises
  • Oral Presentations

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Students will demonstrate critical thinking by applying the Nursing Clinical Judgement Model to assignments and class discussions. Students will assess clinical data to define patient needs, determine and prioritize clinical problems, formulate the nursing care plan, employ nursing interventions, and evaluate patient outcomes.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Application of the nursing process for exams, quizzes, and case studies.

Resources Subscreen

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Eligible Discipline(s)

  • Nursing: Master’s degree in nursing OR bachelor’s degree in nursing AND master’s degree in health education or health science OR the equivalent OR the minimum qualifications as set by the Board of Registered Nursing. Master's degree required.