NURS G170: Medical Surgical Nursing I

Course Outline of Record
Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	03/18/2025
Top Code	123010 - Registered Nursing (CTE)
Units	3 Total Units (Lecture Units 3)
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	108
Total Student Learning Hours	162
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 the nursing care for adults of all ages with common acute/chronic problems. The nursing process will be utilized as a tool to direct nursing care. Concept-based curriculum provides the structure of the curriculum and is threaded throughout the course. PREREQUISITE: NURS G160 and NURS G160C. COREQUISITE: NURS G170C. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

Utilize the nursing process to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of the adult/geriatric patient with common health problems that adheres to legal, ethical, and professional standards.
Determine the cultural needs of the adult/geriatric patient to develop safe evidence-based nursing care.
Examine the pathophysiology of common acute/chronic health problems of the adult/geriatric patient.
Develop a patient-centered collaborative plan of care.
Explain how information technology, in collaboration with nursing and healthcare teams, facilitates communication and coordinates patient care.

Course Objectives

Formulate adult/geriatric assessment using nursing judgment and evidence-based practice.
Analyze pertinent assessment findings in order to identify potential health problems to promote quality care.
Organize safe evidence-based nursing care using the clinical judgment measurement model to meet the patient’s physical and psychosocial needs.
Describe legal, ethical, and professional standards of practice used to provide nursing care for the adult/geriatric patient.
Assess the cultural needs of the adult/geriatric patient from diverse cultural groups.
Apply pathophysiology as the basis for development of safe, evidence-based nursing process and patient care.
Describe how to utilize interdisciplinary teams when providing patient care for the adult/geriatric patient.
Discuss how informatics and technology, including electronic health records, is used to collect and document patient care for the adult/geriatric patient.

Lecture Content

Overarching standards that will be addressed in each concept:
1. Patient-centered care: 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 of the patient.
2. Safety and Quality Improvement (QI): 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): 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: 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: 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: The adherence to legal, ethical, and professional standards of practice to provide nursing care.
For the following concepts, apply the nursing process and collaborative management for improved patient outcomes, focusing on the adult/geriatric patient:
1. Cellular Regulation: The functions cells perform to maintain homeostasis.
  1. Introduction of concept of cellular regulation as it relates to patient care.
2. Elimination: The secretion and excretion of bodily waste.
  1. Teaching to establish proper elimination patterns
  2. nursing interventions to maintain proper elimination patterns in the adult/geriatric patient with obstructive diseases.
3. Fluid & Electrolytes/Acid-Base: The physiological mechanisms that maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
  1. Nursing intervention to maintain fluid balance
  2. Nursing care of patients with common electrolyte imbalances
4. Infection: Infection or infectious disease is a state of tissue destruction resulting from invasion of microorganisms into the body.
  1. Nurse's role in prevention of infections focusing on patients with alterations in the GU system
  2. Nursing assessment to detect infections
  3. Nursing care of patient with infections
5. Inflammation: The physiological response to injury, infection, or allergens-Inflammatory response.
  1. Nursing assessment to identify patients at risk for/with inflammatory response
  2. Nursing interventions to treat patients with inflammation related to the GI system
6. Metabolism: All biochemical processes that occur within the body.
  1. Nursing assessment of metabolic and nutritional needs of patients
  2. Nursing care of patients with alteration in metabolic and nutritional needs
  3. Nursing interventions for patients with chronic alterations in metabolism
7. Mobility: Mechanisms which affect the ability to move within an individual and living environment.
  1. Nursing actions to maintain patients' mobility
  2. Nursing interventions to prevent complications of immobility
  3. Collaborative management of patients with impaired mobility
8. Nutrition: The process by which the body ingests, absorbs, transports, and uses nutrition and food.
  1. Nursing assessment of body digestion and nutritional needs of the patient
  2. Nursing interventions for a patient with nutritional imbalances
9. Oxygenation: The exchanges of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) in cells.
  1. Nursing assessment of patient's oxygenation
  2. Nursing interventions to promote optimal oxygenation
  3. Nursing care of patients with impaired oxygenation
  4. Collaborative management of patients with chronic oxygenation problems
10. Pain and Comfort: An experience of emotional, spiritual, pyschological and physical well-being.
  1. Nursing assessments to identify pain levels of patients.
  2. Nursing interventions to decrease and/or alleviate pain in patients.
11. Perfusion: The process of fluid nutritive and oxygen delivery to cells.
  1. Nursing assessment to detect potential and actual patient problems with perfusion
  2. Nursing interventions to prevent morbidity or mortality in patients with acute perfusion problems
12. Sensory/Perception: Factors contributing to receiving and interpreting internal and external stimuli.
  1. Nursing assessment to identify sensory/perception difficulty in patients
  2. Nursing interventions of patients with deficits in senses/perception
13. Sexuality: Physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of sexual behavior.
  1. Nursing assessment of patients' sexual function
  2. Patient education regarding sexuality
14. Stress and Coping: Conditions which disturb physiological and/or psychological equilibrium and the body's attempt to return to homeostasis following disequilibrium.
  1. Nursing assessment to identify stress level and coping mechanisms
  2. Identification of patients at high risk for abuse, focusing on elders and dependent adults
  3. Legal requirements for Registered Nurses related to suspected abuse situations
  4. Nursing interventions to assist patients' attainment of equilibrium
15. Tissue Integrity: Mechanisms that facilitate intact skin and mucous membranes and their physiological functioning.
  1. Nursing assessment of patient's tissue integrity
  2. Collaborative management of patients with tissue integrity problems

Method(s) of Instruction

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

Instructional Techniques

Seminar style instruction Class participation and discussion Groups and individual presentation Case studies Exams Pop quizzes Calculation exam

Reading Assignments

Textbook Interactive software for students

Writing Assignments

Nursing care plans Evidence-based presentations Short essays and/or professional papers Short responses to case study prompts

Out-of-class Assignments

Reading assignments. View audio-visual material as assigned. Internet research for evidence-based articles.

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

108

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.

Eligible Disciplines

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, whichever is higher. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Hinkle,J., Cheever,K.. Brunner Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, 14th ed. Wolter Kluwer, 2018 2. Required Ackly, B.J., Ladwig, G.B.. Nursing Diagnosis Handbook. A Guide to Planning Care, 12th ed. Mosby, 2019

Software Resources

1. Lippincott CoursePoint for Nursing Concepts. Wolter Kluwer, 2nd ed.

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