Butte College

Course Outline

2026-2027 Catalog

NSG 16 - Accelerated Track Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing III

Catalog Description

Transfer Status
CSU
Prerequisite
Admission to Accelerated Track Registered Nursing Program
Unit(s)
4.00
  • Lecture: 68.00 Contact hours/136.00 Out of class hours/204.00 Total hours/4.00 Unit(s)
  • Total: 68.00 Contact hours/136.00 Out of class hours/204.00 Total hours/4.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course covers the nursing care of adult clients with high-risk, complex, and critical health care problems and adaptation to these problems. Students will study the nursing process related to the care of patients with multiple system disorders, unstable medical conditions, and critical health care disorders. This course emphasizes pathophysiology, complex issues in the nursing process and professional and advocacy nursing roles. Topics include emergency and critical care, hemodynamic monitoring, renal system, liver, biliary duct, and pancreas problems, cancer, perioperative, hematology/immune system, endocrine disorders, shock and neurology. Graded only.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Utilize the nursing assessment skills required to formulate nursing diagnoses in the care of clients with acute or chronic health care conditions in order to assist clients in maintaining health, restoration of wellness, and or promoting adaptation.
  2. Evaluate the pathophysiology, medical and nursing diagnosis, and common treatments to include pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and nutritional aspects for patients across the lifespan with acute or chronic health care conditions.
  3. Evaluate nursing interventions and nursing techniques used in the care of clients with acute and chronic health conditions.
  4. Evaluate methods of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of acute or chronic health care conditions used to maintain and support health across the lifespan.
  5. Evaluate criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of selected nursing therapeutic interventions and recognize data indicating a need to modify a client’s care plan.
  6. Analyze factors such as genetics, developmental level, psychosocial, socioeconomic, sexuality, nutrition, and culture that affect client and familial support system’s adaptation to acute, chronic, and terminal illness.
  7. Prioritize nursing care based on assessment data and nursing diagnosis for clients with acute and chronic health care conditions.
  8. Explain the professional role of the nurse in the care of clients with acute and chronic health care conditions as it relates to collaboration within health care teams, interprofessional communication skills, legal and ethical parameters, and client advocacy.
  9. Develop formal and informal teaching methods for clients, familial support systems, health care teams, and communities in order to optimize care for clients with acute or chronic health care problems.
  10. Analyze community resources available to assist clients and familial support systems in managing acute or chronic health care problems prior to and after discharge from a health care system.

Course Content

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

Lecture topics and suggested hours
TopicsLec Hrs

Hemodynamic Monitoring

2.00

Renal System

13.00

Hematology/Immune System

6.00

Endocrine Disorders

10.00

Shock

10.00

Nursing Care of Adults in Emergency and Critical Care Settings

6.00

Neurology

10.00

Liver, Biliary Duct, and Pancreas

4.00

Perioperative

3.00

Cancer

4.00
Total Hours:68.00

Methods of Instruction

  1. Discussion
  2. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
  3. Lecture
  4. Multimedia Presentations
  5. Reading Assignments

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Homework
  3. Written Assignments
  4. Group Participation

Examples of Assignments

Reading Assignments

  1. Read the chapter on Assessment of Neurological Function, and Management of Patients with Neurological Dysfunction in your medical-surgical textbook, and make a list of the main topics.
  2. Read the chapter on the Management of Patients with Endocrine Disorders in your medical-surgical textbook. Be prepared to categorize these disorders in small groups.

Writing Assignments

  1. Complete the 2-page renal case study and relate it to a patient you have cared for at the hospital.
  2. Complete the 2-page neurological case study, and relate it to a patient you have cared for during your medical/surgical clinical.

Out-of-Class Assignments

  1. Complete assigned Kaplan practice tests and on-line remediation. Be prepared to discuss remediation items in class.
  2. Complete learning management system quiz "Hemodynamic Monitoring." Submit answers and post one entry on discussion board.

Recommended Materials of Instruction

Harding, M. M., et al. (2023). Lewis’s medical-surgical nursing: assessment and management of clinical problems. Elsevier, 12th. 9780323789615.

Minimum Qualifications

Nursing (Masters Required)