Provides health care assistants with theory and clinical experiences to assist nurses in an acute care, long-term, or home health facility. A certificate is awarded upon completion. Introduction to nursing process as systematic approach to identifying patient problems and providing nursing care. Fundamental skills and principles underlying nursing interventions. Nursing process is taught as a method to identify and meet each patient s basic nursing care needs which are prioritized according to Maslow s Hierarchy.
Additional emphasis is on assessment for special needs according to developmental level.
Students learn pathophysiology, treatment options, and nursing care for adult patients with health problems that require some alteration of lifestyle to enable performance of activities of daily living. Application of theory occurs in acute and skilled care settings with increasingly complex clients. Introduction to drug therapy. Emphasis on basic pharmacology principles, drug action, correct dosages, methods of administration, and evaluation of patient response. Nursing process is used to identify priorities for care of patients receiving specific medications.