Academic Calendar 2024-2025

Bachelor of Nursing Science Course Descriptions

NURS 100  Nutrition and Health  Units: 3.00  
This course is about nutrition as a determinant of health through the study of nutrient metabolism, nutrition throughout the life span, nutrition behaviour, and nutritional considerations for select health conditions. Students will learn about the role of nutrition in promoting health within the context of their professional discipline. A required course for students of nursing science and relevant for students in life science and other health professions. 3 hour lecture per week. Recommended 12U Chemistry or Biology, or by permission of the instructor.
Requirements: in BNSc and Exclusion: HLTH 230  
Course Equivalencies: HSCI230; NURS100  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 101  Professional Relationships  Units: 3.00  
This course is about introducing students to the profession of nursing. Professional relationships and therapeutic communication are the focus of this course. Critical thinking and problem-solving in nursing practice are introduced. The role of nursing organizations and legal concepts are explored. The professional expectation of reflective, evidence-informed practice is introduced. Students are exposed to a variety of nursing roles through class presentations. 2 hour lecture and 2 hour Clinical Education Centre per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 103  Philosophy and Healthcare  Units: 3.00  
This course is about the application of works concerning central philosophical issues, including the nature of knowledge, existence, self, ethics, morality, justice and the mind- body relationship in the practice of nursing. Students will study classical and contemporary philosophical works and focus on the philosophy of science, scientific progress, and critical thinking. Clinical cases and examples will be used to stimulate discussions regarding the difference between belief and attitude, the objective and subjective, and truth and validity. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 202  Health Assessment  Units: 3.00  
This course is about the concept of health and health assessment across the life span. Students will expand their learning regarding theories and skills in developing therapeutic relationships, interviewing and physical assessment skills and techniques. This course includes both classroom and experiential learning using simulation and peer assessment. 2 hour lecture, 2 hour Clinical Education Centre or Simulation Lab per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 205  Medical-Surgical Nursing I  Units: 3.00  
This course is about introducing students to the common health challenges experienced by adults and the associated implications for nursing care. Using the nursing process, students acquire basic nursing knowledge needed to care for clients whose health and independence have been disrupted. The emphasis of this course is on evidence- informed nursing management of clients, incorporating knowledge from related disciplines. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 206  Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults I  Units: 3.00  
This introductory practice course is about caring for adults with chronic and/or acute health conditions. Students will apply a nursing framework, and evidence-informed knowledge in providing care for these clients. Students will begin to apply assessment, intervention, and organizational skills in laboratory and direct client care in hospital settings. 120 hours per term.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 207  Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults II  Units: 3.00  
In this practice course, students will advance their learning about how to care for adults with chronic and/or acute health conditions. This course is about enhancing students; critical thinking skills and students will begin to practice independently. Students will continue to apply assessment, intervention, and organizational skills in laboratory and direct client care in hospital settings. 120 hours per term.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 209  Gerontological Nursing  Units: 3.00  
This course is about the principles of gerontology and geriatric nursing. Discussion will focus on the developmental changes with aging, theoretical framework of geriatric care, and the special considerations and unique needs encountered in clinical practice with older adults. Attention is placed on applying and integrating the best evidence to promote healthy aging and guide the management of complex chronic disease and disabilities in older adults. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 305  Medical-Surgical Nursing II  Units: 3.00  
This course is about extending the knowledge acquired in Nursing 205. Students will This course is about extending the knowledge acquired in Nursing 205. Students will explore additional clinical problems that challenge the well-being and functioning of adults with complex health challenges and unpredictable client outcomes. Evidence- informed care and a collaborative approach continue to be emphasized in discussing nursing interventions and responsibilities. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 323  Introduction to Statistics  Units: 3.00  
An introduction to the analysis of data from real life situations. The course covers sampling methods, descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include probability, t-tests, regression, Chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and study design. Emphasis is placed on the foundation of statistical inference and the practical application of statistical methods using statistical software. 1 hour lecture and 1.5 hour tutorial per week.
Requirements: BNSC Program Exclusions: BIOL 243; CHEE 209; COMM 162; ECON 250; GPHY 247; KNPE 251; NURS 323; POLS 285 (formerly POLS 385); PSYC 202; SOCY 211; STAM 200; STAT 252; STAT 263; STAT 367  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 324  Research in Nursing  Units: 3.00  
This course is about the basic principles and processes of conducting nursing research, and how to practice using an evidence-informed approach. The student will learn how to identify researchable problems, how to search for evidence, and how to critique and make decisions about the quality and applicability of published research, as well as how to design and implement a research study. The student will acquire the knowledge necessary to critically use research in clinical practice and for beginning participation as a junior member of a nursing research study. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: Exclusions: HLTH252. Registration in BNSC  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 325  Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing  Units: 3.00  
This course is about critical psychosocial and mental health issues that impact individuals, families, and groups in Canadian society. The nursing care of clients with mental illnesses, including mood and thought disorders, addictions, and significant mental health challenges across the lifespan are addressed. Advanced communication processes, nursing strategies, and therapeutic processes used in working with clients with complex psychosocial issues, such as suicide, family violence, aggression, end-of- life decisions and abuse, are explored. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 345  Nursing Practicum: Medical-Surgical and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing  Units: 6.00  
This practice course is about the care of adults with complex health challenges and unpredictable outcomes. Students apply theoretical frameworks, evidence-informed knowledge and skills in providing care of clients with acute physiological problems and/or exacerbations of chronic illnesses and care of clients with acute or long-term mental health problems. The course involves one medical/surgical and one mental health rotation that include laboratory and clinical experiences. This course enhances assessment, intervention, and organizational skills, in laboratory and Clinical Education Centre settings and in direct client care in hospital and community settings. 192 hours per term.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 371  Nursing Practicum: Maternal and Child, Family-Centred Care  Units: 6.00  
This practice course is about maternal, child and family- centred nursing care where students apply theoretical frameworks, and evidence-informed knowledge and skills in providing care during health, acute illness, chronic illness and transitions. The course involves one rotation in maternal/child family health (i.e. pregnancy, labour, pre/postpartum) and a rotation in the care of children and their families from infancy through adolescence. The course enhances assessment, intervention and organizational skills in laboratory and clinical simulation settings and in direct client care in hospital and community settings. 192 hours per term.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 372  Family-Centred Maternal and Newborn Nursing Care  Units: 3.00  
This course provides an introduction to maternal and newborn nursing care using a family-centred approach. Perinatal nursing focuses on care provided throughout the childbearing continuum from preconception, pregnancy, labour, birth, and postpartum period. Newborn nursing focuses on care of the infant during the normal transition to extrauterine life in the first 28 days. Health promotion and health challenges that present during the maternal and newborn period will be explored. Using a family-centred approach, a systems-based conceptualization is used to examine social, psychological and cultural influences on the family. Evidence-informed care and a collaborative approach continue to be emphasized in discussing nursing interventions and responsibilities. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 373  Family-Centred Pediatric Nursing Care  Units: 3.00  
This course is about the principles of pediatric nursing. Nursing care provided to children between birth and eighteen years of age will be addressed. Emphasis is placed on understanding growth and development, and its application to common and complex childhood illnesses and acute and chronic alterations in health. Students integrate core concepts of health promotion, injury prevention and wellness into care planning for the pediatric population. Using a family-centred approach, a systems-based conceptualization is used to examine social, psychological and cultural influences on the family. Evidence-informed care and a collaborative approach continue to be emphasized in discussing nursing interventions and responsibilities. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 401  Current Issues in Nursing and Health Care  Units: 3.00  
This course is about current issues affecting nursing practice and health care delivery that are particularly relevant to graduating nurses entering the workforce. Topics include legal, ethical and quality-of-work issues, as well as considerations relevant to advocacy, diversity and inclusion.Career planning will also be reviewed. This is an on-line course, except for the final week which occurs on campus. This course is concurrent with the Integrated Practicum in the final year of the program.
Requirements: BNSC Program Co-Req: NURS 492  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 403  Concepts of Acute and Critical Illness  Units: 3.00  
This course is about assessing, monitoring and managing the care of adult clients, with major life-threatening illnesses. Illnesses may include sudden catastrophic events, acute exacerbation of a chronic illness, unexpected deterioration in illness trajectory and sudden irreversible deterioration in health or illness pattern. Ethical, legal, societal and current health service delivery issues are incorporated. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 404  Community Health Promotion Theory  Units: 3.00  
This course is about examining the role of the nurse in community health promotion. Students learn the history and mission of community health nursing, foundational epidemiological concepts, predominant theories underlying community health practices, and strategies to build community capacity for change. Topics and theory are reviewed for their relevance to three common health promotion approaches: the medical approach, the behavioural approach, and the socioenvironmental approach. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 405  Practicum in Community Health Promotion  Units: 6.00  
This course is about the practice of health promotion with population groups. Students will learn how to work with a planning model to assess, develop and evaluate health promotion needs and interventions for a target population. Students will work with a community-based agency in an independent team-based learning practicum where they will acquire the knowledge necessary to conduct health promotion projects. 192 hours of clinical fieldwork per term.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 414  Management and Leadership in Health Care  Units: 3.00  
This course is about introducing students to key leadership and management theories and practices in the context of complex, constantly changing health care environments. Students examine the concept of leadership as it relates to the role of the nurse, the profession, and the health care system. An overview of organizational and care delivery structures, and the management of financial and human resources is provided. It is intended that the course will enhance students' leadership potential and prepare them as an emerging leader in various practice environments. 3 hour lecture per week.
Requirements: BNSC students only  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences  
  
NURS 492  Integrated Practicum  Units: 9.00  
This preceptored practice course allows students to further their development in critical thinking, the nursing process, workload organization, priority-setting for self and others, and collaboration with the health team, including family and un-regulated health care providers. Emphasis is on advancing professional identity and accountability and strengthening evidence-informed and reflective practice. The practicum includes a leadership/management experience, the form and timing of which is determined by the setting. The practice setting will vary for students and include public health, community agencies and hospital experiences. 400 hours over 10 weeks.
Requirements: in BNSc and Coreq NURS 401  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences