The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective.
Department of Foundational Practice and Community-Based Care
nursing.wsu.edu
Spokane
Chair, Vicki Denson.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
The College of Nursing offers two pre-professional baccalaureate programs. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) pre-licensure undergraduate program is open to students beginning a nursing career. Students in this program complete approximately four academic years of full-time study. The RN-BSN undergraduate program is open to registered nurses who completed an Associate Degree in nursing and who wish to obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing. Students in this program complete approximately one year of full-time study.
The program of study for both types of students leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Undergraduate nursing programs at WSU are approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission and nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
BSN Students
Students with no previous preparation in nursing may complete pre-nursing course work (first and sophomore years) at Washington State University (Pullman or Tri-Cities campus locations), Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University, or another college or university. Pre-nursing coursework provides the student with a foundation in the natural and social sciences and the humanities. To apply for admission to the college, students must have at least 60 semester hours and all courses prerequisite to nursing completed the term prior to enrollment in the upper division.
The 300-400-level courses in the nursing major (junior and senior years) are offered at the College of Nursing in Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Yakima. These courses provide professional preparation in nursing, balancing course work with supervised clinical practice experiences in hospitals, healthcare organizations, and community settings. Upon successful completion of the BSN program, graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®) to become eligible for licensure as Registered Nurses.
RN – BSN Students
Students who are Registered Nurses may apply to the RN – BSN program at any time following the completion of their basic Registered Nursing education. The RN – BSN is offered at Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Yakima WSU campuses. The program builds on pre-licensure RN competencies and is focused on additional pre-professional nursing competencies that include, research, leadership, patient care quality and safety, informatics, and population health. The program is flexible, offering hybrid course delivery. A current, unencumbered Washington State RN License or eligibility for licensure is required. Applicants must be at junior standing (60 semester hours/90 quarter hours), have completed College of Nursing prerequisite courses and WSU’s University Common Requirements (UCORE) or equivalent course work. To apply for admission, consultation with a nursing academic advisor is required.
Transfer Students
All students who plan to transfer to nursing at Washington State University from other institutions should discuss their plans early with their academic advisor so that the pre-transfer program of study will be appropriate to nursing degree requirements. The College of Nursing offers pre-enrollment advising at campus locations in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Yakima for Registered Nurses who plan to obtain the BSN from Washington State University.
Student Learning Outcomes
Program outcomes for our BSN students are: 1) Formulate nursing practice decisions using the foundation of a liberal education and evolving knowledge from nursing science, the biological and behavioral sciences, and the humanities. 2) Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision-making in the provision of high-quality nursing care, healthcare team coordination, and the oversight and accountability for safe care delivery in a variety of settings. 3) Integrate reliable evidence from multiple credible sources of knowledge including basic and health sciences to inform practice and make clinical judgments. 4) Demonstrate skills in using patient care technologies, information systems, and communication devices that support safety and quality nursing practice. 5) Demonstrate basic understanding of the role of nurses in advocating for patients, communities and populations in discussions related to healthcare policy, finance, and regulations. 6) Use inter-and intra-professional communication and collaborative skills to advocate for safe, evidence-based, high quality patient-centered care. 7) Demonstrate basic understanding of the role of health promotion, and disease/injury prevention in improving population health across the lifespan. 8) Demonstrate the values central to nursing practice including altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, advocacy, social justice and life-long learning. 9) Provide safe, competent, compassionate, ethical, culturally sensitive, and evidence based nursing care to individuals, families, groups, communities and populations through promotion, maintenance and restoration of health; prevention of illness, and physical, emotional, and spiritual support throughout the life span including end of life, and across the continuum of health care environments.
Schedules of Studies
Honors students complete the Honors College requirements which replace the UCORE requirements.
Nursing (120 Credits)
Criteria for admission to the 300-400-level nursing major include an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in prerequisite courses. Achievement at a "proficient" level or above on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is required for all Pre-licensure applicants. Responses to personal interview questions may be used as additional admission criteria. All pre-licensure applicants are required to have at least 50 hours of volunteer/work health experience and provide a proctored writing sample at interview time.
Part-time schedule of study is available; see advisor.
| First Year | |
| First Term | Credits |
| CHEM 101 [PSCI] | 4 |
| HISTORY 105 [ROOT] | 3 |
| UCORE Inquiry1 | 6 |
| Second Term | Credits |
| BIOLOGY 102 [BSCI], 106 [BSCI], or 107 [BSCI] | 4 |
| CHEM 102 | 4 |
| ENGLISH 101 [WRTG] | 3 |
| PSYCH 105 [SSCI] | 3 |
| SOC 101 or 102 | 3 |
| Second Year | |
| First Term | Credits |
| BIOLOGY 251 | 4 |
| MBIOS 101 | 4 |
| STAT 212 [QUAN] | 4 |
| UCORE Inquiry1 | 3 |
| Second Term | Credits |
| BIOLOGY 140 or 333 | 3 |
| BIOLOGY 315 | 4 |
| Communication [COMM] or Written Communication [WRTG] | 3 |
| H D 101 | 3 |
| Elective | 2 |
| Complete Writing Portfolio | |
| Third Year | |
| First Term | Credits |
| NURS FPC 306 [M] | 3 |
| NURS FPC 311 | 3 |
| NURS FPC 315 | 4 |
| NURS FPC 316 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 317 | 3 |
| Second Term | Credits |
| NURS FPC 308 [M] | 3 |
| NURS FPC 322 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 324 | 5 |
| NURS FPC 325 | 5 |
| Fourth Year | |
| First Term | Credits |
| NURS FPC 408 | 3 |
| NURS FPC 412 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 414 | 3 |
| NURS FPC 415 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 416 | 3 |
| NURS FPC 417 | 2 |
| Second Term | Credits |
| NURS FPC 409 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 424 | 3 |
| NURS FPC 425 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 426 [M] | 2 |
| NURS FPC 427 | 2 |
| NURS FPC 430 [CAPS] | 4 |
Footnotes
| 1 | Must complete 3 of these 4 UCORE designations: ARTS, DIVR, EQJS, HUM. |
Nursing - Registered Nurses Option (0 Credits)
• Current, unencumbered, Washington State RN license or eligibility for licensure is required.
• Applicants must be junior standing (60 semester hours/90 quarter hours), have a direct transferable AA/AS degree, or have a bachelor’s degree.
• Must complete College of Nursing prerequisite courses and WSU’s University Common Requirements (UCORE) or equivalent course work. Some associate of arts, associate of science, or bachelor’s degrees may satisfy these requirements. Check with your academic advisor or compare your completed courses at the Transfer Credit Equivalencies website. Minimum grade for each prerequisite course is 2.0 (Pass/Satisfactory grades and CLEP scores are not accepted).
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all college work.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Option for Registered Nurses: Required courses: NURS FPC 360, 400, 405, 406, 413, 440, 463, 465, 495, Integrated Capstone/upper-division elective.
Courses
The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective. Courses showing two entries of the same number indicate that the course information is changing. The most recently approved version is shown first, followed by the older version, in gray, with its last-effective term preceding the course title. Courses shown in gray with only one entry of the course number are being discontinued. Course offerings by term can be accessed by clicking on the term links when viewing a specific campus catalog.
Foundational Practice And Community-Based Care (NURS_FPC)
306 [M] Professional Development I: Contexts of Care 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. First of the professional development series; introduction to the various contexts that guide care, including the nurse, the patient, and the health care system. (Formerly NURS 306.)
308 [M] Professional Development II: Evidence Based Practice 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 306; NURS FPC 311; NURS FPC 315; NURS FPC 316; NURS FPC 317. Second in professional development series; focuses on developing clinical decision making that utilizes evidence through the integration of current scientific research. (Formerly NURS 308.)
309 [M] Professional Development II: Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making Processes in Nursing 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 315 or concurrent enrollment. Continuation of professional development series; moral/ethical reasoning models, decision processes, and philosophical basis of nursing as a discipline. (Formerly NURS 309.)
311 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology in Nursing 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations of common human dysfunction; nursing implications for prevention and therapeutic approaches including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies. (Formerly NURS 311.)
315 Nursing Practice: Health and Illness 4 (0-12) Course Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 316 and NURS FPC 317; admitted to the major in Nursing. Introduction to nursing practice and health assessment: professional values, core competencies, core knowledge and role development. (Formerly NURS 315.) S, F grading.
316 Introduction to Nursing Practice in Health and Illness: Theory 2 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 315 and NURS FPC 317. Introduction to nursing concepts and holistic assessment including core professional values, knowledge and competencies for nursing practice. (Formerly NURS 316.)
317 Health Assessment 3 (2-2) Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 315 and NURS FPC 316. Systematic approach to health assessment of adults emphasizing and incorporating use of nursing process and scientific rationale. (Formerly NURS 317.)
322 Health Equity in the Context of Care 2 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 306; NURS FPC 311; NURS FPC 315; NURS FPC 316; NURS FPC 317. An exploration of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and how the social determinants of health impact the nursing practice and society's trajectory toward justice and health. (Formerly NURS 322.)
324 Nursing Concepts in Acute and Chronic Illness in the Adult 5 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 311; NURS FPC 315; NURS FPC 316; NURS FPC 317; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 325. Theoretical concepts of acute and chronic illness in the adult as a basis for critical thinking and decision-making in nursing. (Formerly NURS 324.)
325 Nursing Practice in Acute and Chronic Illness in Adults 5 (0-15) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 311; NURS FPC 315; NURS FPC 316; NURS FPC 317; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 324. Application of acute and chronic illness concepts and strategies in the care of adults to improve health and well-being. (Formerly NURS 325.) S, F grading.
360 Contemporary Nursing 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Integration of foundational nursing theory into an exploration of historical, ethical/legal, and current issues, to further develop the professional nurse. (Formerly NURS 360.)
398 Special Topics V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. (Formerly NURS 398.)
400 [M] Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Develops clinical questions, finds and critically appraises published evidence, and translates research into clinical practice. (Formerly NURS 400.)
405 Nursing Leadership 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Explores leadership theory to critically analyze group behaviors and their effects on health care outcomes. (Formerly NURS 405.)
406 Nursing Management of the Healthcare Environment 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Critically analyzes management strategies in diverse settings with a focus on quality safety and fiscal accountability of the changing healthcare system. (Formerly NURS 406.)
408 Professional Development III: Leadership and Management 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325. Continuation of professional development series; focus on impact of leadership, management, and resource allocation on patient outcomes. (Formerly NURS 408.)
409 Professional Development IV: Transition to Practice 2 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 408; NURS FPC 414; NURS FPC 415; NURS FPC 416; NURS FPC 417. Continuation of professional development series; focus on transition to practice and nursing across health care systems/delivery within global arena. (Formerly NURS 409.)
412 Family and Community as a Context of Care 2 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325. Concepts of family-focused nursing assessment, planning, and interventions with emphasis on referral to appropriate community resources. (Formerly NURS 412.)
413 Informatics in Healthcare 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Leveraging technology, tools, and data to provide more efficient patient-centered care to improve health outcomes. (Formerly NURS 413.)
414 Child and Family Health: Theory 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 415. Analysis and evaluation of scientific and theory base for nursing care of children and families. (Formerly NURS 414.)
415 Children and Families as the Focus of Nursing Care 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 414. Synthesis and application of underlying science and nursing process with the unique population of children and families. (Formerly NURS 415.) S, F grading.
416 Childbearing Health of the Family 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 417. Care of childbearing families within the context of community; newborn health, and men's and women's reproductive health addressed. (Formerly NURS 416.)
417 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 308; NURS FPC 322; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 416. Nursing care of families during the childbearing continuum and/or acute care settings; combination of clinical and seminar. (Formerly NURS 417.) S, F grading.
424 Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Concepts 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 408; NURS FPC 412; NURS FPC 414; NURS FPC 415; NURS FPC 416; NURS FPC 417; and concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 425. Principles and concepts of mental health studied within a nursing framework; includes psychopathology, treatment modalities, nursing care across the lifespan, and professional values within a legal/ethical framework. (Formerly NURS 424.)
425 Nursing Practice: Psychiatric/Mental Health 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 408; NURS FPC 412; NURS FPC 414; NURS FPC 415; NURS FPC 416; NURS FPC 417; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 424. Clinical application of the nursing process with clients experiencing acute and chronic psychiatric/mental health disruptions. (Formerly NURS 425.) S, F grading.
426 [M] Community Health Nursing Theory 2 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 408; NURS FPC 412; NURS FPC 414; NURS FPC 415; NURS FPC 416; NURS FPC 417; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 427. Synthesis of nursing and public health concepts with emphasis on community as partner and population-focused practice. (Formerly NURS 426.)
427 Community Health Nursing Practice 2 (0-6) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 408; NURS FPC 412; NURS FPC 414; NURS FPC 415; NURS FPC 416; NURS FPC 417; concurrent enrollment in NURS FPC 426. Promoting the public's health through application of the public health functions; assessment, policy development, and assurance. (Formerly NURS 427.) S, F grading.
430 [CAPS] Senior Practicum 4 (0-12) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 409 or concurrent enrollment; NURS FPC 424 or concurrent enrollment; NURS FPC 425 or concurrent enrollment; NURS FPC 426 or concurrent enrollment; NURS FPC 427 or concurrent enrollment. Application of practical and professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a healthcare setting as a novice nurse. (Formerly NURS 430.) S, F grading.
440 [M] Population Health Theory 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Synthesizes population-based nursing and public health concepts with a focus on upstream interventions in partnership with the community. (Formerly NURS 440.)
455 Cultural Safety and Social Justice in Global Society 3 Balance of power in health professional relationships, cultural safety, social justice, and diversity in global society. (Formerly NURS 455.)
463 Coordination of Care Across Complex Populations 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing. Best practices and models of care delivery in coordination of complex health care needs across a variety of populations; shared decision making and professional collaboration are integrated into an understanding of individual- and population-level factors that impact health outcomes. (Formerly NURS 463.)
465 Application of Population Health Principles 3 (0-9) Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 440 or concurrent enrollment. Application of community, public, and psychiatric mental health nursing concepts to communities, populations, groups, families, and individuals with identified health needs. (Formerly NURS 465.)
471 Foundations of Occupational and Environmental Health Practice 3 Course Prerequisite: Junior standing in any Health Professions program. Fundamentals of occupational and environmental health practice; concepts of prevention, epidemiology, disease prevention and health promotion to explain the underlying causes of occupational illness. (Formerly NURS 471.)
478 Plateau Tribes: Culture and Health 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, or Pharmacy; junior standing. History, culture, and health care needs of the Plateau Indian tribes; both classroom and practicum experience. Credit not granted for both NURS FPC 478 and NURS FPC 578. (Formerly NURS 478 and 578.) Offered at 400 and 500 level.
481 International Health Care 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 315. Study abroad experience in global health care; assessment and evaluation skills in planning and implementing culturally appropriate health care for individuals and communities. (Formerly NURS 481.)
490 Basic Dysrhythmia Interpretation/Advanced Cardiac Life Support V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Basic interpretation of common ECG rhythms, dysrhythmias, and application of ACLS dysrhythmia management guidelines. (Formerly NURS 490.)
491 Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Laboratory Value Analysis and Interpretation 3 Course Prerequisite: NURS FPC 311; NURS FPC 324; NURS FPC 325. Analysis/interpretation of common laboratory values; basic interpretation of common ECG rhythms, dysrhythmias, and application of ACLS dysrhythmias management guidelines. (Formerly NURS 491.)
492 Essentials of Disaster Management for Health Professions 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing; junior standing. Implications for disaster management across the health professions; mental health and ethical issues and concerns related to vulnerable populations. (Formerly NURS 492.)
495 [CAPS] Advanced Practicum 3 Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the major in Nursing; junior standing. Application and integration of theoretical content in an area of nursing practice of special interest to the student. (Formerly NURS 495.)
497 Special Topics in Nursing V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. (Formerly NURS 497.)
498 Special Topics in Nursing V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. (Formerly NURS 498.)
499 Special Problems V 1-4 May be repeated for credit. Independent study conducted under the jurisdiction of an approving faculty member; may include independent research studies in technical or specialized problems; selection and analysis of specified readings; development of a creative project; or field experiences. (Formerly NURS 499.) S, F grading.
578 Plateau Tribes: Culture and Health 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: Admission to Nursing, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, or Pharmacy graduate programs. History, culture, and health care needs of the Plateau Indian tribes; both classroom and practicum experience. Credit not granted for both NURS FPC 478 and NURS FPC 578. (Formerly NURS 478 and 578.) Offered at 400 and 500 level.
Social Work (SOCL_WRK)
101 Social Work as a Profession 1 Overview of various disciplines of social work, associated degrees, and careers; exploration of the roles of social workers in addressing social problems such as child maltreatment, mental illness, school violence, and poverty.
201 Introduction to Social Work I 3 Course Prerequisite: SOCL WRK 101. A foundation for the field of social work emphasizing institutional frameworks of social policies guiding the delivery of social welfare services.
202 Introduction to Social Work II 3 Course Prerequisite: SOCL WRK 201. An exploration of human problems, intervention strategies, and professional practice choices from a generalist perspective, with a focus on oppressed, marginalized, and underserved populations.
302 Generalist I 3 An introduction to generalist social work knowledge, values, and skills in working with individuals, families, and groups, including interviewing, active listening, problem assessment, intervention, and evaluation.
303 Generalist II 3 Continuation of generalist knowledge, values, and skills with a focus on assessment and evidence-based interventions with diverse populations represented within the rural communities of Washington.
310 Human Behavior in the Social Environment 3 Understanding human behavior and human development using a bio/psycho/social/spiritual perspective with focus on individuals, families, groups, and communities.
402 Generalist III 3 Continuation of generalist knowledge, values, and skills with a focus on structures, functions, processes, and interventions at the community and organizational levels of practice, including strategies for helping communities and organizations advocate for system development and change.
403 Generalist IV 3 Continuation of generalist knowledge, values, and skills with a focus on empowerment of populations who have experienced trauma and social, economic, and environmental injustice and the application of evidence-based, culturally inclusive and trauma-informed principles essential to helping populations at risk.
410 Intergroup Dialogues 3 An exploration of differences, inequalities, and social identities to build skills of understanding, self-reflection, and communication that promote social change.
411 [M] Privilege, Oppression, and Power 3 Exploration of institutionalized oppression and responses centered on social justice; privilege, structural and individual discrimination, and their impacts upon marginalized groups.
430 Self-awareness and Diversity in Practice 3 Awareness of the use of self within practice, including personal identity, group memberships, and styles of communication; self regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients.
431 Special Topics in Social Work 3 Specific interventions used in generalist social work practice; the intervention taught in each offering of the course will vary.
440 [M] Policy in Social Work 3 Policy and program development of social services including current and emergent policies, context and development of policies, and the potential of advocacy to promote social change.
441 [CAPS] Translating Research into Social Work Practice 3 The role of research in innovation, planning, and evidence-based interventions for social problems including child abuse, alcohol misuse, and interpersonal violence.
475 Field Experience I 4 (0-12) Beginning social service assignments under the supervision of competent agency personnel. A detailed description of the field experience can be found in the Field Education Handbook.
476 Field Experience II 4 (0-12) Course Prerequisite: SOCL WRK 475. Social service assignments under the supervision of competent agency personnel. A detailed description of the field experience can be found in the Field Education Handbook.