Nursing 634

NURS 634: Advanced Family Nursing I: Women’s Health

Prerequisites: Admission into the FNP concentration; NURS 620, NURS 628, NURS 629, NURS 631 (or concurrent), NURS 651

Credit Hours: (5) Three hours seminar; six hours practicum

This course is designed to prepare the student with the knowledge and skills to practice in a rural setting to deliver primary health care to women. The student will develop clinical judgment in history and physical assessment as well as decision making in the management of common health problems. The focus includes health promotion, health protection, problem identification and management and client/family counseling.

Detailed Description of Content of Course

• Issues in women’s health care

  i. Culture
  ii. Role conflict

• Health promotion

  i. Standards and guidelines
  ii. Nutrition
  iii. Exercise
  iv. Stress management
  v. Other areas of holism for women

• Pregnancy

  i. Diagnosis
  ii. Assessment
  iii. Management

• Complications of pregnancy

  i. Recognition
  ii. Co-management
  iii. referral

• Physio-psychosocial problems in women

  i. Depression
  ii. Substance abuse
  iii. Injury
  iv. Violence
  v. Changing body image

  1. incontinence
  2. surgical alterations

• Sexual health

  i. Intimacy and sexuality

  1. alternative lifestyles
  2. partnerships

  a. divorce
  b. widowhood
  c. parent care

  ii. family planning

  1. contraception
  2. infertility

  a. female
  b. male
  c. infectious processes

  i. sexually transmitted diseases
  ii. HIV in men and women

  d. Menopausal women

  i. Assessment
  ii. Management

  e. Menstrual cycle disorders

  i. Assessment
  ii. management

• Diagnostic tools and screening

  i. Mammography
  ii. Pap screening
  iii. Self-breast exams

• Educational and community based programs
• Occupational safety and health
• Environmental health issues
• Food and drug safety

Detailed Description of Course

This course will prepare the student for functioning in the clinical role of the family nurse practitioner. The classroom component will focus on knowledge related to delivering primary health care to women in rural settings. The major portion of the practicum will be spent in a clinical setting under the supervision of a nurse practitioner, physician, or midwife to develop expertise in clinical judgment and health care delivery for women. In addition, students will work with faculty members in the laboratory setting to master skills related to women’s health such as pelvic examinations, breast examinations, and laboratory tests.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Identify the components of an appropriate history and physical exam as it relates to the management of women.
• Obtain and interpret appropriate laboratory assessment.
• Assess a family to identify the effects of family, culture and health practices on a woman’s health
• Analyze assessment findings to formulate appropriate differential diagnosis regarding the health of an individual or family.
• Initiate the appropriate health promotion, protection and maintenance strategies for common acute and chronic illnesses or life processes of women.
• Participate in health education and management of women in nontraditional settings
• Examine the role of the FNP in providing primary care to women in nontraditional settings.
• Utilize strategies of coordination, collaboration, and referral n the management of women’s health to improve health care delivery.
• Discuss current issues in women’s health care and identify barriers to care.
• Evaluate the health status of women throughout the lifespan.
• Evaluate relevant research findings for application in clinical management of women’s health.

Assessment Measures

Classroom

i. Midterm examination
ii. Final examination
iii. Student led seminar
iv. Paper on seminar topic
v. Participation

Practicum

i. Competency checkoffs
ii. Logs of each practicum experience
iii. 2 Clinical write-ups (assessment, differential, diagnoses, plan of care, and evaluation)

Other Course Information

This course was originally proposed as a four (4) credit course, two hours of seminar, and six hours of practicum. The course was taught for the first time this semester, and it became apparent even during the planning stage that two hours of seminar, 30 hours over the semester, would not allow enough time for faculty and students to address necessary content. Experience with the course has confirmed the need for an additional hour of credit to be added to the seminar portion of this course. Reproductive health care for women is a major focus of nurses in family practice, especially in rural sites

Review and Approval
March 1999 Course number change 534 to 634