Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Fnd of Professional Nursing (Online)

NURS 3101-A30

Course: NURS 3101-A30
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: NURS
CRN: 12619

Course Description

This course introduces the theoretical and practice concepts upon which nursing is based. Students will explore professional writing and skills, evidence-based practice, historical development of nursing, health teaching, and principles of health promotion. This course is designed for the RN to BSN student. Must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better. This course is a prerequisite to a clinical course. (Fall - 1st Session, Fall - 2nd Session, Spring - 1st Session, Spring - 2nd Session, Summer - 1st Session, Summer - 2nd Session) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Acceptance into RN to BSN major

Required Texts

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000 (https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000)  

Learning Outcomes

Discuss nursing history and its relevance to modern-day nursing practice.   
Analyze and apply basic professional, legal, and ethical standards of nursing practice.
Construct a foundation for your individual professional nursing practice by: Integrating concepts of caring, holism, and cultural competence into nursing practice. Developing a fundamental understanding of how evidence can guide nursing practice.

Course Requirements

Acceptance into RN to BSN major.

Course Outline

Weekly Discussion Board Participation - 11%  Assignment Outline Most modules of this course will include a discussion of some type.  Unless otherwise stated in the post instructions, discussion board posts may be in the format of your choosing (written, audio recording, video recording, graphical representation, etc.).  I encourage and welcome your creativity! Your discussion board posts must be posted by the deadlines, as listed in the syllabus and each course module. PLEASE NOTE that Canvas does not allow me to create multiple due dates for discussion boards (for initial and subsequent discussion posts), so the due date on each discussion will be for the first posting due.  Subsequent posting due dates will be listed in the Assignment Grading section of each discussion board's instructions. Discussion board posts should include all required elements based on the prompts provided and will be graded based on the accompanying rubric.  Posts should demonstrate careful thought or analysis of the question.  Replies to classmates should similarly be well thought-out and should contribute positively to the discussion.  At no time will disparaging, slanderous, racist, or otherwise inappropriate posts/comments be tolerated.  Judgment about appropriateness of posts will be at the discretion of the course instructor.  Inappropriate posts will be removed and will result in a zero on that week’s discussion board grade. Module Assignments - 11% Each module includes a number of assignments and tasks to be completed.  Many of them are to be submitted to the instructor, while others are to be saved for use in later assignments.  The assignment grading section of each activity will indicate whether each task will be graded for completion or for content.  Those which are graded for content will be accompanied by a rubric.  Nursing History/Theory Presentation -10% You will create a presentation about the history of an influential person in nursing’s past and the impact that came about from that individual’s life and work.  Instructions for the assignment are found in Module 3.  You'll need to use the rubric and assignment instructions to create a clear, accurate, logical presentation, and cite your references using APA format. Nursing Standards Group Assignment - 10% Working with a group, you will research and summarize three important documents which guide the education, practice, and ethics of nurses in the United States.  Teaching Plan - 10% After researching and learning about best practices in communication and teaching, you will create an evidence-based teaching plan to explain how you would prepare for, engage in, and assess patient/client teaching on a specific topic.  Self-Care Journals - 8% A critical part of taking care of other people is taking care of yourself first.  Throughout this course you will be asked to set aside time to practice self-care.  This is not meant to add to your workload, but to help you slow down, nurture yourself, and build healthy habits so that you can be a more effective nurse.  You will submit your self-care journals weekly. RN-to-BSN Program Documentation - 30% At SUU, we prioritize the safety of our students and community members. Since you will be participating in active learning as part of this program, we require you to pass both a background check and a drug screening before you can register for any course with an experiential learning component. For more details on these requirements, please refer to the RN-to-BSN Handbook (https://www.suu.edu/nursing/resources.html) , where you'll find specific information about how and when you'll complete these steps. Quizzes - 10% You will have quizzes most weeks in this course.  The format of the quizzes will vary from week to week.  Quiz due dates will be listed in the weekly assignments for each module. 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments are due at the time designated by the course faculty. Due dates/times are posted in the syllabus/course calendar. Coursework that is turned in late will be graded to the same standard as coursework that was turned in on time. However, 10%off the maximum attainable score will be deducted for each day that the coursework is late. No coursework will be accepted after 11:59 pm on the last day of the term.

Attendance Policy

Attendance in online courses is evaluated based on completion of assignments, participation in online discussions, and timely response to instructor’s emails. You should notify the course faculty in advance if you know you are unable to complete assignments, etc. by the assignment due date. In the case of emergencies, notify the course faculty ASAP.

Course Fees

None.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.