Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Care of Adults (Face-to-Face)

NURS 3230-01

Course: NURS 3230-01
Credits: 4
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Nursing
CRN: 31865

Course Description

This course provides the conceptual basis for understanding acute physical health alterations in adult clients. This class addresses the roles and responsibilities of nurses and physical, mental, emotion, social, and environmental factors in regards to patient care. Students will learn to provide basic adult nursing care in a variety of settings. Must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better. (Fall, Spring) [Graded Letter]

Required Texts

Required
Recommended
  • Drug Reference Handbook such as Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will apply factors that create a culture of caring and advocacy in providing safe & high- quality patient centered care for diverse adults experiencing acute and chronic health problems.
  2. Students will utilize the nursing process, clinical judgment, interprofessional perspectives, and patient preferences in assessing, planning, and implementing comprehensive nursing care in the acute setting that aligns with ethical and legal principles standards.
  3. Students will apply critical thinking and evidence-based practice to make and prioritize informed clinical decisions and nursing interventions in the care of adult populations with acute and chronic health conditions.
  4. Students will demonstrate competency to successfully pass the NCLEX as it pertains to medical surgical nursing.
  5. Students will appropriately analyze patient data and assessments and collaborate with the healthcare team to identify and intervene on potential or actual health problems.

Course Requirements

Grade Scheme

Grades will be determined in the undergraduate programs using the following grading scale. To progress in the undergraduate program, students must pass each course with a C (74%) minimum.

A100 % to 94.0%
A-< 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+< 90.0 % to 87.0%
B< 87.0 % to 84.0%
B-< 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+< 80.0 % to 77.0%
C< 77.0 % to 74.0%
F< 74.0 %
Assignment Outline
Attendance/Participation/Professionalism - 10%

You are responsible for attending class, arriving on time and staying for the duration of class. Those who do not attend, arrive late or depart early will lose participation points for the day. A loss of points will occur for internet surfing, game playing on your computer, or any other unacceptable/unprofessional behavior. Lack of participation during in-class assignments and activities will also result in loss of points.

Assignments - 10%

Class assignments help solidify class content and encourage critical thinking. Instructions on individual assignments are found in Canvas.

ATI Assignments - 15%

You will have one ATI assessment assignment due most weeks of the semester. These assessment assignments are found on the ATI website. Specific instructions for finding each test is in the assignment instructions. You will also have an ATI Ticket to Test practice test before each scheduled ATI Test. You must pass each ATI Ticket to Test with a 90% or higher to take the ATI Midterm and Final.

Your practice as a nurse is yours, just as the knowledge you gain is yours. Completing ATI assignments together does not translate into success as an individual nurse. Using the internet or a friend to answer questions will not help you learn to take NCLEX-type questions, nor will it help you learn the foundational material you need to practice safely as an RN.

Ticket to Class Quizzes - 10%

Closed-book quizzes will be given during the first 15 minutes of class each week and are based on the previous week’s material. You must be in class to take the quiz. Make-up quizzes are at the discretion of the instructor.

Class Exams (3 Exams) - 30%

You will take three class exams during the semester which include material covered in class and in class slides. The class final exam will include new material and will also be comprehensive.

ATI - 25% Midterm (10%) Final (15%)

Exams begin promptly on time as listed in the schedule. Doors are locked prior to testing. You will not be allowed to begin the exam late.

The Midterm ATI is comprehensive. You may want to study the ATI chapters that are covered at the end of the semester prior to taking the Midterm ATI exam.

The current ATI levels are:

  • Below level 1 0.0% to 60.4%
  • Level 1 60.5% to 71.0%
  • Level 2 71.1% to 83.6%
  • Level 3 83.7% to 100.0%

• ATI levels are subject to change per ATI

Below are the ATI levels with corresponding class grade.

For students that reach Level 3 their grade will be

  • 94.6% - 100.0% proficiency, equals 100%
  • 89.1% - 94.5% proficiency, equals 97%
  • 83.7% - 89.0% proficiency, equals 94%

For students that reach Level 2 their grade will be

  • 79.5% - 83.6% proficiency, equals 91%
  • 75.3% - 79.4% proficiency, equals 88%
  • 71.1% - 75.2% proficiency equals 85%

For students that reach Level 1 their grade will be

  • 67.5% - 71.0% proficiency, equals 82%
  • 64.0% - 67.4% proficiency, equals 79%
  • 60.5% - 63.9% proficiency, equals 75%

Students who get Below Level 1 on the midterm or final ATI receive 0%. If they receive at least Level 1 on either the midterm or the final ATI, the ATI they received Below Level 1 will be adjusted to 70%. Students who receive Below Level 1 on both the midterm and final ATI will receive 0% for both exams and will fail the course.

Students who achieve a Level 1 or below on the Success Plan Determination Assignment will follow the success plan. Success plan instructions are found in Canvas. The Success Plan must be completed before the midterm ATI.

Any student who receives a Below Level 1 proficiency score on the midterm ATI exam must do 8 hours of remediation. Remediation instructions are found in Canvas in the Remediation assignment. Remediation must be completed before taking the final ATI exam. Failure to complete remediation will result in a ZERO score for the ATI exam and failure of the course.

If the student arrives late, they will not be admitted. Do not knock on or try to open the door. The student must contact and reschedule with the course faculty.

If a student has an unexcused absence from an ATI exam, the student’s ATI score will receive a 15% deduction.

Students must take both ATI exams to pass the course. A student will receive a 0% on an ATI test that is not taken.

Course Outline

Week 1Syllabus, Cardiovascular
Week 2Cardiovascular
Week 3Respiratory
Week 4Gastrointestinal
Week 5Test #1, Liver Pancreas, Gallbladder
Week 6Renal, Acid/Base Balances
Week 7Fluids and Electrolytes
Week 8Endocrine
Week 9Neuro
Week 10Test #2, Integumentary, Midterm ATI
Week 11Musculoskeletal
Week 12Shock, Immunology, Hematology
Week 13Thanksgiving
Week 14Cancer
Week 15Final Class Exam
Week 16Final ATI

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

Due dates and times are designated by faculty and posted in Canvas. Late assignments are accepted with a 10% deduction per day with a maximum 50% deduction.

Attendance Policy

Regular class attendance and participation is strongly recommended and is part of your grade. Success in nursing courses is achieved with active participation; this means modeling positive communication skills that are civil and non-disruptive. There is NO texting or internet surfing allowed during class. Laptop computers and ipad devices are acceptable for note-taking. If it is discovered that you are using applications other than note-taking during class/lab time you will be asked to turn the device off and not bring it into class.

Course Fees

$120

Instructor's Response Time &amp; Feedback

Statement of Safety or Risk Assumption

You are expected to manage your own transportation and assume your own risks when traveling to and from class, labs, or clinical experiences and when performing duties in class, labs, or clinical experiences. There are inherent risks involved in travel and in lab and clinical experiences. The most obvious risks are accidents, contracting infections or other communicable diseases or workplace violence. Please take precautions to avoid risks and provide for your safety.

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.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

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.