Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Back to Syllabus Search | Browse by Department
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Community Health Nursing Lab (Face-to-Face)

NURS 4355-02

Course: NURS 4355-02
Credits: 2
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Nursing
CRN: 31884

Course Description

This course provides clinical experience in supervised healthcare settings in the community to accompany NURS 4350. Two (2) credit hours (6 lab hours per week). Must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): NURS 4350 Prerequisite(s): Completion of all Level Two courses Registration Restriction(s): Nursing majors only

Required Texts

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). The Essentials: core competencies for professional nursing education. Washington DC: AACN available through https://www.aacnnursing.org/AACN-Essentials

Learning Outcomes

  • Describes levels of prevention used to improve overall health of individuals and communities
  • Plan and engage in health promotion for student individual health
  • Describe nursing's role in health promotion and disease prevention
  • Describe the impact of lifestyle and environment upon quality and quantity of life

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-<93.0% to 90.0%
B+<89.0% to 87.0%
B<86.0% to 84.0%
B-<83.0% to 80.0%
C+<79.0% to 77.0%
C<76.0% to 74.0%
F<74.0%
Assignment Outline
  • Mandatory Clinicals - 25%
    Personal Health Promotion Goal Hours, Research Poster Presentation, AARP Walk Audit worksheets, Peer Mentor Meetings, ATI Student Teaching Hours, and Well Elder Hours
  • Midterm Clinical Evaluations - 25%
    Students must turn in a clinical hours log by the posted due date. The clinical instructor will go through clinical hours logs and communicate with clinical sites to determine the student's grade for the midterm clinical evaluation.
  • Final Clinical Evaluations - 25%
    Students are required to meet with the clinical instructor before the posted due date for their final clinical evaluation. The student must have completed and logged 90 clinical hours. Students should make sure all clinical forms are completed and turned in.
  • Reflections - 25%
    There are 4 clinical reflections and 1 patient teaching reflection students must complete throughout the semester.

Course Outline

  • Beginning of Semester Contact due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749706)
  • Thu Sep 10, 2026
  • Commenced Attendance Quiz due by 11:59pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749703)
  • Care Plan Contact and Review due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749707)
  • Thu Oct 1, 2026
  • Scholarship Symposium Abstract Approval due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749705)
  • Thu Oct 15, 2026
  • Scholarship Symposium Submission due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749715)
  • Thu Oct 22, 2026
  • Midterm Clinical Log due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749721)
  • Thu Nov 19, 2026 (BEFORE YOU PRINT)
  • Scholarship Symposium Poster due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18750675)
  • Scholarship Symposium Printed Poster due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749713)
  • Thu Dec 3, 2026
  • Scholarship Symposium Teaching Plan due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749717)
  • AARP Walk Audit Worksheet due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749704)
  • Clinical Reflection - Health Promotion due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749708)
  • Clinical Reflection - Impact of Environment due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749709)
  • Clinical Reflection - Impact of Lifestyle due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749710)
  • Thu Dec 10, 2026
  • Clinical Reflection - Levels of Prevention due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749711)
  • Patient Teaching due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749722)
  • Pre-Finals Week Contact due by 12pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749724)
  • Final Clinical Log due by 5pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749719)
  • Fri Dec 11, 2026
  • Scholarship Symposium Reflection due by 5pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749714)
  • Tue Dec 15, 2026
  • Turn in Clinical Forms Here! due by 1:30pm (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749725)
  • FERPA Consent Waiver (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18595743)
  • Final Clinical Evaluation (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749718)
  • Scholarship Symposium Alternate Assignment (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749712)
  • Scholarship Symposium Supply Request Form (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1205698/assignments/18749716)

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

All assignments are due at the time designated. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. It is the student's responsibility to check that the appropriate assignment is uploaded to Canvas.

  • Exceptions may be made, as required, for student athletes, military members, or those with accommodations specific to this requirement through SUU's ADA Office.

Attendance Policy

Students must attend all nursing lab activities and clinical assignments. Student safety is always a concern. With that being said, students must also complete clinical hours to pass this course. Students are welcome to cancel a clinical due to driving in inclement weather, with the understanding that the students need to notify the clinical faculty 90 minutes before the scheduled start time. That clinical will not be rescheduled. Students are responsible for signing up for another clinical opportunity to obtain those hours.

On days that SUU campus is open but no classes are held, the DON may hold clinicals.

A Qualtrics check-in link will be provided and needs to be completed each clinical shift. If a student forgets to utilize Qualtrics, they need to email the clinical instructor the same day. Failure to utilize Qualtrics or communicate with the clinical instructor the day of clinical will result in a point deduction during midterm and final clinical evaluations. Students will be submitting a picture (be careful with what is in the background- no patients). These will not be posted on social media; they are just to ensure students are at the correct site on time.

If students miss a clinical experience, and do not contact the clinical instructor 2 business days before the clinical, points will be subtracted from the course grade and the student will receive a clinical point. You will be required to make up any clinical hours missed. If students do not complete 90 clinical hours, they will fail the course. All lab experiences, mandatory clinical assignments, and clinical experiences count for clinical hours. If students do not complete all hours and assignments, they will fail the course. Each unexcused clinical absence will drop clinical grade by 5% and the student will receive at least one clinical point. Two (2) unexcused clinical days may result in failing NURS 4355.

At no time are students to complete a clinical experience without the knowledge and supervision of clinical faculty.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT- students only get 4 points total for nursing school
Students should arrive early to clinical, look professional, have the correct badge and uniform (not wrinkled), and be engaged and involved in learning.
Students should not arrive late, not show up, be disrespectful to anyone at a clinical site, use their cell phone, sleep, etc.

Although satisfactory academic performance is a prerequisite to advancement, it is not the sole criterion for considering a student's suitability for promotion or graduation. Students are in the program to learn nursing and become quality nurses. Appropriate professional behavior in all settings is an expectation of students in the nursing program. The Department of Nursing reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the SUU Nursing Program if considered unsuited to proceed with the study or practice of nursing based upon unprofessional student behavior. Examples of Professional Conduct in the clinical setting: Keeping voice down, speaking respectfully to the nurses and other healthcare staff, not talking about patients or their conditions outside of patient care (this means not in the halls, at lunch, on the elevator, etc.), not telling a nurse they are wrong in front of the patient, being actively engaged, no cell phone out, etc. (See Nursing Handbook for other examples)

Course Fees

2 Credit(s) | $60 Fee

Additional Course Policies and Information

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Semester long course guidelines: Emails from students in semester-long classes must be responded to within three business days (Definition of business day: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and does not include holidays). All assignments must be graded within seven calendar days of due date for semester-long courses. If faculty need an extension to grade assignments because of assignment length, holiday, or other circumstances, faculty will notify students in advance. Assignments need to be graded in sufficient time to allow students to improve and build upon their learning for subsequent assignments.

Statement of Safety or Risk Assumption

Students are expected to manage their own transportation and assume their own risks when traveling to and from classes, labs, or clinical experiences and when performing duties in class, lab, 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 common precautions to prevent accidents, infections and violence.

AI Policy

When students use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process for this course, students should only use these technologies to improve readability and language, or to generate a basic skeleton of ideas for assignment content. Applying these technologies should be done with careful oversight, and students should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate good-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. SUU Policy#6.33 on academic integrity should be followed when using AI. If you are unsure to what extent to use AI as part of an assignment, please reach out to me before the assignment is due. If a student uses AI-assisted technologies, the student should disclose in their assignment the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the assignment by following the instructions below. This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement. Any assignment which has been determined by the professor (using the tools provided by SUU to monitor academic integrity) to have been created using these technologies which were not disclosed by the student is subject to failure.

Disclosure Instructions:

Students must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding this statement at the end of their assignment:

Statement: During the preparation of this work [THE STUDENT(S)] used [NAME TOOL /SERVICE] in order to [REASON].

Supplemental Resources

Face to Face Student Handbook (Pre-Licensure and HP Programs) (https://www.suu.edu/nursing/pdf/f2f.student-handbook-2025.pdf)

Prerequisite(s), Co-requisite(s), and Registration Restriction(s)

Co-requisite(s): NURS 4350

Prerequisite(s): Completion of all Level Two courses

Registration Restriction(s): Nursing majors only

SUU Campus Resources and Services

SUU has several resources and services available to support you during your time here at SUU, please review this list of SUU Campus Resources and Services (https://www.suu.edu/studentaffairs/pdf/campus-resources-and-services.pdf) and the Student Code of Conduct (https://www.suu.edu/policies/11/02.html). For more information on Canvas and other technologies, and their statements on Accessibility and Privacy statements please review our Vendor Resources (https://www.suu.edu/cti/services-procedures.html#vendor-accessibility-and-privacy-statements) page.

Canvas Information

Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

For Passwords or any other computer-related technical support:
435-865-8200
support@suu.edu (mailto:support@suu.edu)
IT Service Desk (https://www.suu.edu/it/)

For Canvas help:
435-865-8555
canvas@suu.edu (mailto:canvas@suu.edu)
Canvas Help Center (https://help.suu.edu/canvas/)
How to Use Canvas (https://suu.instructure.com/courses/166813)

Financial Security Statement

Finances are an integral part of maintaining your wellbeing. If you are struggling financially or wish to know more about budgeting, please visit the Financial Wellness Center (https://www.suu.edu/financialwellness/) in room 201C in the Sharwan Smith Center, contact Ashleigh Zimmerman at (435) 865-8436, or text the Financial Wellness line at 435-708-1952.

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.