Department of Nursing
Mission Statement
Guided by our Catholic and Lasallian heritage, the mission of Lewis University’s Department of Nursing provides programs that inspire nurses to the highest standard of professional practice. Mindful of our spiritual and ethical values, we transform students to holistically address challenges that impact individuals, families, and communities. Students become system change agents to advance health equity and social justice while addressing local and global health needs through diverse and inclusive experiences.
Outcome Characteristics
Lewis University prepares its BSN graduates to enter the profession of nursing as baccalaureate generalist with the following essential competencies:
- Integrate knowledge from liberal arts and sciences into professional nursing practice that promotes cognitive development and engages ethical reasoning, advocacy, collaboration, and social justice.
- Provide leadership and management of human and systems resources to establish a culture of safety and quality nursing care.
- Utilize research, expert practice, and patient preferences to guide and validate nursing practice.
- Utilize technology and informatics to ethically and legally manage information to guide practice decisions for improving healthcare outcomes.
- Use an ethical framework to explore the impact of sociocultural, economic, legal, and political factors to advocate for change that will improve the health of all members of society.
- Use interdisciplinary and intraprofessional communication and collaboration skills to deliver evidence-based patient-centered care.
- Engage in health promotion and clinical prevention for individuals and populations to promote culturally congruent health outcomes across the life-span.
- Integrate ethical principles and professional values into decisions that demonstrate respect for the diversity of individuals and populations reflecting the evolving nature of nursing practice.
- Value and assume responsibility for self-directed, interactive learning as a lifelong process to improve health outcomes for a variety of populations in diverse settings.
Curriculum
Students take a concentration of natural and behavioral sciences, humanities, and electives during the first two years of the program. The Nursing major is taken primarily at the upper-division level. The professional education requirements are organized so that knowledge, understanding, and skills are developed progressively throughout the program.
The major coursework in Nursing is concentrated at the upper-division level to permit students to develop a foundation of liberal education and scientific knowledge that can then be utilized within the Nursing courses. The Nursing curriculum is patient centered and evidence based with a focus on quality and safety initiatives designed to reflect change in emerging healthcare systems. The program of Nursing utilizes technology such as patient-centered simulations and electronic health records, thus introducing students to current healthcare informatic technologies.
Affiliating Agencies
The following agencies provide on-site clinical experience for Lewis University nursing students. Please consult with your advisor for the most current listing.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Advocate Children's Hospital - Oak Lawn
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
Advocate South Suburban Hospital
Almost Home Kids, Naperville
Angels Grace Hospice
Ascension Alexian Brothers – Behavioral Health Hospital
Ascension Saint Alexius Women & Children’s Hospital
Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital, Chicago
Camp One Step – Children’s Oncology Services
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Community Adult Day Center in Downers Grove
Consolidated High School District 230
Downers Grove Community School District #58, Downers Grove
Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines
Edward Hospital, Naperville
Exxon Mobil Occupational Health
Franciscan Health Olympia Fields
Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care
Joliet Catholic Charities, Joliet
Joliet Early Learning Center
La Rabida Children's Hospital, Chicago
Linden Oaks Behavioral Health
Loretto Hospital
Maryville Children's Healthcare Center
Mayslake Village Retirement Center
Misericordia Heart of Mercy
Naperville Adult Day Center
Niles Family Services and Senior Center
Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield
Northwestern Medicine Delnor Community Hospital, Geneva
Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
Plainfield School District, Plainfield
Prime Healthcare – Holy Family Medical Center
Prime Healthcare – Resurrection Medical Center
Prime Healthcare – Saint Francis Hospital
Prime Healthcare – Saint Joseph Medical Center, Joliet
Prime Healthcare – Saint Mary of Nazareth
Residential Home Health, Naperville
Resilience Health – Weiss Memorial Hospital
RUSH Copley Medical Center, Aurora
Rush Oak Park Hospital, Oak Park
Search, INC
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Silver Cross Hospital, New Lenox
Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital
Saint Anthony Hospital, Chicago
Trinity Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood
Trinity Loyola Medical Health Systems Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Melrose Park
Trinity Loyola Medical Health Systems MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange
University of Chicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital, Harvey
University of Chicago Medical Center – Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital, Center for Care and Discovery, Comer Children’s Hospital, Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine
Valley View School District 365U
Vista Health Systems, Waukegan
Warren-Sharpe Community Center, Joliet
Will County Health Department, Joliet
Will-Grundy Clinic, Joliet
NURS 20200 - Professional Development 1: Foundations (3)
This course introduces foundational concepts essential to the development of the professional nurse in a global society. The focus of this course includes exploration of personal and professional identity values; the development of interpersonal skills to enhance therapeutic communication across diverse populations; the role of the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team; and considerations of ethical scenarios. There is an emphasis on evidence-based practice, documentation, and informatics in preparation for the delivery of safe patient-centered care. This Course is offered in a blended format.
Prerequisite: NURS 23200 (may be taken concurrently) and NURS 23300 (may be taken concurrently)
Attributes: Globalization Gen Ed
NURS 23200 - Fundamentals of Safety and Quality in Patient-Centered Care (6)
This course is designed to introduce the student to the nursing process, basic nursing skills, safety, and the role of the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary health-care team. Emphasis is placed on physiological and psychosocial factors and exposure to medication administration which contribute to holistic and safe patient-centered care. Students develop basic nursing skills through experiential laboratory, simulation and clinical experiences in the healthcare setting. The development of basic nursing skills includes: dosage calculation, proper administration techniques, and accurate documentation for adult and older adult patients. This course meets the Experiential Learning requirements.
Prerequisite: BIOL 27000
Attributes: Experiential Learning Gen Ed
NURS 23201 - Fundamentals of Safety and Quality in Patient-Centered Care Lab (0)
This is the lab component of NURS 23200.
Corequisite: NURS 23200, NURS 23202
NURS 23202 - Fundamentals of Safety and Quality in Patient-Centered Care Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 23200.
Corequisite: NURS 23200, NURS 23201
NURS 23300 - Health Assessment Across the Lifespan (3)
This course utilizes concepts from the liberal arts and sciences to provide holistic health assessment across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on the development of leadership skills in clinical judgment, diagnostic reasoning, and critical inquiry for the safe provision of quality care across populations. Didactic, experiential laboratory and simulation activities are utilized throughout the semester.
Prerequisite: BIOL 27000 (may be taken concurrently)
NURS 23301 - Health Assessment Across the Lifespan Lab (0)
This is the lab component of NURS 23300
Corequisite: NURS 23300
NURS 23400 - Workshop: Math for Drug Calculations (1)
Program for Academic Success (PASS) Math for Meds Drug Calculation Workshop. A student receiving a score of less than 85% at the Sophomore 2 level, 90% at the Junior level, or 95% at the Senior level on any semester math competency test is required to enroll in the workshop. This workshop will be offered at the beginning of each semester and is designed to assist students with attaining the mathematical proficiency necessary to safely administer medications in the clinical setting.
Attributes: Workshop/Seminar
NURS 30100 - Evidence Based Practice (3)
The focus of this course is on the role of the baccalaureate nurse in the application of principles of the research process and evidence-based practice to provide safe quality care. Competency in database search strategies and critical appraisal of evidence for quality care practices are emphasized. Legal, ethical, and regulatory issues related to the research process are identified and analyzed for application to practice. This course satisfies the advanced writing curricular requirement for the program.
Prerequisite: PSYC 30300 and NURS 30600
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
NURS 30600 - Concepts of Professional Nursing (4)
The professional identity of the individual nurse and the position of the nursing profession in the health care system and society are explored in this course. Emphasis is placed on critical inquiry to evaluate practice and accountability for leadership in the pursuit of safety, quality, and improved outcomes for patients and populations. Concepts relevant to the practice of nursing in a global society, such as professionalism, professional values, the image of nursing, inter-professional communication and collaboration, resource allocation, and practice in a diverse environment are addressed.
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
NURS 31200 - Health Assessment/Health Promotion (3)
This course utilizes concepts from the liberal arts and sciences to provide holistic health assessment across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on the development of leadership skills in critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and critical inquiry for the safe provision of quality care across the populations.
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
NURS 32500 - Adult 1: Beginning (6)
The course focuses on the care of adults, older adults, and their families in acute medical-surgical settings as they adapt to changes in the health/illness spectrum. Students integrate theoretical concepts with the best nursing evidence to foster growth in knowledge and competencies. Professional roles of the nurse, critical thinking, and ethical issues are explored as students provide safe/quality care for adults and older adults experiencing medical-surgical problems.
Prerequisite: NURS 20200 and NURS 23200 and NURS 23300
Attributes: Experiential Learning Gen Ed
NURS 32502 - Adult 1: Beginning Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 32500.
Corequisite: NURS 32500
NURS 32600 - Pharmacotherapeutics (3)
This course presents basic principles of pharmacology and the therapeutic use of drugs in humans across the lifespan. Pharmacotherapeutic information for prototype drugs from selected drug categories is presented using physiologic and evidence-based approaches. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge necessary for the nurse to administer medications in a safe, effective, ethical, and legal manner.
Prerequisite: NURS 20200 and NURS 23200 and NURS 23300
NURS 32900 - Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan (3-4)
This clinical course examines current evidence related to health promotion and disease prevention for application to practice. The Health Prevention Disease Prevention Course focus is on client-centered, holistic assessment, screening/ secondary prevention, and the application of evidence-based health promotion activities for individuals, families, and populations from diverse communities. Concepts related to safety, quality, informatics, and access to care are integrated throughout this 4-credit hour course. The Health Promotion Disease Prevention, clinical rotation and experiences are in sites such as community health fairs, church events, homeless shelters, senior citizen centers, school settings, community clinics, community screenings and immunization events. This course meets the Experiential Learning requirements.
Prerequisite: NURS 20200 and NURS 23200 and NURS 23300
Attributes: Experiential Learning Gen Ed
NURS 33500 - Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research (3)
The focus of this course is the application of principles of the research process and evidence-based practice to provide safe quality care. Competency in database search strategies and critical appraisal of evidence for quality care practices are emphasized. Legal, ethical, and regulatory issues related to the research process are identified and analyzed for application to practice. This course meets the University Advanced Writing requirement.
Prerequisite: NURS 32500 and NURS 32600
NURS 33600 - Professional Development 2: Health Care Trends (2)
This course applies evidence based concepts essential to the development of the professional nurse to identify healthcare trends and issues and examine healthcare delivery systems. The focus is on the impact of these trends and issues on the healthcare delivery systems and the various roles of the professional nurse working with diverse individuals and populations in a variety of settings.
Prerequisite: NURS 32500 and NURS 32600 and NURS 32900
NURS 33700 - Children, Adolescents, and Families (4)
This course focuses on the application of professional nursing concepts related to children and their families within their communities. Theoretical content specific to children from infancy through adolescence includes physiological, pathophysiological, and psychosocial concepts. Clinical experiences incorporate health promotion and acute and chronic illness management in inpatient, outpatient, and community settings.
Prerequisite: NURS 32500 and NURS 32600
NURS 33702 - Children, Adolescents, and Families Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 33700.
Corequisite: NURS 33700
NURS 33800 - Childbearing Families (4)
This course focuses on the application of professional nursing concepts related to the care of the childbearing family and their neonate. Theoretical content includes physiological, pathophysiological, sociocultural, and ethical concepts. Student clinical experiences take place in the simulation laboratory, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal settings.
Prerequisite: NURS 32500
NURS 33802 - Childbearing Families Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 33800.
Corequisite: NURS 33800
NURS 34000 - Pharmacotherapeutics for the Registered Nurse (3)
This course is designed to meet the needs of the registered nurses seeking to strengthen their knowledge of pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics. Pharmacologic information is presented using a physiologic and systems approach with an emphasis on evidence based practice. Selected drug categories are discussed using professional experiences as a framework to promote clinical reasoning and professional judgment.
Prerequisite: NURS 30600
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
NURS 40200 - Professional Development and Leadership (3)
This course facilitates synthesis of knowledge and competencies essential to the professional nurse's leadership and management responsibilities and roles. Information from previous classes is integrated with leadership theories, principles of change, resource utilization, personnel development, consumer satisfaction and client-centered care, continuous quality improvement, communication skills and conflict management, and team building skills. This course provides the theoretical basis for the student to move into an expanded role in nursing leadership and management.
Prerequisite: NURS 30600 and NURS 31200 and NURS 30100 and NURS 43200
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
Attributes: Globalization Gen Ed
NURS 41400 - Healthcare Informatics (3)
Healthcare informatics applies information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support clinical decision making. This course establishes nursing informatics as an integration of nursing, information science, and technology for the support of nursing practice and the improvement of patient outcomes. It introduces practicing nurses to the application of data and utilization of technology to support care delivery, advance nursing practice, and meet quality objectives.
NURS 42500 - Adult 2: Advanced (6)
The focus of this course is the family-centered care of adults and older adults experiencing acute and chronic medical conditions involving multiple body systems. Integration of theoretical concepts and best evidence is used to promote sound clinical reasoning and clinical judgment to inform nursing practice. Clinical experiences take place in acute care settings with the goal of providing safe, quality, and multi-dimensional care for diverse adult and older adult populations.
Prerequisite: NURS 33500 and NURS 33700 and NURS 33800
NURS 42502 - Adult 2: Advanced Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 42500.
Corequisite: NURS 42500
NURS 42600 - Professional Development 3: Leadership, Collaboration, and Teamwork (2)
This course applies evidence-based concepts essential to the leadership development of the professional nurse. The focus is on the application of these concepts to the core health care professional competencies: providing patient-centered care, working in interdisciplinary teams, employing evidence-based practice, applying quality improvement, and utilizing informatics.
Prerequisite: NURS 33500 and NURS 33700 and NURS 33800
NURS 42700 - Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (4)
This course focuses on the application of psychiatric mental health nursing concepts to care for clients age 18 through older adulthood. Theoretical content includes biopsychosocial theories, interpersonal relationship theory, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories, as well as, cognitive, behavioral, and biologic theories. Legal, ethical, and critical thinking concepts specific to psychiatric mental health nursing are covered in depth. Clinical experiences are designed to facilitate the students’ synthesis of classroom material, individualized application of psychiatric concepts, and establishment of therapeutic relationships in a variety of settings.
Prerequisite: NURS 33800
NURS 42702 - Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 42700.
Corequisite: NURS 42700
NURS 43200 - Promoting Healthy Communities (4)
This course focuses on clinical prevention and promotion of population health through the application of current research evidence for community health nursing practice. It examines the impact of healthcare policy, finance and regulatory environments on community based care, including 25 hours of clinical.
Prerequisite: NURS 30600 and NURS 31200 and NURS 30100
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
Attributes: Civic Engagement Gen Ed
NURS 43500 - Adult 3: Critical Care (6)
The focus of this course is the care of high acuity patients and families in crisis situations. Students will integrate contemporary concepts with the best nursing evidence to foster growth in knowledge, clinical competencies, and the roles of the professional nurse. Students will integrate critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and ethical principles to provide safe-quality care for high acuity patients and families in crisis situations.
Prerequisite: NURS 42500 and NURS 42700
NURS 43502 - Adult 3: Critical Care Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 43500.
Corequisite: NURS 43500
NURS 43510 - Leadership Practicum (3)
Synthesizing knowledge from all prerequisite RN/BSN courses, students design, implement, and evaluate a professional nursing project. Projects are need-based with the purpose of facilitating change to enhance safety and quality in the healthcare arena and improve nursing practice and client outcomes. In conjunction with course faculty, students select a nursing preceptor to support and guide their work. The process of journaling is used throughout the Practicum to facilitate reflective learning.
Prerequisite: NURS 30600 and NURS 31200 and NURS 30100 and NURS 43200 and NURS 34000 and NURS 40200
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
NURS 43600 - Community Health Nursing (4)
This course focuses on clinical prevention and health promotion of population health through the application of best evidence for community health nursing practice. The impact of global healthcare trends, political decisions, and financial and regulatory systems on health outcomes is examined. Clinical experiences take place in a variety of community settings.
Prerequisite: NURS 42500 and NURS 42700
Attributes: Civic Engagement Gen Ed
NURS 43602 - Community Health Nursing Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 43600.
NURS 43900 - Professional Development 4: Role Transition (4-5)
The enrichment didactic and clinical practicum provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate competency in the role of provider and manager of care. Students provide safe-quality care for patients across the lifespan in acute care settings. Students collaborate with a preceptor and faculty member to achieve course objectives and individualized learning goals. Students participate in a review of BSN content and integrate Kaplan resources to prepare for the NCLEX examination.
Prerequisite: NURS 42500 and NURS 42600 and NURS 42700 and NURS 43500
Attributes: Experiential Learning Gen Ed
NURS 43902 - Professional Development 4: Role Transition Clinical (0)
This is the clinical component of NURS 43900
Prerequisite: NURS 42500 and NURS 42600 and NURS 42700 and NURS 43500
Corequisite: NURS 43900
NURS 48100 - Preceptoship Workshop (1)
This workshop is designed for registered nurses responsible for planning and/or participating in the process of precepting new nursing staff members. The Preceptor Workshop content focuses on building knowledge related to the preceptor role, preceptor qualifications, process of precepting, and characteristics of the adult learner, adult learning principles, teaching strategies, and assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes. Case studies and student experiential knowledge will be used to develop the content in an applicable framework for participants.
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
Attributes: Workshop/Seminar
NURS 48300 - Pass (1)
Program for Academic Success (PASS) workshops are to facilitate the successful progression, graduation, and NCLEX-RN completion for BSN students identified at academic risk. Each level workshop focuses on critical thinking skills related to specific level content. Soph II level PASS workshop focuses on Fundamentals/Health Assessment content. JR I level PASS workshop focuses on Medical/Surgical Nursing/Pharmacology content. JRII level PASS workshop focuses on Pediatrics/Obstetrics content. SR I level PASS workshop focuses on Advance Medical/Surgical content.
Attributes: Workshop/Seminar
NURS 49000 - Intimate Partner Violence (1)
This seminar covers the following topics: the most common myths about domestic abuse and the truth behind those myths; the elements of the victim triangle and how that affects the healthcare provider; how to screen patients for domestic violence; the barriers that prevent the nurse from doing universal screening and prevent the patient from disclosing the violence in their life; interventions for the nurse to be able to assist the victim; how to develop a safety plan for the victim; resources that are available for the healthcare provider.
Program Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the following Program: Nursing RN to BSN.
Attributes: Workshop/Seminar