Curriculum Overview

The curriculum is designed to prepare a graduate capable of practicing professional nursing, at a beginning level, with individuals, families, and groups in a variety of settings. The nursing process serves as a framework for the development of critical thinking skills in theoretical and clinical nursing courses. Emphasizing health teaching and health promotion, courses are offered in traditional nursing care specialties.

The UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing RN diploma program offers a full-time 22 - month course of study and a 4 year option for part-time study evening/weekend hours.

Curriculum Objectives

At the completion of the program the graduate will:

• Assume accountability as a beginning practitioner managing groups of patients in acute care settings.
• Design health promotion strategies relative to discharge planning.
• Operationalize professional nursing behaviors (cultural, ethical, legal) relative to multiple patient assignments in acute care settings.
• Create leadership strategies to solve problems in the delivery of nursing care to multiple patients.
• Analyze critical decision-making and clinical judgment related to groups of patients.
• Collaborate with peers and professional colleagues to achieve desired outcome when managing groups of patients.
• Formulate life long learning goals for continued professional growth and higher education.
• Propose solutions to current and future issues in the nursing care delivery to groups of patients.

Clinical Affiliating Agencies

Clinical experiences are provided at UPMC Shadyside as well as other hospitals and health care agencies, within the UPMC system. Clinical experiences are scheduled during daylight, evening and weekend hours.

Curriculum Progression Policies

• All nursing courses within a level must be successfully completed prior to enrollment into courses in the next level.
• Beginning with the 200 level, and including the 300 levels, students are not permitted to take two nursing courses such as one daylight class and one E/W class at the same time.
• All science courses must be completed prior to, or by the end of the first level nursing courses.
• The maximum time allotted for completion of the total program is seven years.
• Students have a maximum of five years to complete all nursing courses.
• Reapplication is required if the program has been interrupted for any reason.
• Students who fail a single course are permitted to apply for readmission to the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing.  Students who fail more than one course are not eligible for readmission.
• Anatomy and Physiology I and II must be taken at the same institution.
• A theory grade of 76% is the minimum acceptable passing grade for all nursing courses.
• A clinical rating of Pass is required for all nursing courses with a clinical component. Clinical failure at mid-term will result in the initiation of a learning contract and a mandatory referral to the Academic Advisor.
• Failure in either the theoretical or clinical portion of any nursing course will result in failure of the course.
• Courses with a grade less than “C” will not be accepted for transfer.
• Students must achieve a grade of “C” or above in affiliate college courses to continue. Students that do not achieve a grade of “C” or above in the affiliate college courses will be terminated from the program.
• Final grades are not rounded; they are assigned on the basis of a whole number only.
• Opportunities for bonus points/extra credit assignments do not exist.
• Grading of affiliate college course will follow the policies of the college.
• Transfers from full-time to part-time, part-time to full-time, day to evening/weekend or evening/weekend to day are on a space available basis at the discretion of the Director. Students desiring a transfer must complete a Transfer Request Form and submit it six (6) weeks priors to the start of the course to the Coordinator of Financial Aid and Student Information.
• Successfully completing this course will involve fulfilling and meeting all requirements for both the theory, as well as, the clinical portion.  Please be aware, if failure occurs within any of these two areas, both clinical and theory must be repeated.  There will be NO EXCEPTIONS!

Progression Assessment

Students requesting readmission or desiring to repeat a nursing course must undergo a knowledge and clinical skills assessment by the receiving course coordinator if the student is out of the program for more than 16 weeks.  The student must meet with the course coordinator at least two weeks prior to starting the course.  Each receiving course coordinator will utilize the apropriate "Knowledge and Skills Checklist" to determine if the student is competent to enter the desired course.

Failure to comply will result in a delay of start date.  Should a student fail to successfully complete the "Knowledge and Skills Checklist," he/she will be required to complete appropriate remediation and successfully complete the "Knowledge and Skills Checklist" before entering the desired course.

In the event a student is repeating (has failed) Nursing 103 and would be out of the program for more than 16 weeks, he/she will need to complete the last two weeks of Nursing 102 clinical lab which will consist of but not limited to a head-to-toe assessment competency, sterile technique (gloving, foley insertion, and wound care, IV lab, Simulation Lab and Cerner training).

Repeat Nursing Courses

Repeat course is defined as full participation in all class and clinical activities as outlined in the class/clinical attendance policies.  Course specific evaluative methods (exams, papers, clinical evaluations, nursing care plans, etc.) will be required.  A grade and credits are awarded and a transcript will be generated.  Payment of full tuition and related fees is required.

A repeat course grade is the prevailing grade for the progression decisions.

Effective Date:  1/1/08 

100-200 Level Clinical Expectations
Knowledge and Skills Checklist

All students entering a 200 level clinical course should be able to:

1. Obtain a health history from patient and chart.
2. Demonstrate an ability to prioritize patient problems, generate a list of relevant nursing diagnoses with correct NANDA terminology.
3. Provide safe and efficient care while utilizing universal precautions when providing care to patients in a clinical setting (including personal care, accurate vital signs and a head-to-toe physical assessment).
4. Utilize professional communication techniques (including accurate documentation of findings in the patient chart).
5. Articulate pertinent nursing actions/interventions that are reference-based in action and on a care plan.
6. Demonstrate understanding and basic skills of bedside medication administration (refer to NUR 103 Evaluation for Medication Administration Competency Tool).
7. Complete the math competency exam from NUR 103 with a minimum score of 90%.
8. All of the above must be completed prior to advancing to the 300 level.  

200-300 and 300-400 Level Clinical Expectations
Knowledge and Skills Checklist

All students entering a 300 or 400 level clinical course should be able to:

1. Complete a head-to-toe physical assessment that is organized and systematic.
2. Utilize a case study: prioritize actions/care list primary nursing diagnosis, goals, interventions and rationales.
3. Prime IV tubing by demonstration.
4. Program primary IV fluids by demonstration.
5. Program IV piggyback rate and volume by demonstration.
6. Distinguish a central line from a PICC line. 

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