Course Competency 1: Apply aseptic technique

Learning Objectives:

• Identify indications for hand hygiene and demonstrate proper techniques
• Differentiate between standard and transmission-based precautions
• Demonstrate setup and maintenance of a sterile field
• Demonstrate proper donning and doffing sterile gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Apply principles of infection prevention to safely manage contaminated materials
• Define key terms related to medical and surgical asepsis
• Explain the chain of infection and its contribution to infection

Course Competency 2: Perform clinical mathematical calculations and conversions

Learning Objectives:

• Convert units of weight and volume between the metric and household systems
• Calculate time-dependent medication dosages for oral, intravenous, and other routes, including safe intervals for administration
• Apply formulas to accurately calculate adult and pediatric dosages
• Calculate IV flow and drip rates
• Explain the importance of accurate drug calculations
• Identify when nurses must verify calculations performed by other health care providers

Course Competency 3: Perform wound care

Learning Objectives: 

• Confirm appropriate provider orders
• Gather necessary wound care supplies
• Perform the steps to obtain a wound culture specimen
• Explain principles of wound cleansing or irrigation following established procedures
• Identify wound assessment components
• Select and apply appropriate wound dressings and drainage devices
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the patient, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to wound care
• Determine appropriate pain management interventions

Course Competency 4: Perform tracheostomy care and suctioning procedures (oral, nasal, pharyngeal, and tracheostomy)

Learning Objectives:

• Determine adequate oxygenation and the need for suctioning
• Confirm the availability of a back-up tracheostomy kit
• Perform tracheostomy care, suctioning, and sputum specimen collection using safe and aseptic techniques
• Confirm appropriate provider orders related to tracheostomy care, suctioning, and oxygen therapy
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Administer oxygen therapy according to the client’s needs and condition
• Adjust suction settings according to the client’s age and clinical condition
• Define key terms and differentiate oxygen delivery systems used in tracheostomy care and suctioning

Course Competency 5: Manage enteral tubes (feeding, irrigation, suction)

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate aseptic technique during enteral tube procedures
• Choose equipment appropriate for the type of enteral tube and procedure
• Assess tube placement and security prior to use
• Confirm appropriate provider orders before initiating enteral tube procedures
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terminology and differentiate types of enteral tubes and their uses
• Develop strategies to prevent and resolve tube-related complications

Course Competency 6: Administer medications via enteral route (oral/tube/rectal)

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt enteral medication administration techniques to reflect variations across the lifespan
• Confirm appropriate provider orders for enteral medication administration
• Check for client allergies prior to medication preparation
• Inspect medication expiration dates before administration
• Conduct three checks using the medication administration rights
• Calculate correct medication dosages before administration
• Assess relevant body systems before, during, and after enteral medication administration
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to enteral medication administration
• Prepare medications for enteral administration
• Administer enteral medications safely

Course Competency 7: Administer medications via the parenteral routes (Intradermal/Subcutaneous/

Intramuscular)

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate aseptic technique when administering parenteral medications
• Adapt parenteral medication administration procedures to account for variations across the lifespan
• Confirm appropriate provider orders for parenteral medications
• Check for client allergies prior to preparing medications
• Inspect medication expiration dates before administration
• Conduct three checks using the medication administration rights
• Select, measure, and prepare medications for safe parenteral administration
• Calculate the correct parenteral medication dose prior to administration
• Locate anatomical landmarks to determine appropriate injection sites
• Assess relevant body systems before, during, and after parenteral medication administration
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to parenteral medication administration
• Describe the steps in measuring and interpreting blood glucose

Course Competency 8: Administer medications via topical, transdermal, eye, ear, inhalation, and vaginal routes

Learning Objectives:

• Demonstrate aseptic technique when administering medications via topical, transdermal, eye, ear, inhalation, or vaginal routes
• Adapt special route medication administration procedures to reflect variations across the lifespan
• Confirm appropriate provider orders for special route medication administration
• Check for client allergies before preparing medications
• Inspect medication expiration dates prior to administration
• Conduct three checks using the medication administration rights
• Calculate correct medication dosages prior to administration
• Assess relevant body systems before, during, and after special route medication administration
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to special route medication administration
• Select, measure, and prepare medications for safe administration via special routes

Course Competency 9: Manage intravenous therapy

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt intravenous therapy procedures to account for variations across the lifespan
• Confirm appropriate provider orders for intravenous therapy
• Check for client allergies before initiating intravenous therapy
• Inspect medication expiration dates before preparation
• Conduct three checks using the medication administration rights
• Calculate the correct intravenous medication dose prior to administration
• Assess relevant body systems before, during, and after intravenous medication administration
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to intravenous therapy
• Select, measure, and prepare medications for safe intravenous administration

Course Competency 10: Facilitate alternative methods of elimination (urinary and bowel)

Learning Objectives:

• Confirm appropriate provider orders prior to initiating alternative urinary or bowel elimination methods
• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan variations
• Apply aseptic technique during urinary and bowel elimination procedures
• Identify and prepare appropriate equipment for enemas, ostomy care, specimen collection, and catheterization
• Demonstrate the proper procedure for sterile catheterization, urine specimen collection, and removal
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to urinary and bowel elimination
• Describe indications for ostomies and urinary catheterization

Course Competency 11: Obtain a health history

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Verify client identity using two approved identifiers
• Establish rapport using therapeutic communication to maintain a nurse–client relationship
• Gather health history data using the designated format
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to a health history assessment
• Identify core components of a comprehensive health history

Course Competency 12: Perform a general survey assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Ensure client privacy during the general survey
• Perform a general survey assessment including vital signs
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to general survey components

Course Competency 13: Perform an integumentary assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during integumentary assessments
• Ensure privacy throughout integumentary assessments
• Perform a skin, hair and nail assessment
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the skin, hair, and nails
• Review anatomy related to the skin, hair, and nails

Course Competency 14: Perform a musculoskeletal assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during musculoskeletal assessments
• Ensure privacy throughout musculoskeletal assessments
• Perform a musculoskeletal assessment
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the musculoskeletal system
• Review anatomy related to the musculoskeletal system

Course Competency 15: Perform a head/neck assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during head/neck assessments
• Ensure privacy throughout head/neck assessments
• Perform a head, neck, eye, and ear assessment
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the head, neck, eyes, and ears
• Review anatomy related to the head, neck, eyes, and ears

Course Competency 16: Perform a basic neurological assessment

Learning Objectives: 

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during a neurological assessment
• Ensure privacy throughout the neurological assessment process
• Perform a neurological assessment
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the nervous system
• Review anatomy related to the nervous system

Course Competency 17: Perform a basic respiratory assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during a respiratory assessment
• Ensure privacy throughout the respiratory assessment process
• Perform a respiratory assessment
• Distinguish between normal and adventitious breath sounds
• Demonstrate the correct procedure for sputum specimen collection
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the respiratory system
• Review anatomy related to the respiratory system

Course Competency 18: Perform a basic cardiovascular assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations
• Apply standard precautions during cardiovascular assessment
• Ensure privacy is upheld throughout the cardiovascular assessment process
• Perform a peripheral vascular assessment
• Perform a cardiovascular assessment
• Differentiate S1 and S2 heart sounds
• Outline characteristics of abnormal heart sounds
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required
• Define key terms related to the cardiovascular system
• Review anatomy related to the cardiovascular system

Course Competency 19: Perform an abdominal assessment

Learning Objectives:

• Adapt assessment techniques to accommodate lifespan, ethnic, and cultural variations.
• Apply standard precautions during abdominal assessment.
• Ensure privacy is maintained throughout the abdominal assessment.
• Perform an abdominal assessment.
• Communicate findings by documenting assessments, educating the client, and identifying when provider notification is required.
• Define key terms related to the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems.
• Review anatomy related to the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems.

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