NURS 102 Communication Theory and Practice
3 Credits

This course provides a foundation for therapeutic communication in nursing practice. Communication skills are fundamental in any relationship to facilitate the health and well-being of clients. Students have the opportunity to increase self-awareness and explore perceptions, attitudes, and values via a variety of communication methods applied to multicultural and multi-generational cohorts. Students are given the opportunity to practice foundational communication skills in the laboratory setting. Theory classes will include discussion, reflection, lecture, and experiential exercises in large and small groups and individually. In lab, emphasis will be placed on experiential exercises to assist students to understand and apply knowledge of interpersonal relationships by utilizing professional communication skills and approaches. Links will be made in class, lab, and assignments, between students' awareness of self, the influence of culture, and the therapeutic nature of the nurse-client relationship. The nursing process and care planning will be introduced and applied. Health teaching and documentation will be introduced in the theory and demonstrated in lab. Assignments will demonstrate student's understanding and application of therapeutic communication within professional interpersonal relationships. Students will start their nursing portfolio in this course, which will be built on throughout the 4 years of the NCBNP. In addition, this course examines the basic fundamentals of medical terminology in both the written and the spoken forms. Mastery of word parts and word building skills will aid the student in understanding medical terminology and anatomical relations. The use of terms to describe or identify diseases, disorders, various medical procedures, and abnormalities, as well as the use of appropriate medical abbreviations will also be studied.

Transfer Credits
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