This course is designed to provide the theoretical foundation for the RN seeking to refresh and update essential nursing knowledge necessary to meet the challenges of re-entering today’s health care system. The RN Knowledge Refresher Course is a web based course that allows the RN the opportunity and flexibility to proceed at his/her own pace. It consists of 10 modules addressing nursing roles, legal and ethical implications of nursing practice, medication administration, pharmacology, health and physical assessment, medical-surgical nursing, psychiatric/mental health nursing, pediatric nursing, obstetrical nursing, and gerontological nursing. Content is presented by expert faculty using a text-based format. Each module contains recommended readings, objectives, keywords, PowerPoint presentations, critical thinking exercises and a post-test. Completion of the entire 10 modules requires 80 hours and includes reading and critical thinking exercises.. Required time for completion of individual modules varies. Participants may elect to enroll in all 10 course modules or in individual modules of interest. A post-test score of 80% or better for each module must be achieved with a maximum of two attempts. If registered for all 10 modules, coursework must be completed within 6 months after the time of registration to be awarded a certificate of successful course completion. If registered for an individual module, coursework must be completed within 2 months after registration to be awarded a certificate of successful completion.

This course has been designed to meet the needs of registered nurses who have been out-of-practice for five or more years and desire a course to assist them to update and refresh their nursing knowledge. It will also meet the needs of registered nurses needing a remedial course for re-examination of licensure by the Florida Board of Nursing.

Upon successful completion of this course, the RN will be able to:

• Identify the role of the nurse in relation to practice, functions, social influences, and trends.
• Analyze and interpret legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities in nursing practice.
• Integrate knowledge of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics for clients across the lifespan.
• Apply safe medication administration practices including accurate calculations, dosages, routes, and documentation.
• Identify and appropriately manage assessment findings in clients across the life span utilizing the nursing process as a critical thinking framework.
• Recognize common disorders, interventions, and medications utilized in psychiatric nursing care.
• Discuss principles of loss and grieving in the care of clients, families and self.
• Integrate knowledge of growth and development in the management of the pediatric patient.
• Understand the management of the obstetrical patient and fetus at varying trimesters.
• Discuss health management for the geriatric client.

The University of South Florida College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is for 96 contact hours. Partial credit will be awarded for successfully completed modules.

Leadership, Management and Quality in Nursing
Critical Thinking and the Nursing Process

Licensure and limits
Legal liability
Standards of care
Legal relationships in nursing practice
Legal issues
Principles of health ethics
ANA code of ethics
Values clarification and essential nursing values
Bioethical issues
Research and consent

Review of drug classifications
Review of pharmacokinetics

Abbreviations used in prescriptions
Types of orders and transcribing
Documentation/ Component of orders
Calculations
Forms of Medications
Systems of Medication Administration
Five rights of medication/ safe administration
Routes of Administration

Techniques of Physical Assessment
Systems Assessment
History taking

Alterations in Health

• Infection Control
• Hygiene
• Activity and Exercise
• Safety,Sleep, Mobility and immobility
• Comfort
• Sensory Alterations
• Oxygenation
• Fluids and Electrolytes
• Nutrition
• Urinary Elimination
• Bowel Elimination

Nursing Care of Selected Diagnosis

• Nursing Care of the Patient with Diabetes
• Nursing Care of the Patient with Cancer
• Nursing Care of the Patient with Cardio/Respiratory Conditions
• Nursing Care of the Patient with Pain
• Nursing Care of the Surgical Patient

Psychiatric Nursing Review
Psychiatric Disorders
Loss, Grief and Mourning

Pediatric Growth and Development: Infancy through Adolescence
Health Problems of Children

Antenatal Nursing
Intrapartum Nursing
Post-partum Nursing and Newborn Assessment

Overview of Geriatric Assessment
Systems review of the Geriatric Client

Registration Requirements
To enroll in this course, a copy of the registrant’s RN current or expired license or official transcript from your school of nursing must be submitted with a completed registration form.

Required Textbook
Registrants will be required to complete assigned readings from the following text. It may be purchased online at LWW.com
• Nettina, S., (2006). Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice, Eighth Edition, Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Recommended Textbooks
• Nursing 2006 Drug Handbook, 26th Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Potter, P. and Perry, A., (2001). Fundamentals of Nursing, Sixth Edition, St. Louis, Mosby.

Dates of Enrollment
Participants may enroll in the course at any time.

Course Instructions
After you register and pay for the course, you will be provided login information via email. All content is performed online, and you will find instructions for each module when you log into your course.

Method of Evaluation
An on-line multiple-choice examination will be given upon completion of each module. A score of 80% or higher with a maximum of two attempts must be achieved for successful completion of the module.

Module Completion
Each module is self-paced. Registrants enrolling for the entire 10 module course must complete the course on or before 6 months after the date of registration to be awarded a certificate of successful completion. Registrants enrolling for individual modules must complete the module within 2 months after the date of registration to be awarded a certificate of successful completion.

Certificate of Completion
A certificate of completion of the RN Knowledge Refresher course will be awarded if all 10 modules are successfully completed within 6 months after registration. A certificate of individual module completion will be awarded to participants who request to register for a single or limited number of modules. Successful completion is defined as achieving a post-test score of 80% or better for each module with a maximum of two attempts.

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