Musculoskeletal Nursing

N 222IN
 Clovis Community College
Nursing Program
Sub-Syllabus: N222IN Musculoskeletal Nursing

INSTRUCTOR:

OFFICE & PHONE:

EMAIL:

OFFICE HOURS:

TEXTBOOKS:
Ignatavicius, D. D. & Workman, M. L. (2013). Medical-surgical nursing: Patient-centered

collaborative care (7th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders.

OPTIONAL TEXTS:
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
N222IN Musculoskeletal health component. See syllabus description for N222IN.

UNIT DESCRIPTION:
This unit is designed to provide instruction in the theory of Musculoskeletal System disorders.
Instruction will include concepts of musculoskeletal pathophysiology, patient education, and nursing
care of patients with common health problems involving the musculoskeletal system. Pharmacological
management of specific disorders is incorporated throughout the course content, including hormone
replacement therapy, vitamins and minerals, selective estrogen receptor modulators, non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs, antineoplastic agents, antibiotic therapy, corticosteroids, and opioid analgesics.
The focus of this unit is applying the nursing process to promote musculoskeletal wellness across the
lifespan in a holistic and culturally sensitive manner.

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS:
The student will be able to independently utilize the nursing process to develop a prioritized plan of
care for clients with musculoskeletal disorders in the presence of complicating factors. The student
will be able to recognize the physiological, psychological, developmental and sociocultural
implications of such disorders, in an effort to optimize wellness.

Attendance Requirements
Attendance is required at all class sessions in each course for which the student is enrolled. Students
are expected to attend all classes, be on time, and be prepared to learn. This includes bringing
textbooks, syllabus, notebook, writing instrument, having completed reading and any extra nursing
instruments needed for chapter discussion. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class.
Absences will be subtracted from the final overall grade one (1) point per absence at the end of the
semester.
Computer Exams: See Course Schedule (specific dates and any changes will be announced). Exams
will count 100% of the unit grade. There will be 2, multiple-choice exams. A student who is more than
five (5) minutes late for an exam will have a 10 point penalty for not taking the exam as scheduled. In
the event of an emergency and a student cannot take an exam as scheduled, the instructor must be
informed prior to the close of the exam and a decision will be made regarding a makeup time. A 10
point deduction will be taken from the test grade.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this section the student nurse will:
1. Identify primary preventive health care activities, including nutritional factors, exercise
programs, and safety measures which promote musculoskeletal health and function.
2. Implement nursing activities that will support and promote the achievement and/or
maintenance of maximal self-care capabilities as related to patients with impaired
musculoskeletal functioning.
3. Use the nursing process, including formulating nursing diagnoses, to adapt, plan, and
implement effective nursing care for individuals and families with musculoskeletal health
problems.

GRADING POLICY:
1. Nursing 222IN must be passed with a grade of 77% or above.
2. The grading for this course will be 100% exams.
3. The percentage value of this section is stated in the written course description for the nursing
program which is distributed each semester.
4. Exams may be cumulative and may contain items from previous content and learning
activities.
5. No exams will be rescheduled unless deemed necessary by the instructor.

Grading Scale:
The following grading scale is used in the nursing program.

A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 77-79
D = 68-76
F = <68

Mandatory Tutoring:
Students who fail ANY EXAM will be required to attend tutoring. It is the student’s responsibility to
e-mail the tutor (via Canvas) to set up an appointment. Please note the student should not wait for the
instructor to review the exam. Use the computer score to determine if this is a fail. E-mail contact the
tutor and instructor immediately following the exam. The tutor(s) and contact information will be
available on Canvas.

EARLY ALERT and RETENTION:

In an effort to ensure you have the support necessary to be successful, Clovis Community College has
an Early Alert Referral Program. If I feel you could benefit from additional support outside of the
classroom, I may make a referral. If you would like any additional support outside of this classroom,
you may request a referral.

Academic Dishonesty :
See the 2013-2015 CCC Catalog General Information section (under Academic Integrity) for the
current Guide for Student Nurses.
Should a student turn in any paper work that appears strikingly similar to any student ( past, present, or
current); including your own work from previous semesters; that individual will earn a zero ( “0”) on
that assignment.
Plagiarism:
As per the 2013-2015 Clovis Community College Catalog plagiarism is defined as follows:
Plagiarism which include but is not limited to: a) offering the work of another as
one’s own: b) offering the work of another without proper acknowledgment; and/or
c) failing to give credit for quotations or essentially identical expression of material
taken from books, encyclopedias, magazines, reference works, Internet sources,
term papers, reports, or other writings of another individual.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If work is proven to be plagiarized the offering
student(s) will receive a grade of zero (“0”) for the assignment(s) and will be referred to the
appropriate College authority for disciplinary action which may include failure for the section
and/or course, suspension, and/or expulsion. In order to avoid plagiarizing, the student should
state their own thoughts in their own words, provide adequate citations within assignments and
if in doubt, ask questions.
HIPAA:
Federal legislation passed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system;
components that affect health information include privacy, security, and the establishment of standards
and requirements for the electronic transmission of certain health information.

In summary: The HIPAA regulations require that health care facilities design and maintain systems
to protect the security and privacy of electronically transmitted data. The systems must prevent
unauthorized individuals from accessing, creating or modifying information while at the same time
allowing authorized users to have access.

All patient information is confidential. You may not share any patient related information via word of
mouth, by any social network, or electronically. Failure to maintain patient confidentiality may result
in a grade of not more than “76” for the course and could result in dismissal from the CCC Nursing
Program.

Related to confidentiality of lecture discussion and topics, no recording is permitted.

COURSE SCHEDULE/CALENDAR:
See schedule included in this sub-syllabus. Changes may be made at the instructor’s discretion.

Musculoskeletal System N222IN

Course Schedule

Date Time Topic Reading

Chapter 52
Assessment of the Musculoskeletal System 1140-1151
1/14/15 1000 Osteoporosis Chapter 53
1152-1160
Chapter 53
Osteomalacia 1160-1162
1/14/15 1100 Paget’s Disease 1162-1164
Osteomyelitis 1164-1167
Bone Tumors 1167-1172
1/15/15 0900 Scoliosis 1173-1177
Low Back Pain 983-989
1/15/15 1000 Osteoarthritis 322-336
Rheumatoid Arthritis 337-347
1/30/15 1300 EXAM #1 Testing Lab
SLE 347-350
1/21/15 1000 Scleroderma 351-353
Gout 353-354
1/21/15 1100 Lyme Disease 356
Fractures, Compartment Syndrome, Fat Chapter 54
1/22/15 0900 Embolism, Casts, Traction 1178-1190
ORIF, External Fixation, Mobility 1190-1195
1/22/15 1000 Hip & extremity fractures 1195-1199
Amputations, Knee Injuries 1199-1206
1/28/15 1100 Carpal Tunnel, Strains and Sprains 1206-1209
2/3/15 1300 EXAM #2 Testing Lab

The exams will be taken from the reading assignments. Follow the schedule for weekly content and
exam times. You are responsible for all of the assigned material and understanding the application of
that information.
COURSE TITLE: Nursing 222IN

UNIT TITLE: Musculoskeletal System 222IN

MODULE TITLE: Musculoskeletal Health

CONTENT AREA: Assessment, management & nursing care of clients experiencing diseases and
disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Pharmacologic agents related to the
musculoskeletal system.

INTRODUCTION:
This unit focuses on increasing the student’s understanding of the interrelated nature of physiological,
psychological, socio-cultural, and developmental factors as they influence the promotion and
maintenance of musculoskeletal health throughout the lifespan. An understanding of the pathological
processes, common diagnostic procedures, and common treatment modalities increases the nurse’s
ability to deliver holistic, safe, and efficient care.

GOAL STATEMENT:
Through lecture and class discussion the student will review normal anatomy and physiology of the
musculoskeletal system. Upon completion of this class the student will be able to perform
primary/preventive nursing measures to promote musculoskeletal wellness and independently utilize
the nursing process in the nursing care of adults with musculoskeletal disorders and their families in
the care planning process.

UNIT OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
1. Score 77% or above on exams.
2. Appropriately apply concepts in this module to the clinical setting.

ENABLING OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
1. Describe the contributions of nutrition, physical activity, and safety measures toward the
promotion of musculoskeletal health across the lifespan.
2. Identify factors within an individual’s hereditary background, environmental situation, life
stage, and lifestyle behaviors that increase the risk for developing particular
musculoskeletal health problems.
3. Identify the most common laboratory and radiologic studies used to diagnose
musculoskeletal dysfunction, nursing responsibilities, and patient teaching.
4. Describe the medical management and surgical procedures commonly used in the treatment
of patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction and the associated nursing responsibilities.
5. Identify special considerations for the elderly patient with altered function of the
musculoskeletal system.
6. Describe common musculoskeletal disorders in terms of etiology, pathophysiology, clinical
manifestations, diagnostic procedures, and medical management.
7. Compare and contrast various types of fractures in terms of cause, risk factors, treatment,
and nursing interventions.
8. Identify common pharmacologic agents used to treat musculoskeletal disorders.
 9. Describe nursing interventions and treatments, with rationales, commonly applicable to
patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
10. Explain the basis of evaluation of nursing care provided to patients with common
musculoskeletal disorders.
11. Formulate nursing diagnoses and care plans for patients with alterations in musculoskeletal
health.
12. Rank priorities for care of patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction based upon presenting
symptoms and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.
13. Interpret patient responses to medical interventions and discriminate expected outcomes
from pathology.
14. Describe patient education needs for patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction for
rehabilitative self-care at home.

DIRECTIONS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

1. Review anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal system.

2. Refer to class schedule for specific reading assignments to coincide with class dates and
prepare for daily lecture.
3. Review the learning outcomes for each chapter in the textbook.
4. Attend class and participate in classroom activities.
5. Complete computerized exams on the musculoskeletal system.

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