Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Access current, reliable information about selected pathophysiological processes, including cellular adaptation, injury, and death; inflammation and tissue healing; fluid and electrolyte imbalances; and physiologic response to stressors.
2. Select and interpret basic focused nursing assessments based on knowledge of clinical manifestations of and developmental considerations in selected pathophysiological processes in patients across the life span.
3. Teach persons from diverse populations regarding selected pathophysiological processes, focusing on:

•  explaining how the risk factors relate to specific pathophysiological processes,
•  describing selected pathophysiological processes in appropriate terms,
• explaining how the signs and symptoms relate to specific pathophysiological processes,
•  explaining which signs and symptoms to report to a health professional,
•  explaining how developmental factors relate to pathophysiology.

4. Communicate effectively with other health professionals regarding selected pathophysiological processes, focusing on:

• using appropriate technical language,
• clarifying technical details of pathophysiological processes,
•  reporting pertinent information about a client's status.

Required readings
Lecture
Clinical Stories, case review
Student presentations
group work

Summary of literature search in professional database
Multiple choice exams
Written assignments: Interview
Poster project

Themes, concepts, issues:
Intro to disease states
Pathophysiology of various diseases
Evidence based research
Medical terminology
Life span considerations in various disease states
Teaching techniques for various ages, developmental stages
Communication with other professionals
Team work
Skills:
Communication
Clinical decision making
Interpretation of data