COURSE TITLE: NURS 3421 Basic Life Science

PLACEMENT: Junior Year

CREDIT ALLOCATION: 4 cr. (4 hr. class, 15 week)

INSTRUCTOR: Nancy Taggart Davis, Ph.D.

PREREQUISITE: Anatomy, physiology, chemistry

RATIONALE
Knowledge of the sciences as they relate to health throughout the globe and in various cultural and ethnic groups should be an integral part of education for the health professions. Understanding of basic scientific principles of health maintenance will enable health personnel to better provide curative and rehabilitative services. Study of scientific principle assists in developing critical thinking and analytic methods of inquiry.

DESCRIPTION:
This is the first of a two-sequence course; the first course will emphasize health maintenance and the second course will stress pathophysiology. Presentation of a health maintenance problem with resulting disease through a library research paper will begin by selecting a topic developing an annotated bibliography and an outline. Emphasis will be placed on epidemiology, human genetics, inflammation and the immune system. The effects of psychosocial stimuli on disease will be discussed, and a global approach to the study to the disease will be emphasized.

OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the basic principles of medical genetics
2. Recognize epidemiology as a science. Throughout the two semesters sequence learn to apply epidemiology principles to system pathology.
3. Utilize the principles of epidemiology and statistics to critically evaluate the incidence and prevalence of disease and to relate to specific risk factors.
4. Describe the principles of inflammation, wound healing and the immune response.
5. Study the principles of fluid and electrolyte balance, shock and hemorrhage, fever and hypothermia.
6. Recognize the interaction between psychosocial stimuli, behavior, and the endocrine system.
7. Demonstrate an ability to access medical information.
8. Demonstrate through library and computer research the ability to utilize original sources in achieving an understanding of health maintenance.
9. Develop a global approach to the study of health maintenance.
10. Develop awareness of ethnic, gender, and cultural differences in wellness behavior.

EDUCATION:

Evaluation Tests and Exams 50%
Study Guide 25%
Caucus Discussions & assignments 25%

REQUIRED TEXTs:

Huether, Sue E. and McCance, Kathryn L. (2000). Understanding Pathophysiology, 2nd edition. Mosby.
Parkinson, Clayton F. (2000). Study Guide and Workbook for Understanding Pathophysiology, 2nd edition. Mosby
Please utilize the CD that is included with the textbook.

Following are a few web sites that might be helpful.
Be sure to check out links on my site: http://loki.stockton.edu/~davisn/links.html
National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov
National Institutes of Health: http://www.nih.gov
Virtual Hospital: http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/
Diseases, disorders etc.: http://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases/c12.html
Emory Med Web: http://www.Gen.emory.edu/
Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov
Infectious Disease Weblink: http://pages.prodigy.net/pdeziel/
JAMA : http://jama.ama-assn.org/
National institute Allergy: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Neurosciences on the Internet: http://www.neuroguide.com
University of Washington Bone and Joint Sources: http://www.orthop.washington.edu/

Tentitive Schedule of Readings and homework

I would like to complete Part One of the Textbook that includes chapters' 1 through10.

Week 1 & 2 Cellular Biology and Altered Cellular and Tissue Biology. Chapters 1 and 3,coresponding workbook assignments, questions on caucus, test on these two chapters.

Weeks 3,4,5, Genetics. Chapter 2 and lectures on the web. Complete workbook pages and study questions on the web. Test to follow material on genetics.

Week 6 Fluid and Electrolytes, Acids and Bases. Chapter 4. Answer questions in workbook and questions on CD. No test but you most hand in work.

Week 7,8,9,10 Immunity and inflammation. Chapters 5, 6, 7. Workbook. You will be tested on this material.

Week 11 Stress and Disease. Chapter 8. Hand in workbook pages. Discussion on the caucus.

Weeks 12, 13, 14, 15 Neoplasia. Chapters 9, 10, and 11. Workbook pages. Questions on the caucus and on CD must be answered. Each student must present a brief report on caucus on one type of cancer.