Professional Nursing

45 hours: 3 credits. This course explores historical assumptions about nursing as a basis for understanding professional roles and the image of nursing in today?s society. Nursing is identified as a learned, valued profession; emphasis is on the influence of history in its evolution. Contemporary nursing workforce, educational trends, and practice issues are explored as primary factors in professional status. Ethical and legal aspects of nursing practice are discussed. Political and economic factors shaping nursing practice in the health care delivery system are defined, evaluated, and compared to other health systems.