Tuesdays 1:30 pm- 3:00 pm
This course is designed to present theories and concepts which deal with clients presenting problems relating to psychosocial adjustments, emotional stress, and behavioral dysfunction. Concurrent clinical experience provides the opportunity for the student to utilize the nursing process with increasing independence.
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Responsibility
Catalog description: This course is designed to present theories and concepts which deal with clients presenting problems relating to psychosocial adjustments, emotional stress, and behavioral dysfunction. Concurrent clinical experience provides the opportunity for the student to utilize the nursing process with increasing independence.
Prerequisites: RNUR 2228 – Must be completed prior to taking this course
Faculty Contact Information
Office availability will vary with teaching responsibilities throughout the semester. Schedules will be posted outside of offices.
Faculty office hours are for YOU. My purpose during office hours is to be available to you to help you with questions, course related problems, or just to chat. Taking advantage of this one-on-one time with me is highly recommended, and it is also a terrific way to help ensure your academic success.
Christina Sosnowski, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC (theory/clinical)
1-815-802-8812
Health Careers
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Evaluate practices within the scope of the professional nurse by achieving a high level of professional ethics.
- Demonstrate effective therapeutic communication with clients and health care team members within the mental health setting.
- Assess clients with psychiatric disorders using the nursing process to promote health and safety.
- Evaluate nursing care using evidence- based research for clinical decision making.
- Demonstrate caring interventions across the life span including palliative and end of life care needs for client and/or significant others.
- Formulate a teaching plan for the client that promotes informed decision making for positive client outcomes.
- Collaborate with the client and health care team in shared planning, decision making and goal-setting to provide quality patient care.
- Identify effective resources to meet client needs.
- Foundations in Theory:
- Foundations for Practice:
- Psychosocial Nursing Tools:
- Psychobiological Disorders:
- Trauma Interventions:
- Interventions for Special Populations:
- Other Intervention Modalities
Required:
Halter, M. (2022). Varcarolis’ Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, A Clinical Approach. 9th ed. Mosby, St. Louis, Mo.
Halter, M. (2022). Varcarolis’ Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Sherpath Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Mo.(access code)
HESI RN Case Studies with Practice Test (Access Code).
Karnes, B. (2009). Gone from my Sight. B. Karnes Book, Inc. Vancouver, Va.
• Unit Exams, Quizzes, and Comprehensive Final Exam
• Clinical Off-Site Summaries
• Written Assignments
Health Careers
Dean, Brad Wood; 815-802-8815; M107; bwood@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8800
Course Policies
Continuity of Knowledge and Courses
Nursing knowledge is cumulative and builds from one course to the next. Students will be responsible for recalling and applying content taught in previous nursing and pre-requisite courses. This content is testable at any time.
Absence Policy
Students are expected to attend all scheduled class and clinical times, submit written assignments on due dates, and take tests at the scheduled times. It is the student’s responsibility to notify their instructor if and why he/she is unable to attend any class session. Should a student be absent from class, it is his/her responsibility to notify the instructor prior to the scheduled class time and obtain class announcements, notes, and handouts from another student in the class. (See the Attendance Section of the Nursing Student Handbook). Regarding clinical days:
- All missed clinical days must be made up. Clinical makeup will only be allowed where openings are available. There is no guarantee that openings will be available. Failure to make up a clinical day may result in a failure for the course.
- Any make-up clinical day must be scheduled within ONE week of the absence. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to schedule the makeup clinical day within ONE week of the absence. Failure to do so may result in the inability to schedule the makeup and/or a lesser score in professionalism on the weekly evaluation.
- Simulation is considered a clinical day. Call-offs should be made to the clinical instructor.
- If the student is absent from the clinical site, the student must appropriately call off to the clinical facility. Failure to do so will result in a “No Call/No Show.” If the student is scheduled for an off-site rotation, the student must call off to the off-site facility and the clinical instructor. Failure to do so will result in a “No Call/No Show.”
- The second “No Call/No Show” will result in failure of the course.
- Absences greater than or equal to 20% of your semester clinical time will result in failure for the course. See individual clinical guidelines for specific number of days equaling 20%.
- Extenuating circumstances will be considered with submission of proper documentation and will be reviewed by the faculty member and the Director of Nursing. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and clinical. All clinical absences will be made-up.
Communication
The student is responsible for checking email communication/announcements from the instructor in Canvas on a regular basis.
Code of Conduct
By participating in this course, the student agrees to adhere to the KCC Code of Conduct, found
in each academic year’s catalog, and understands that his or her classroom behavior shall be in
compliance with the Code. In addition, the student will also agree to follow the rules and
regulations found in the Nursing Student Handbook.
Professional Conduct
You will be expected to consistently demonstrate the values of honesty and integrity as a KCC Nursing student. Failure to do so will be considered a violation of professional behavior and may result in dismissal from the nursing program as well as any health career programs at KCC. Please note the “Policy for Health Career Programs Student Dismissal” in your handbook.
Violations include:
-Cheating by using or attempting to use unauthorized material, information or study aids during an academic exercise or examination.
-Sharing information about an examination or assignment with other students.
Most course assignments (tickets to class, homework, care plans, etc.), tests, and/or quizzes are to be an individual’s own work. This includes online activities. These assignments are not to be done in groups unless specified by the faculty.
Students must also understand that plagiarism will not be tolerated at any time.
Course Calendar Fall 2026
Tuesday 1:30 pm-3:00 pm
Mrs. Sosnowski email: csosnowski@kcc.edu phone: 815-802-8813
Week | Topic and/or Activity/Course Overview | Assignment-to prepare for class |
# 1 Aug. 18 | Foundations in Theory and Foundations for Practice |
|
# 2 Aug 25 | Psychosocial Nursing Tools Psychobiological Disorders | Quiz 1 (1, 4-5)
|
# 3 Sept. 1 | Psychosocial Nursing Tools Psychobiological Disorders | Exam 1 (Chapters 9,10,12-13)
|
# 4 Sept. 8 | Psychobiological Disorders | Quiz 2 (14-15)
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# 5 Sept. 15 | Psychobiological Disorders | Exam 2 (Chapters 16-17)
|
# 6 Sept. 22 | Psychobiological Disorders | Quiz 3 (18, 21)
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# 7 Sept. 29 | Psychobiological Disorders Trauma Interventions | Exam 3 (Chapters 22-23)
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#8 Oct. 6 | Psychobiological Disorders Trauma Interventions | Quiz 4 (Chapters 24-25)
|
# 9 Oct. 13 | Trauma Interventions | Exam 4 (Chapters 26-27)
SANE Speaker |
# 10 Oct. 20 | Concepts in Nursing Practice Interventions for Special Populations Family –Centered Care of the Child with Special Needs | Exam 5 (Chapters 11, 28-29)
|
# 11 Oct. 27 | Interventions for Special Populations | Exam 6 (Chapter 30 & Gone from my Sight)
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# 12 Nov. 3 | HESI FINAL EXAM Location: TBA | 50 questions, 130 minutes allotted to complete the exam Worth 50 pts |
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.