DYNAMICS OF HEALTH CARE – UMDNJ

Liza Cioffi ext. 345

Department of Health & Wellness

Northern Highlands Regional High School

2012-2013

Description of Course: This course provides an orientation and clinical exposure to health care services and their delivery. It presents an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on process skills such as critical thinking, ethical reasoning, effective communication and ways to continue independent learning throughout life. The professional competencies stressed apply to general issues and topics common to all health care providers. Emphasis is placed on the role of the health care practitioner as both provider and consumer of health care services.

Competencies

After completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Critical thinking and strategies for solving problems
  • Understand how various health team members function in diverse healthcare settings to serve the needs of individuals & society
  • Demonstrate characteristics, behaviors, & attitudes of professionals
  • Clarify & analyze their own values & the values of others
  • Speak and write clearly, effectively, and forcibly
  • Detect and circumvent barriers that obstruct interpersonal communication
  • Analyze the fundamental questions & implications raised by selected ethical health care issues
  • Communicate with patients, of all ages, from a variety of cultural backgrounds
  • Develop satisfactory personal& professional definitions of health, wellness, illness, and disease and analyze factors that affect health status
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution, nature & complexities of the U.S. health care delivery system
  • Differentiate among some of the key technical, economic, social, moral, legal, and political issues associated with biomedical technologies
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the complex problems that underlie the escalation of costs for health care in the U.S. and suggest ways of solving them
  • Analyze current health care policy issues and describe how particular factors and groups affect the formulation of health care policies

Unit Outline

  • Today’s Health Care System
  • Overview of Health Care Careers
  • Personal Qualities and Professional Skills for Success
  • Law, Ethics, and Professionalism in Health Care
  • Reproduction and Development
  • Diversity and Difference in Health Care
  • Teamwork and Leadership
  • Patient Care: Medical and Surgical
  • Patient Care: Nursing
  • Patient Care: Dental
  • Laboratory and Pharmacy Services
  • Diagnostic and Imaging Services
  • Therapy and Rehabilitation
  • Health Information and Administration
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • Health Care Communication
  • Safety and Infection Control
  • Health Care Economics
  • Computers and Other Technology
  • Advocacy
  • The Nursing Profession and the Community

Student Evaluation

Student evaluation will be based upon the following factors:

  1. Student proficiencies
  2. Class preparation
  3. Class participation
  4. Completion of assignments including class work, homework, quizzes and tests
  5. Fulfillment of other responsibilities as stated by the instructor

Students will be graded on a total point system.

Students must attain a 75 average or above to qualify to take the UMDNJ final and earn college credit.