The School of Life · biology, medicine & health
Nursing & Allied Health
The hands-on care that carries a patient through illness — assessment, treatment, and safety at the bedside.
The core skills and judgment of nursing — caring for patients safely, thoroughly, and with dignity.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~32 hours
Unit I — The Nursing Role
History and scope of nursing · The nursing process · Ethics and patient rights · Documentation
Unit II — Safe Care
Infection control and hand hygiene · Body mechanics and safe moving · Preventing falls and errors · Vital signs
Unit III — Meeting Basic Needs
Hygiene and skin care · Nutrition and feeding · Elimination · Rest and comfort
Unit IV — Clinical Foundations
Measuring intake and output · Wound care basics · Carrying out care plans · Communicating with the team
How to gather a full health picture — interviewing, observing, and examining patients of every age.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~26 hours
Unit I — The Health History
Interviewing skills · The complete health history · Cultural considerations · Assessing pain
Unit II — Physical Assessment Techniques
Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation · Vital signs and general survey · Skin, hair, and nails · The head-to-toe assessment
Unit III — Assessing the Systems
Heart and lungs · Abdomen · Musculoskeletal and neurological · Documenting findings
Unit IV — Special Populations
Assessing children · The pregnant patient · The older adult · Mental status assessment
How medications work and how to give them safely — dosing, monitoring, and the rights of administration.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — Medication Basics
How drugs act in the body · Drug names and classes · Reading a drug order · The rights of medication administration
Unit II — Safe Administration
Routes of administration · Dosage calculation · Preventing medication errors · Monitoring for effects
Unit III — Drugs by System
Cardiovascular medications · Pain and infection · Diabetes medications · Respiratory drugs
Unit IV — Special Care
Medications across the lifespan · High-alert drugs · Patient teaching · Documentation and reporting
Caring for adults with acute and chronic illness — the largest and most varied field of nursing.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~30 hours
Unit I — Foundations of Adult Care
The perioperative patient · Fluid and electrolyte care · Pain management · Care of wounds
Unit II — Cardiac and Respiratory Care
Caring for heart disease · Managing respiratory illness · Monitoring and telemetry · Recognizing emergencies
Unit III — Metabolic and Digestive Care
Diabetes management · Liver and kidney disorders · Digestive disorders · Nutrition support
Unit IV — Complex Care
Caring for patients with cancer · Neurological conditions · Immune and infectious disease · End-of-life care
The hands-on procedures of frontline care — drawing blood, taking samples, and doing it safely.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~16 hours
Unit I — Before the Draw
The role of the phlebotomist · Safety and standard precautions · The anatomy of veins · Equipment and collection tubes
Unit II — The Blood Draw
Patient identification and consent · Site selection · Venipuncture step by step · Order of draw
Unit III — Handling Samples
Labeling and transport · Common errors and how to avoid them · Capillary and special collections · Point-of-care testing