Registered Nurses: regional skills readiness | Eastern Washington University

Regional opportunity and readiness

EWU nursing graduates are prepared for the bedside core the region asks for: patient assessment, documentation, medication administration, care planning, patient and family education, interprofessional collaboration, and evidence-based community health, each taught and assessed across the NURS course sequence.

1,950projected annual openings, Spokane region

39EWU graduates a yearof about 381 across the region

9 of 10 areas prepared or developing, 1 opportunities to extend reach

Clinical Documentation and Record KeepingPrepared

Patient and Family Education, Communication, and AdvocacyPrepared

Interprofessional Collaboration, Care Coordination, and ReferralPrepared

Care Planning and the Nursing ProcessPrepared

Medication Administration and Pharmacologic ManagementPrepared

Patient Assessment and Clinical MonitoringPrepared

Professional Development, Evidence-Based Practice, and Community HealthPrepared

Clinical Equipment, Procedures, and Diagnostic InterpretationDeveloping

Diagnostic Reasoning, Behavioral Health, and PrescribingDeveloping

Nursing Leadership, Supervision, Administration, and PolicyOpportunity

Accounting readiness against Spokane demand (40 postings, 10 EWU areas)
Skill area	Readiness	Demand
Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping	Prepared	17 of 40
Patient and Family Education, Communication, and Advocacy	Prepared	23 of 40
Interprofessional Collaboration, Care Coordination, and Referral	Prepared	32 of 40
Care Planning and the Nursing Process	Prepared	15 of 40
Medication Administration and Pharmacologic Management	Prepared	13 of 40
Patient Assessment and Clinical Monitoring	Prepared	28 of 40
Professional Development, Evidence-Based Practice, and Community Health	Prepared	7 of 40
Clinical Equipment, Procedures, and Diagnostic Interpretation	Developing	27 of 40
Diagnostic Reasoning, Behavioral Health, and Prescribing	Developing	10 of 40
Nursing Leadership, Supervision, Administration, and Policy	Opportunity	26 of 40

The clearest move Approve the Office of Professional and Continuing Education to develop a charge-nurse and nurse-manager fundamentals certificate covering staffing, budget, unit leadership, and policy.

What graduates are prepared for, and where to extend reach

Prepared for

Patient Assessment and Clinical MonitoringObserve, examine, and monitor patients and report changes in status, taught across NURS 303S, 303SL, 314S, 315S, and 405S.
Clinical Documentation and Record KeepingDocument history, assessment, and care in the electronic health record per agency policy, covered in NURS 303SL, 306S, and 315S.
Medication Administration and Pharmacologic ManagementAdminister medications by multiple routes with dose calculation and side-effect monitoring, covered in NURS 304S, 305S, and 306S.
Care Planning and the Nursing ProcessBuild, prioritize, and revise a plan of care for the critically ill, covered in NURS 302S, 312S, and 412S.
Patient and Family Education, Communication, and AdvocacyDeliver teaching with teach-back, use therapeutic communication, and advocate for patients, covered in NURS 311S, 402S, and 306S.
Interprofessional Collaboration, Care Coordination, and ReferralCollaborate in care conferences, coordinate transitions, and refer to community resources, covered in NURS 306S, 315S, and 405S.
Professional Development, Evidence-Based Practice, and Community HealthAppraise research and assess and plan community health work, covered in NURS 411S, 412S, 404S, and 405S.
Clinical Equipment, Procedures, and Diagnostic InterpretationSet up and monitor invasive equipment, identify safety concerns, and interpret findings against normal ranges, covered in NURS 312SL, 402SL, 314S, and 303S; specimen collection, transfusion, wound care, and EKG and radiograph interpretation are an opportunity to add.
Diagnostic Reasoning and Behavioral Health RecognitionReason about disease mechanisms, distinguish physiologic from psychologic findings, and recognize behavioral health concerns, covered in NURS 314S, 303S, and 313S; formal diagnosis sits with advanced practice.

Opportunities to extend reach

Charge-nurse and nurse-manager readinessDevelop a continuing-education certificate in staffing, budget, unit leadership, and policy authorship, building on the delegation slice in NURS 306S 8.1, to meet the charge-nurse and nurse-manager postings in the region.
Hands-on bedside proceduresAdd a skills-lab or simulation rotation for specimen collection, blood transfusion, wound care, and emergency resuscitation, the procedural skills the postings name.
Bedside-monitoring procedures within RN scopeAdd fluid intake and output monitoring and nutrition-related complication screening through a skills lab, both within registered-nurse scope.
Diagnostic interpretationExtend NURS 314S with EKG interpretation, radiograph interpretation, and laboratory-test procedures.

The 10 regional skill areas

Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping Preparednamed in 17 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can document a patient's history, assessment findings, and the care delivered in the electronic health record in accordance with agency policy.

Assessment item Given a simulated patient encounter, the student documents a comprehensive health history and head-to-toe assessment in a practice electronic health record so that an auditor finds every required field complete and accurate. Apply

CurriculumNURS 303SL Health Assessment lab for history and exam documentation, with NURS 306S 6.2 and NURS 315S 6.2 for electronic-health-record charting.

Student experienceChart a full shift of simulated patient events in a training electronic health record and submit the record for a documentation-integrity audit against agency policy.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in electronic health record documentation and charting standards through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Record patients' medical information and vital signs.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 6.2 and NURS 306S 6.2 teach documenting nursing assessments and care in the electronic medical record.
Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 6.2 and NURS 315S 6.2 directly teach documenting patient-care data in the record.
Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.	Prepared	NURS 303SL	NURS 303SL documents a comprehensive health history and head-to-toe assessment; documentation is taught directly.
Document patients' medical histories and assessment findings.	Prepared	NURS 303SL	NURS 303SL documents a comprehensive health history and NURS 306S 6.2 documents assessment findings.
Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 6.2 documents nursing care and NURS 315S 6.2 documents care in the medical record.
Document patients' treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, or plan revisions.	Developing	NURS 303SL	The documentation skill is taught but the object is a health history, not treatment plans and outcomes specifically.
Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.	Developing	NURS 303SL	Documenting assessments is keeping accurate clinical records, but maintaining records as a general competency is not taught.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: document, charting, electronic health record, ehr, emr, medical record.

Patient and Family Education, Communication, and Advocacy Preparednamed in 23 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can use therapeutic communication to discuss conditions and treatments with patients and families, plan and deliver health education, advocate for patient and family needs, and provide emotional support.

Assessment item Given a patient newly diagnosed with a chronic condition, the student plans and delivers a teaching session covering the condition, prevention, and medications, and a faculty observer confirms the patient can restate the key self-management steps using teach-back. Apply

CurriculumNURS 311S Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for general health education, NURS 402S for child and family teaching, NURS 306S 2.1 therapeutic communication, and NURS 306S 3.2 advocacy.

Student experienceDesign and deliver a culturally appropriate teaching session to a standardized patient and family, then run a teach-back check to confirm understanding.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in patient and family health education and therapeutic communication through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 2.1 teaches therapeutic communication in patient and family interactions, exactly this work.
Instruct individuals, families, or other groups on topics such as health education, disease prevention, or childbirth and develop health improvement programs.	Prepared	NURS 311S	NURS 311S teaches health promotion and disease prevention instruction; NURS 402S adds child and family teaching.
Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.	Prepared	NURS 311S	NURS 311S teaches prevention instruction and NURS 305S covers medication education; NURS 402S adds family teaching.
Advocate for patients' and families' needs, or provide emotional support for patients and their families.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 3.2 advocates for patient and family and NURS 315S 2.3 provides end-of-life emotional support.
Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.	Prepared	NURS 311S	NURS 311S plans health promotion and prevention education, the same work as designing a patient education program.
Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.	Prepared	NURS 305S	NURS 305S teaches patients, the cleanest delivery match, reinforced by NURS 311S and NURS 315S 5.4.
Assess the needs of patients' family members or caregivers.	Developing	NURS 405S	Family partnering and advocacy are taught but formally assessing caregiver needs is not.
Assess family adaptation levels and coping skills to determine whether intervention is needed.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include assessing a family's adaptation or coping skills.
Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.	Developing	none	The closest outcome communicates patient values to the team, the wrong direction; informed-decision teaching to the client is absent.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: patient education, educate, teach, discharge, advocacy, family.

Interprofessional Collaboration, Care Coordination, and Referral Preparednamed in 32 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can collaborate with the health care team to plan and revise care, participate in care conferences, coordinate transitions, and refer patients to community resources.

Assessment item Given an interprofessional care conference scenario, the student presents the patient's status and a coordination plan, makes an appropriate community-resource referral, and the rubric confirms accurate handoff and a justified referral. Apply

CurriculumNURS 306S 8.2 collaboration and 8.3 care conferences, NURS 315S 8.3 rounds and conferences, NURS 405S 8.2 collaboration, and NURS 405S 9.2 referral.

Student experienceTake a defined role in a simulated interprofessional rounds session, hand off a patient using a structured communication tool, and document a community-resource referral.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in interprofessional care coordination and care-transition management through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.2 collaborates with other professionals to plan care, reinforced by 8.3 care conferences.
Collaborate with other health care professionals to develop and revise treatment plans, based on identified needs and assessment data.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.2 collaborates to plan holistic care; NURS 412S supports evidence-based revision.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members, including psychiatrists, psychologists, or nursing staff, to develop, implement, or evaluate treatment plans.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.2 plus NURS 313S behavioral integration teach interdisciplinary collaboration on plans.
Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.2 teaches professional-to-professional collaboration on patient care.
Participate in patients' care meetings and conferences.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 8.3 participates in rounds and interprofessional conferences, a near-exact match.
Participate in treatment team conferences regarding diagnosis or treatment of difficult cases.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 8.3 and NURS 306S 8.3 teach participating in interprofessional care conferences.
Collaborate with patients to plan for future health care needs or to coordinate transitions and referrals.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 5.3 and NURS 312S teach care transitions and 8.2 covers collaborative planning.
Refer students or patients to specialized health resources or community agencies furnishing assistance.	Prepared	NURS 405S	NURS 405S 9.2 identifies and refers patients and families to community resources, a clean match.
Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 5.3 monitors and reports and NURS 306S 8.2 adds the collaboration piece.
Refer patients for specialty consultations or treatments.	Developing	NURS 405S	NURS 405S 9.2 teaches referral but scoped to community resources, not specialty medical consultation.
Refer patients requiring more specialized or complex treatment to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or other medical specialists.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include the referral process to specialists; the closest describes mental health settings.
Consult with psychiatrists or other professionals when unusual or complex cases are encountered.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include recognizing when to consult and how to escalate complex cases.
Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.	Developing	NURS 315S	Participating in conferences is taught but formally providing consultation to other providers is not.
Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.	Developing	NURS 315S	Clinical reasoning to choose among solutions is taught but communicating recommendations to those parties is not.
Coordinate patient care conferences.	Developing	NURS 315S	Participating in conferences is taught but coordinating and leading them is not.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: interprofessional, collaborat, multidisciplinary, referral, care team.

Care Planning and the Nursing Process Preparednamed in 15 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can apply the nursing process to assess a patient's problems, develop and implement a plan of care, prioritize care for the acutely ill, and revise the plan as the patient responds.

Assessment item Given a complex case study with assessment data, the student writes a prioritized plan of care using the nursing process and revises it after a stated change in the patient's condition, meeting the rubric for problem identification, intervention selection, and revision. Create

CurriculumNURS 302S for the nursing process, NURS 312S and NURS 412S for complex and critical-care planning, and NURS 313S for holistic physical and behavioral plans.

Student experienceBuild and present a prioritized plan of care for an assigned critically ill simulation patient, then defend the revisions you make after a scripted change in status.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in nursing-process care planning and clinical prioritization through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Develop and implement treatment plans.	Prepared	NURS 302S	NURS 302S applies the nursing process to plan care to manage patient problems, the nursing equivalent of developing a plan.
Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.	Prepared	NURS 412S	NURS 412S, 302S, and 312S all use the nursing process to plan care, directly developing care plans.
Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.	Prepared	NURS 412S	NURS 412S plans care for complex and critical patients using assessment-driven process.
Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.	Prepared	NURS 302S	NURS 302S applies the nursing process to derive and revise a plan from assessment data.
Write nursing orders.	Developing	NURS 302S	NURS 302S plans care to manage patient problems, which produces the interventions a nursing order records, but writing the order as a named artifact is not taught.
Perform discharge planning for patients.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 2.2 creates a discharge plan to promote self-management, a precise match.
Identify patients' age-specific needs and alter care plans as necessary to meet those needs.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 2.2 individualizes care plans for older adults, teaching age-specific care planning.
Assist patients in organizing their health care system activities.	Developing	NURS 405S	NURS 405S 9.1 factors in the system when making decisions but coaching the patient to organize their own activities is not taught.
Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.	Developing	NURS 315S	Recognizing changes and planning care partly cover it, but modifying a plan in response is not explicit.
Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 3.2 communicates with the team and the nursing-process objectives cover the care-plan element.
Treat patients for routine physical health problems.	Developing	NURS 312S	NURS 312S plans care for acute and chronic illness but routine physical treatment is not cleanly covered.
Perform approved therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, based upon patients' clinical status.	Developing	NURS 304S	Medication administration is one approved procedure but the broader procedural scope is not taught.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: care plan, nursing process, plan of care, care coordination.

Medication Administration and Pharmacologic Management Preparednamed in 13 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can safely and accurately administer medications by multiple routes, calculate doses, and monitor the patient for intended effects and side effects.

Assessment item Given an ordered medication and a standardized patient, the student calculates the dose, administers the drug by the correct route observing the rights of medication administration, and states the side effects to monitor, with zero administration errors on the skills checklist. Apply

CurriculumNURS 304S Nursing Skills Laboratory for administration by various routes and dose calculation, with NURS 305S Pharmacology and NURS 306S 5.2 supervised administration.

Student experienceComplete a medication-administration skills checkoff across oral, injectable, and intravenous routes on simulation manikins, including a dose-calculation station scored for accuracy.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in safe medication administration and dose calculation for nurses re-entering practice, through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.	Prepared	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 5.2 administers medications and NURS 305S teaches side effects and nursing implications for monitoring.
Administer medications, including those administered by injection.	Prepared	NURS 304S	NURS 304S demonstrates safe administration by various routes, which covers injection.
Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.	Prepared	NURS 304S	NURS 304S administers medications by various routes, matching the named routes.
Monitor patients' medication usage and results.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 5.4 teaches monitoring medication effects and NURS 306S 5.2 supports tracking medication use.
Administer local, inhalation, intravenous, or other anesthetics.	Developing	NURS 304S	Route-based administration is taught but anesthetic-specific competency is a CRNA function not yet in the outcomes.
Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.	Developing	NURS 304S	IV administration overlaps but transfusion specifically and reaction monitoring are not taught.
Administer blood and blood products, monitoring patients for signs and symptoms related to transfusion reactions.	Developing	NURS 304S	General administer-and-monitor competence is present but transfusion and reaction surveillance are not named.
Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.	Developing	NURS 304S	Drug delivery is taught but titrating pain and sedation, non-pharmacologic pairing, and plan revision are missing.
Analyze the indications, contraindications, risk complications, and cost-benefit tradeoffs of therapeutic interventions.	Developing	NURS 305S	Drug effects and adverse effects are taught but contraindications and cost-benefit analysis are not.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: medication, administer, iv , infusion, dosage, pharmacolog.

Patient Assessment and Clinical Monitoring Preparednamed in 28 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can observe, interview, and physically examine a patient, distinguish normal findings from abnormal ones, recognize when a patient's status is changing, and report those changes to the care team.

Assessment item Given a standardized patient presenting with an evolving respiratory complaint, the student performs a focused head-to-toe and pulmonary assessment and identifies every abnormal finding and the change in status, matching the instructor checklist with no missed critical finding. Analyze

CurriculumNURS 303S Health Assessment paired with the NURS 303SL lab, supported by NURS 314S Pathophysiology and the NURS 315S and NURS 405S status-change outcomes.

Student experienceRun a simulation rotation in which the student tracks a deteriorating manikin across a shift, documents each change in status, and reports to a faculty playing the charge nurse.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in physical assessment refresher for returning nurses, delivered through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 5.3 and NURS 405S 5.4 teach recognizing changes in patient health status and reporting them, the monitor-and-report core.
Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.	Prepared	NURS 315S	NURS 313S adds the mental dimension and NURS 315S 5.3 teaches status assessment from presenting symptoms.
Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.	Prepared	NURS 303S	NURS 303S integrates health assessment into the nursing process, which is observing, interviewing, and assessing to identify needs.
Conduct pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems.	Prepared	NURS 303S	NURS 303S differentiates normal from abnormal findings and NURS 303SL performs focused body-system exams including lung auscultation.
Distinguish between normal and abnormal developmental and age-related physiological and behavioral changes in acute, critical, and chronic illness.	Prepared	NURS 303S	NURS 303S distinguishes normal aging from pathology and NURS 403S, scoped to mothers, infants, and children, differentiates developmental milestones from delays.
Provide routine physical health screenings to detect or monitor problems such as heart disease and diabetes.	Prepared	NURS 303SL	NURS 303SL performs focused physical examinations, the hands-on screening skill, though disease-specific screening is not named.
Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.	Developing	NURS 315S	Status-change monitoring is taught but diet and physical-activity monitoring specifically is not named.
Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.	Developing	NURS 303S	The general assessment skill is taught but pain rating scales and sedation scoring are not named.
Assess patients' psychosocial status and needs, including areas such as sleep patterns, anxiety, grief, anger, and support systems.	Developing	NURS 315S	NURS 315S 5.1 brings behavioral health into care planning but the structured psychosocial assessment skill is not directly taught.
Assess urgent and emergent health conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data.	Developing	NURS 315S	Recognizing changes plus pathophysiology and EHR-data retrieval partly cover it, but urgent and emergent assessment is not addressed.
Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.	Developing	NURS 315S	Recognizing and reporting deterioration is taught but interpreting vitals and labs to trigger emergency intervention is not.
Assess the impact of illnesses or injuries on patients' health, function, growth, development, nutrition, sleep, rest, quality of life, or family, social and educational relationships.	Developing	NURS 303SL	The comprehensive health history gathers functional and social data but the full breadth of impact named is only partly covered.
Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include intake and output measurement or fluid and electrolyte balance.
Identify patients at risk of complications due to nutritional status.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include nutritional status or nutrition-related complication risk.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: assess, vital signs, monitor, triage, physical exam, screening.

Professional Development, Evidence-Based Practice, and Community Health Preparednamed in 7 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can engage in lifelong professional development, search and evaluate research to inform practice, and assess and plan health-improvement work with communities.

Assessment item Given a clinical question and a community profile, the student retrieves and appraises two research studies and proposes an evidence-based community health-improvement intervention, meeting the rubric for source appraisal and intervention fit. Evaluate

CurriculumNURS 411S Transition to Practice for professional development, NURS 412S for evidence-based research appraisal, and NURS 404S and NURS 405S for community health assessment and planning.

Student experienceComplete a community-health project that assesses a defined population, appraises supporting research, and proposes a behavioral-change intervention to present to the class.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in evidence-based practice and population health for practicing nurses through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Participate in activities aimed at professional growth and development, including conferences or continuing education activities.	Prepared	NURS 411S	NURS 411S teaches the value of professional engagement and lifelong learning for growth.
Participate in professional organizations and continuing education to improve practice knowledge and skills.	Prepared	NURS 411S	NURS 411S addresses ongoing professional development and NURS 414S adds continued preparation.
Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in acute care.	Developing	NURS 412S	Reading and evaluating literature is taught but participating in organizations or conferences is not.
Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.	Developing	none	Candidates are generic nursing-process outcomes; staying current with the literature and profession is absent.
Engage in research activities related to nursing.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include research methods, study design, or evidence generation.
Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.	Developing	none	Appraising literature is taught but conducting research, protocol review, and regulatory work are not.
Assess the needs of individuals, families, or communities, including assessment of individuals' home or work environments, to identify potential health or safety problems.	Prepared	NURS 405S	NURS 405S 3.2 assesses community perspectives and priorities; NURS 404S reinforces environmental angle.
Work with individuals, groups, or families to plan or implement programs designed to improve the overall health of communities.	Prepared	NURS 405S	NURS 405S 8.2 collaborates with communities and 2.2 and 7.2 plan community health interventions.
Direct or provide home health services.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include providing or directing home health services.
Develop, implement, or evaluate programs such as outreach activities, community mental health programs, and crisis situation response activities.	Developing	NURS 313S	Community behavioral-health context is described but developing or evaluating programs is not taught.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: evidence-based, professional development, continuing education, preceptor, community health, public health.

Clinical Equipment, Procedures, and Diagnostic Interpretation Developingnamed in 27 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can set up, operate, and monitor invasive clinical equipment, recognize unsafe equipment, and interpret diagnostic and assessment findings against normal values.

Assessment item Given a manikin connected to invasive clinical equipment, the student sets up and monitors the device, identifies a safety concern, and interprets the displayed data against normal ranges, meeting the lab safety and interpretation checklist. Apply

CurriculumNURS 312SL and NURS 402SL clinical-foundations labs for invasive equipment, with NURS 314S Pathophysiology and NURS 303S for interpreting findings.

Student experienceComplete a clinical-equipment lab station that sets up a monitor and an infusion device, identifies a planted malfunction, and interprets the readout against normal ranges.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in critical-care equipment and basic dysrhythmia and diagnostic interpretation through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.	Prepared	NURS 312SL	NURS 312SL and 402SL perform assessments and identify safety concerns with invasive clinical equipment; NURS 405S 6.2 uses care technology.
Identify malfunctioning equipment or devices.	Developing	NURS 312SL	Identifying equipment safety concerns is taught but diagnosing a malfunction specifically is not.
Set up and monitor medical equipment and devices such as cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators and alarms, oxygen delivery devices, transducers, or pressure lines.	Developing	NURS 402SL	Invasive-equipment handling is taught but the named critical-care devices are not specifically covered.
Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.	Prepared	NURS 314S	NURS 314S explains the physiologic basis of diagnostic test results and NURS 303S evaluates findings; the interpret half is taught.
Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests and screening procedures based on assessment results, differential diagnoses, and knowledge about age, gender and health status of clients.	Developing	NURS 303S	Interpreting results against normal values is taught but ordering and differential diagnosis are advanced-practice scope.
Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests.	Developing	NURS 314S	Reading results in general is taught but EKG and renal-function interpretation specifically is not.
Conduct specified laboratory tests.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include conducting laboratory tests or specimen analysis.
Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include electrocardiogram interpretation or reading radiographs.
Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include specimen-collection technique, labeling, and handling.
Collect specimens for laboratory tests.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include drawing blood, collecting urine, or culture swabs for the lab.
Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include compiling and analyzing monitoring data.
Adjust settings on patients' assistive devices, such as temporary pacemakers.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include operating or titrating settings on cardiac or other assistive devices.
Prepare patients for and assist with examinations or treatments.	Developing	NURS 312S	Peri-procedure interventions and invasive-equipment assessment graze it but preparing for and assisting an exam is not squarely taught.
Assist physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy, endoscopy, endotracheal intubation, or elective cardioversion.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include assisting with bronchoscopy, endoscopy, intubation, or cardioversion.
Treat wounds or superficial lacerations.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include wound care, dressing, or laceration repair.
Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include cardiac life support, resuscitation, or emergency stabilization.
Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.	Developing	NURS 315S	Recognizing and reporting changes is taught but instituting interventions for deterioration is only weakly covered.
Prepare rooms, sterile instruments, equipment, or supplies and ensure that stock of supplies is maintained.	Developing	NURS 306S	Equipment handling is adjacent but sterilization, room setup, and stock maintenance are not taught.
Ensure that equipment or devices are properly stored after use.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include proper storage of equipment after use.
Monitor the use and status of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include tracking or managing supply inventory.
Provide post-mortem care.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include care of the body and family after death.
Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include first aid, immunization administration, or rehabilitation care across community settings.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: wound care, catheter, transfusion, specimen, phlebotomy, procedure, equipment, resuscitation, acls, bls.

Diagnostic Reasoning, Behavioral Health, and Prescribing Developingnamed in 10 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can reason about disease mechanisms, distinguish physiologic from psychologic conditions and normal from abnormal change, and recognize behavioral health conditions, while formal diagnosis and prescribing remain outside the registered-nurse scope.

Assessment item Given a case with mixed physical and behavioral findings, the student explains the physiologic basis of the signs, distinguishes the physiologically based from the psychologically based problem, and names the behavioral health concern, meeting the rubric for reasoning while correctly withholding a formal diagnosis. Analyze

CurriculumNURS 314S Pathophysiology and NURS 303S for normal-versus-abnormal reasoning, with NURS 313S Behavioral Health for the mental-health dimension.

Student experienceWork a mixed physical and behavioral case study, mapping each sign to its physiologic basis and stating which findings are physiologically and which are psychologically based.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in applied pathophysiology and behavioral health recognition for the bedside nurse through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.	Developing	NURS 314S	Pathophysiology and status-change recognition teach recognizing instability but formal diagnosis is outside the registered-nurse role.
Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.	Developing	NURS 314S	Pathophysiology and behavioral health teach the distinction but rendering the diagnosis is not taught.
Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.	Developing	NURS 313S	NURS 313S engages mental health diagnoses conceptually but the diagnostic act is advanced-practice scope.
Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.	Developing	NURS 303S	Differentiating findings and behavioral care planning are taught but formulating the diagnosis is not.
Conduct individual, group, or family psychotherapy for those with chronic or acute mental disorders.	Developing	none	Therapeutic communication is taught but delivering structured psychotherapy is advanced-practice scope.
Prescribe or recommend drugs, medical devices, or other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy, inhalation therapy, or related therapeutic procedures.	Developing	none	Prescribing is an advanced-practice function; outcomes teach administration and teaching, not prescribing.
Prescribe medications and observe patients' reactions, modifying prescriptions as needed.	Developing	NURS 305S	Observing drug reactions is taught but prescribing and prescription modification are not.
Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.	Developing	none	No outcome confers prescriptive authority for psychotropics; outcomes teach administration only.
Inform physician of patient's condition during anesthesia.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include intra-operative anesthesia monitoring or reporting to the physician.
Teach classes in mental health topics, such as stress reduction.	Developing	none	Mental-health content is present but delivering classes on the topic is not taught.
Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.	Developing	NURS 303SL	Comprehensive assessment is taught but differential diagnosis, specialized tests, and prescribing are advanced-practice scope.
Perform physical examinations, make tentative diagnoses, and treat patients en route to hospitals or at disaster site triage centers.	Developing	NURS 303SL	Physical examination is taught but tentative diagnosis, triage, and field treatment are not.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: behavioral health, mental health, psychiatric, diagnos.

Nursing Leadership, Supervision, Administration, and Policy Opportunitynamed in 26 of 40 postings

A capable graduate can delegate care to assistive personnel within scope, while supervising a unit, managing budget and staffing, authoring policy and protocols, training staff, and leading accreditation work remain beyond the program.

Assessment item Given a shift assignment with a nursing assistant, the student delegates appropriate tasks within the assistive scope and states the supervisory follow-up, meeting the delegation rubric; the broader unit-management standard is not yet assessable in the program. Apply

CurriculumNURS 306S 8.1 delegation and NURS 301S role exploration teach the delegation slice; unit administration, budgeting, and policy authorship are not in the current outcomes and are the program's clearest opportunity to extend reach.

Student experienceRun a delegation simulation with a standardized nursing assistant, then complete a charge-nurse shadowing log that documents the unit-management tasks the program could add.

CertificateA continuing-education certificate in charge-nurse and nurse-manager fundamentals covering staffing, budget, and unit leadership through the Office of Professional and Continuing Education.

Tasks for this skill and their coverage.
Regional task	Readiness	EWU course	Detail
Direct or supervise less-skilled nursing or healthcare personnel or supervise a particular unit.	Developing	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.1 delegates nursing care within the nursing-assistant scope, which covers delegation to assistive personnel, but supervising a unit is not taught.
Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.	Developing	NURS 306S	NURS 306S 8.1 teaches delegation within the nursing-assistant scope, but directing nursing-care staff in patient therapy is not taught.
Supervise and monitor unit nursing staff.	Developing	NURS 306S	Delegation is taught but overseeing and monitoring a unit nursing team is not.
Observe nurses and visit patients to ensure proper nursing care.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include observing or auditing other nurses' care.
Perform administrative or managerial functions, such as taking responsibility for a unit's staff, budget, planning, or long-range goals.	Developing	NURS 413S	Teambuilding is touched but budget, unit planning, and long-range goals are not taught.
Participate in the development, review, or evaluation of nursing practice protocols.	Developing	NURS 306S	Reflective practice improvement is adjacent but protocol development is not taught.
Participate in the development of practice protocols.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include drafting, designing, or developing protocols.
Develop practice protocols for mental health problems, based on review and evaluation of published research.	Developing	none	Applying existing standards is taught but building protocols from research is not.
Provide or arrange for training or instruction of auxiliary personnel or students.	Developing	none	Patient teaching is taught but training auxiliary staff or precepting students is not.
Provide formal and informal education to other staff members.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include delivering education to coworkers.
Plan, provide, or evaluate educational programs for nursing staff, interdisciplinary health care team members, or community members.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include designing or evaluating staff or community education programs.
Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.	Developing	none	Outcomes teach the student's own skills, not training others.
Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics such as clinical procedures.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include planning or delivering in-service training.
Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.	Developing	none	Outcomes are about the student's own competence, not staff instruction.
Provide coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.	Developing	none	Outcomes address the student's own growth, not mentoring others.
Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include setting department-level philosophy, policy, or procedure.
Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.	Developing	none	Quality-management principles are touched but maintaining departmental policies and infection control is not.
Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.	Developing	none	Applying guidelines is taught but developing and maintaining standards is not.
Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include setting or evaluating specialty practice standards.
Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include evaluating quality and effectiveness of practice or systems.
Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include designing quality-evaluation programs.
Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.	Developing	none	Awareness of board regulation is present but leading accreditation compliance is not taught.
Chair nursing departments or committees.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include chairing a department or committee.
Direct or coordinate infection control programs, advising or consulting with specified personnel about necessary precautions.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include infection prevention and control program management.
Consult with institutions or associations regarding issues or concerns relevant to the practice and profession of nursing.	Developing	NURS 401S	Professional and regulatory context is built but consulting external bodies is not taught.
Perform administrative duties that facilitate admission, transfer, or discharge of patients.	Developing	none	the outcomes do not yet include the administrative work of admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.

Demand keywords searched in the postings: charge nurse, nurse manager, leadership, supervis, management, policy, protocol.