Course Overview
In this course, you are introduced to High Acuity nursing concepts as it applies to the medical/surgical nurse caring for complex, acutely ill patients. You expand your ability to think critically and engage in participatory relationships, examine the concept of health and explore your understanding to promote health for high acuity patients and families. You explore the lived experience of people with complex, acute illness while applying the comprehensive assessment, oxygen supply and demand and situated clinical decision-making theory.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
3.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$982.79
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
As a healthcare practitioner, you are expected to follow professional standards of practice throughout all Specialty Nursing programs and courses. In this course, you will have opportunities to use the processes of critical thinking, systematic inquiry, communication, collaboration, leadership, professionalism, and clinical decision-making.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Differentiate high-acuity nursing from current nursing practice with respect to the nurse’s role, clinical context, nature of illness and the lived experience of persons receiving care.
- Formulate conclusions for the oxygen supply and demand determinants and end-organ perfusion using the oxygen supply and demand theory.
- Perform a comprehensive assessment to establish appropriate interventions for persons requiring high-acuity care.
- Analyze applicable assessment cues to form judgments regarding actual and potential problems for patients within the context of high acuity.
- Apply the situated clinical decision-making framework to prioritize evidence-informed interventions for individuals with complex, acute illness.
- Advocate for appropriate patient interventions by integrating multiple sources of nursing knowledge.
- Interpret arterial blood gases to establish patient status and evaluate high acuity interventions.
- Formulate accurate conclusions about oxygen supply and demand in the context of complex, acute illness.
Effective as of Spring/Summer 2026
Related Programs
High Acuity Nursing Concepts (NSHA 7055) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
School of Health Sciences
- High Acuity Nursing Specialty
Advanced Certificate Part-time
- Specialty Nursing (High Acuity)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of NSHA 7055 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 52103
Dates
Sep 08 - Nov 27 Loading
- CRN 52103
- $982.79 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
| Dates | Days | Times | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 08 - Nov 27 | N/A | N/A | Online |
Duration
12 weeks
Instructor
Stephanie Yoon
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Important course information will be sent to you prior to your course start date. Check your myBCIT email account to access this information.
- This section requires department approval; please use the Request Approval button.
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.