Basic Nursing Skills — Module Learning Path
A structured, sequenced learning path through all ten modules of the Basic Nursing Skills course (D442), from health assessment and clinical judgment through specimen collection, preparing BSN students for lab competency and Adult Health 1 clinical.
About This Path
The Basic Nursing Skills Learning Path delivers the ten clinical modules of D442 in the recommended instructional sequence. Each module builds on foundational concepts established in earlier modules — for example, infection control principles introduced in Section 3 are applied directly in urinary catheterization (Section 9) and wound culture collection (Section 10). Students who complete the modules in order will develop a coherent, layered understanding of fundamental nursing practice that prepares them for the Pre-Lab HESI, the Shadow Health Ticket to Ride DCE, and the On Ground Lab competency assessment.
Successful completion of all modules and the associated lab assessments is required to progress to Adult Health 1 clinical.
What You’ll Learn
Working through this path, students will develop knowledge and skills across ten foundational content areas:
- Health Assessment — systematic head-to-toe assessment, health history, older adult considerations, and vital signs interpretation
- Nursing Process and Clinical Judgment — ADPIE, NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, and the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model
- Infection Control — chain of infection, standard and transmission-based precautions, PPE donning and doffing, and sterile technique
- Personal Hygiene — bed bathing, oral care, skin integrity assessment, and evidence-based pressure injury prevention
- Mobility — safe patient handling, transfer techniques, therapeutic positioning, range-of-motion exercises, and fall prevention
- Nutrition and Tubes — nutritional screening, nasogastric tube management, enteral feeding administration, and complication prevention
- Oxygenation — respiratory assessment, oxygen delivery systems, incentive spirometry, suctioning, and positioning for ventilation
- Medication Administration — the six rights, administration routes, high-alert medications, medication reconciliation, and error prevention
- Elimination — urinary catheterization, CAUTI prevention, incontinence management, bowel care, and ostomy fundamentals
- Specimen Collection — blood, urine, stool, sputum, and wound specimens, with labeling, transport, and patient education
How to Use This Path
Complete all modules in the order listed above. Each module includes:
- Learning objectives aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy
- Clinical content with key concepts, tables, and procedural technique guidance
- NCLEX-NG style practice questions with correct answers and rationales
- Standards alignment references (AACN Essentials, NCLEX-NG CJMM, QSEN, CCNE, ACEN)
After completing the didactic modules, proceed to the corresponding Sherpath adaptive learning activities, Shadow Health simulations, and Clinical Skills procedural videos to reinforce and practice the skills in preparation for the On Ground Lab assessment.
Courses in This Path
- 1BNS Section 1: Health Assessment beginner
Systematic health assessment for BSN students — health history, general physical examination, older adult considerations, vital signs, and pain assessment — as the foundation of data-driven nursing care.
health assessmenthealth historyphysical examinationvital signspain assessmentolder adultgeriatric assessmentHEENTauscultationbasic nursing skillsD442 - 2BNS Section 2: Nursing Process and Clinical Judgment beginner
Foundational BSN module on the nursing process (ADPIE) and the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM) — the dual frameworks that structure safe, evidence-based clinical decision-making.
nursing processADPIEclinical judgmentNCSBN CJMMcare planningnursing diagnosisclinical reasoningNCLEXbasic nursing skillsD442 - 3BNS Section 3: Infection Control beginner
BSN module on infection prevention and control — chain of infection, standard and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, PPE donning and doffing, sterile technique, and isolation procedures in acute care settings.
infection controlinfection preventionhand hygienePPEstandard precautionstransmission-based precautionssterile techniqueisolationasepsisbasic nursing skillsD442 - 4BNS Section 4: Personal Hygiene beginner
BSN module on personal hygiene and skin integrity — bed bathing, oral care, hair and nail care, perineal hygiene, skin assessment, and evidence-based pressure injury prevention for diverse adult patients.
personal hygienebathingoral careskin integritypressure injuryBraden Scaleactivities of daily livingADLwound careskin assessmentbasic nursing skillsD442 - 5BNS Section 5: Mobility beginner
BSN module on patient mobility — safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) principles, transfer techniques, positioning, range-of-motion exercises, fall prevention, and ergonomic practice for diverse adult patients.
mobilitysafe patient handlingSPHMtransfer techniquesfall preventionpositioningrange of motionergonomicsgait beltambulationbasic nursing skillsD442 - 6BNS Section 6: Nutrition and Tubes beginner
BSN module on nutrition assessment and enteral nutrition support — nutritional screening, nasogastric tube insertion and management, tube feeding administration, and complication prevention for diverse adult patients.
nutritionenteral nutritionnasogastric tubeNG tubetube feedingnutritional assessmentmalnutritionaspiration preventioncaloric needsbasic nursing skillsD442 - 7BNS Section 7: Oxygenation, Ventilation, and Gas Exchange beginner
BSN module on oxygenation and respiratory support — oxygen delivery systems, respiratory assessment, incentive spirometry, suctioning, airway positioning, and early recognition of respiratory compromise in diverse adult patients.
oxygenationventilationgas exchangerespiratory assessmentoxygen therapyincentive spirometrysuctioningdyspneahypoxiaSpO2basic nursing skillsD442 - 8BNS Section 8: Medication Administration beginner
BSN module on safe medication administration — the six rights, oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and IV routes, medication reconciliation, error prevention, and adverse effect monitoring for diverse adult patients.
medication administrationsix rightsmedication safetyoral medicationsintramuscular injectionsubcutaneous injectionIV medicationsmedication reconciliationpharmacologypatient safetybasic nursing skillsD442 - 9BNS Section 9: Elimination beginner
BSN module on urinary and bowel elimination — urinary catheterization, catheter care and removal, incontinence management, bowel elimination promotion, enema administration, and ostomy care fundamentals for diverse adult patients.
eliminationurinary catheterizationFoley catheterCAUTI preventionurinary incontinencebowel eliminationenemaconstipationostomy carebladder managementbasic nursing skillsD442 - 10BNS Section 10: Specimen Collection beginner
BSN module on specimen collection — blood, urine, stool, sputum, and wound specimen techniques, proper labeling and transport, patient preparation, and patient education for diverse adult patients.
specimen collectionblood specimenurine specimenstool specimensputum specimenwound culturevenipuncturephlebotomyurinalysislaboratory valuesbasic nursing skillsD442