1. (a) Implementation.

   1. (1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
   2. (2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in §127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills) as an integral part of this course.
2. (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10 and 11. Prerequisite: at least one credit in a course from the Health Science Career Cluster. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

3. (c) Introduction.

   1. (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.
   2. (2) The Health Science Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing therapeutic services, diagnostics services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.

   3. (3) The Science of Nursing course introduces students to basic research-based concepts in nursing. Topics include the nursing process, regulatory agencies, professional organizations, and the importance of critical thinking in patient care. Instruction includes skills needed to pursue a nursing degree and training requirements for specialty nursing roles. Knowledge and skills include emergency care, patient assessment, basic interpretation of vital signs, identification of patients with physical and mental disabilities, patient positioning, use of assistive devices, and application of nursing theories in patient care plans.

      1. (A) To pursue a career in the health science industry, students should learn to reason, think critically, make decisions, solve problems, and communicate effectively. Students should recognize that quality healthcare depends on the ability to work well with others.
      2. (B) Professional integrity in the health science industry is dependent on acceptance of ethical responsibilities. Students employ their ethical responsibilities, recognize limitations, and understand the implications of their actions.
   4. (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.
   5. (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

4. (d) Knowledge and skills.

   1. (1) The student understands tiers of nursing careers and the associated licensures. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe the educational and certification requirements for an entry-level patient care technician (PCT);
      2. (B) identify and describe common work settings, including hospitals, doctors' offices, and healthcare agencies for PCTs;
      3. (C) list qualifications to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA);
      4. (D) identify and describe scope of practice for CNAs;
      5. (E) describe the professional responsibilities of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) and explain how UAPs assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental disorders, and other healthcare needs;
      6. (F) compare coursework required to obtain nursing credentials, including a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), Associate Degree Registered Nurse (ADN RN), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing Registered Nurse (BSN RN);
      7. (G) analyze the requirements for advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certification, including certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse midwife (CNM), certified nurse practitioner (CNP), and certified clinical nurse specialist (CNS); and
      8. (H) compare nursing specialty options, including pediatric, critical care, emergency room, mental health, forensic, geriatric, and hospice nursing roles.

   2. (2) The student examines how the nursing process is used to collect subjective and objective data in patient assessment. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) describe the steps of a basic patient intake interview, including recording family history, biographical information, reason for seeking healthcare, present illness or health concerns, past health history, current medication list, and review of systems;
      2. (B) explain the visual and physical head-to-toe assessment, including abnormal and normal structure and function of the body systems, used to evaluate patient condition;
      3. (C) describe the importance of patient vital signs, including temperature, systolic and diastolic pressures, pulse, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry, and pain assessment using appropriate pain scales, in assessing a patient's overall health status;
      4. (D) identify equipment, including a thermometer, sphygmomanometer, stethoscope, pulse oximeter, and time keeping device, used to measure and record patient vital signs;
      5. (E) compare patient vital signs, including values outside of normal ranges, that establish baseline homeostasis; and
      6. (F) explain how the steps in the nursing process are used to assist the patient to reach optimal physiological, social, mental, and emotional wellness.

   3. (3) The student demonstrates knowledge of therapeutic care by reviewing patient activities of daily living (ADL). The student is expected to:

      1. (A) define and differentiate between essential ADLs;
      2. (B) explain the procedures for assessing patient independence, identifying functional limitations, and developing appropriate care plans;
      3. (C) explain how a nurse promotes optimal patient function and quality of life;
      4. (D) identify mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, on patient ADLs;
      5. (E) evaluate physical disabilities and limitations to recommend the correct assistive device for patient care; and
      6. (F) identify and align therapeutic care to specific deficiencies in ADLs such as performing personal care, ambulating, and orienting to and using assistive devices to promote patient independence and optimize functional outcomes.

   4. (4) The student understands the role of the nurse in providing first aid and emergency care. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe first aid and emergency care certifications such as Basic Life Support (BLS), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), First Aid, and Mental Health First Aid;
      2. (B) discuss the advantages of obtaining first aid and emergency care certifications;
      3. (C) identify and describe first aid and emergency care skills used by nurses; and
      4. (D) explain the significance of the role of a nurse in an emergency setting such as an emergency room, intensive care unit, urgent care, or a life-saving event.

   5. (5) The student applies nursing theory to simulate the implementation of patient care. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and explain the purpose of medical equipment that is used to assist patients with varied needs, including a Hoyer lift, hospital beds, foley catheter and drainage system, wheelchairs, gait belts, and bedside commodes;
      2. (B) compare patient care needs throughout the lifespan using theories such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development, and Jean Piaget's Theory of Child Development;
      3. (C) identify proper patient positioning for patient needs, including Trendelenburg, Fowler's, supine, prone, lithotomy, and lateral recumbent;
      4. (D) identify methods used to educate patients, family members, and caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities; and
      5. (E) model the proper use of assistive medical equipment used in a variety of medical facilities, including long-term care, nursing and rehabilitation, home healthcare settings, and classroom environment.

   6. (6) The student examines technology used in the practice of nursing. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe the technology, including electronic medical records, mobile computer workstations, scanning devices, and charting software, used to collect patient information;
      2. (B) describe how to access laboratory values and normal ranges for diagnostic tests such as complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, basic metabolic panel, and urinalysis to determine patient health status; and
      3. (C) identify and describe advancements in technology, including remote patient monitoring systems, wearable monitoring systems, electronic intake patient interviews, interpreting services, deaf-link communication services, and patient safety alarms.

   7. (7) The student understands the importance of using critical-thinking skills in the nursing process. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) analyze the components of conducting a comprehensive patient assessment;
      2. (B) identify and differentiate between subjective and objective data, including what the patient reports and what is observable and quantifiable;
      3. (C) compare trends in health outcomes between national, Texas, and local populations across their lifespans, including birth rates, life expectancy, mortality rates, and morbidity rates;
      4. (D) analyze peer-reviewed medical research articles to evaluate the efficacy of specific treatments in improving patient care outcomes;
      5. (E) create a patient care plan using procedures, including assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate (ADPIE) and subjective, objective, assess, plan, implement, and evaluate (SOAPIE);
      6. (F) analyze the impact of nursing interventions on patient condition in a simulated setting; and
      7. (G) examine and describe clinical outcomes based upon patient assessment, care plan, and nursing interventions.

   8. (8) The student understands pharmacology terminology associated with nursing practices. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe the eight rights of medication administration, including right patient, medication, dose, route, time, documentation, diagnosis, and response;
      2. (B) identify and describe the principles of pharmacodynamics, including receptor binding, drug-receptor interactions, dose-response relationships, and therapeutic index;
      3. (C) explain pharmacokinetics in the human body system, including the course of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion;
      4. (D) analyze the advantages of various routes of drug administration, including oral, injection, topical, buccal, suppository, mucosal, intravenous, interosseous, nebulization, and intrathecal; and
      5. (E) analyze the disadvantages of various routes of drug administration, including oral, injection, topical, buccal, suppository, mucosal, intravenous, interosseous, nebulization, and intrathecal.

Source Note:The provisions of this §127.512 adopted to be effective February 24, 2026, 51 TexReg 1124.