A description is provided of "Behavioral Response to Illness," a required course offered in the second quarter of a two-year college nursing program, which examines physiological and psychosocial changes in patients from the framework of illness as a stressor, and the possible behavioral responses to such stress. The course focuses on behavioral responses such as pain, feelings of powerlessness, family reaction to illness, crisis, depression, patient nonadherence, and sleep disturbance; and on nursing theories related to these behaviors. The course description begins by providing information about course requirements, content, place in the curriculum, and objectives. The next sections focus on terminology, major course goals, and long-range course objectives, which are followed by an outline of the units of instruction, class activities, and reading requirements. Information on goals, objectives, and assignments is provided for each of the ten units of instruction: (1) course introduction; (2) review of Roy Adaptation Model in preparing nursing care plans; (3) assessment and intervention (A&I) for patients in crisis; (4) A&I for patients with depression; (5) A&I for patients with pain; (5) A&I for patients experiencing feelings of powerlessness; (6) assessment of patient adherence and interventions promoting client adherence; (7) assessment of sleep loss and interventions promoting sleep; (9) assessment of the family role in health/illness; and (10) assessment of clients experiencing the crisis of body image change and interventions which promote resolution of this crisis. The final sections present criteria for the grading of care plans and oral presentations; the grading scheme; procedure for revising the course; and provisions for students failing to meet course objectives. (AYC)