Nursing

This course focuses on the role of the nurse in the community and public health. The community and public health focus includes caring for people in the home, school, workplace, health department, as well as various agencies. Content focuses on the environment, epidemiological issues, and vulnerable populations across the lifespan, communicable disease, and health promotion. Perspectives on health care and community-oriented nursing, influences on healthcare delivery, and conceptual and scientific approach applied to community-oriented nursing are also emphasized. The principles of professional nursing care to culturally diverse individuals, families, and groups are integrated throughout the health-illness continuum.

Students in this course will examine learning theories, learning styles, and factors which influence motivation and learning in students, while applying evidenced-based teaching practices to create learning environments and teaching plans for both didactic and clinical settings to optimize student outcomes. Methods of evaluation will be examined and utilized to determine student outcomes. The emphasis is on innovative teaching strategies, utilizing technology, and collaboration of nurse educators in the in the didactic, simulation, and clinical settings. A minimum grade of B is required to pass this course.

This course is designed to apply holistic health concepts by performing culturally sensitive comprehensive history taking, physical and psychological assessment of client’s signs and symptoms, pathophysiologic changes, and psychosocial variations of the client including the individual, family, and community. The purpose of this comprehensive assessment is for the student to develop a thorough understanding of the client’s health status in order to determine appropriate and effective health care strategies that include health promotion and illness prevention across the life span.  Taking into consideration client’s diverse needs, a major focus is on symptom/health problem assessment, client teaching using a culturally appropriate approach and the selection and interpretation of screening and diagnostic tests in order to formulate and effectively communicate differential diagnoses. A minimum grade of B is required to successfully complete this course. Learners must successfully complete all aspects of the practicum, or they must repeat all components of the course.

In this course, the student participates in the direct care role, under the supervision of a clinical preceptor, to integrate direct care knowledge.  The practicum area should be in an area where the student gains new, advanced knowledge to enhance their professional role.

A minimum grade of B is required to successfully complete this course. Learners must successfully complete all aspects of the practicum, or they must repeat all components of the course.

Under the supervision of a local mentor, the student will apply knowledge of learning theories, learning styles, and evidenced based teaching practices to design lessons for didactic and clinical settings.  The student will engage in evaluation of educational outcomes for both didactic and clinical performance, ensuring the safe practice of patient care. The student will further engage in various roles of the nurse educator, such as facilitator of learning, scholarship, and service.

A minimum grade of B is required to successfully complete this course. Learners must successfully complete all aspects of the practicum, or they must repeat all components of the course.

In this course the student learns how to manage the primary health care of women from menarche to senescence. Focus is on health promotion, disease prevention, and the clinical management and referral of common, recurring health issues of women, including pregnancy. The student identifies normal physiologic alterations associated with reproductive health, which are addressed with emphasis on health promotion behaviors. This is an advanced nursing practice experience for continuing level Family ARNP students. Mentoring, coaching and precepting are provided by approved and currently licensed and certified physicians, Certified Nurse Midwives or ARNPs.

This course provides an overview of quality, safety and performance improvement, including an analysis of care processes through evidence-based practice, research and translation of innovation. In addition, this course provides an overview of healthcare financing and financial management for the nurse executive. Topics may include financial accounting, cost accounting, budgeting, capital expenditures, and reimbursement systems.

This course is the first course in a two-course series which synthesizes content from the specialty administrative courses into a culminating “clinical” nursing administrative experience. In both courses the learner enacts the role of the nurse administrator. Content will include didactic and clinical administrative experiences. The course involves obtaining a local mentor and practicing the administrative role under guided mentorship. The majority of didactic course work includes practical experience with budgets, developing and honing leadership style and expertise, initiating collaborative practice and teambuilding, as well as working with change and motivational theories. The learner will incorporate the five pillars of the conceptual framework into administrative experiences. The majority of clinical time will be spent in an administrative organizational setting mutually agreed upon by the instructor, the mentor and the student.

A minimum grade of a B is required to pass the didactic  and practicum component.  Online time will be used to analyze and evaluate this experience. A minimum of 120 practicum hours is required in the chosen administration setting.

This course is the second in the set of two culminating administrative curricular experiences. It expands on previous didactic and clinical coursework, through didactic work in management areas such as quality management, patient care outcomes, and measurement of health care outcomes. Emphasis is placed on long-term and strategic planning, incorporating personnel management tactics such as performance evaluation, and collective bargaining. The student will continue to assimilate knowledge inclusive of the five pillars of caring, communication, critical thinking, professionalism, and holism into the administrative experience.

A minimum grade of a B is required to pass the didactic  and practicum component.  Online time will be used to analyze and evaluate this experience. A minimum of 120 practicum hours is required in the chosen administration setting.

This course is the second course in a two-course series which synthesizes content from the specialty informatics courses into a culminating "clinical" nursing informatics experience. In both courses the learner enacts the role of nursing informatics professional. Content will include didactic and clinical informatics experiences. The course involves obtaining a local mentor and practicing the informatics role under guided mentorship. The majority of clinical time will be spent in an informatics organizational setting mutually agreed upon by the instructor, the mentor, and the student.
A minimum grade of a B is required to pass. A minimum of 120 practicum hours is required. 

Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course. A minimum of 30 clinical hours for each enrolled credit is required.

Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course. A minimum of 30 clinical hours for each enrolled credit is required.

Theory, evidence, and the systematic translation of nursing science into practice provide the basis for DNP practica experiences across the program of study. Students investigate clinical problems and refine their clinical translational capabilities within the context of the broader health care system. Clinical learning is directed toward systematic application of knowledge and scientific discovery in resolving new or persistent problems affecting the safety and quality of patient care. Mentored clinical application of evidence-based knowledge and skills, as well as independent investigation and evaluation of outcomes, support knowledge acquisition, as well as integration of the DNP role into the complex circumstances of contemporary nursing practice. Leadership, consultation, advocacy, fiscal accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration serve as core competencies to effect organizational change. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course. 

This integrated scholarly effort is presented in a series of four sequential one-credit offerings that provide the DNP student with substantive opportunities to engage in exploration of a critical clinical question. This comprehensive exploration is conducted as a mentored experience and includes identification, development, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an independent scholarly project. This scholarly project focuses on problems of practice within a defined organization or within specific populations. Each course builds on the existing knowledge and practice expertise of the DNP student within the broader context of translating science into clinical practice or solving for intractable clinical problems in which outcomes management, including quality and safety, are essential. The range of projects varies according to the interest of the individual DNP student. A grade of B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.

In this second of the four-course series, the DNP student works with a faculty mentor to refine the project design and apply contemporary investigative methods to structure data collection. Additionally, the DNP student will complete CITI/NIH training and submit an IRB application for Human subjects review where appropriate, prior to beginning data collection for this scholarly project. Students must successfully complete an oral defense of the project prior to implementation. Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A grade of B or better is necessary in order to successfully pass this course.

In this third course of a four-course series, the DNP student implements the evidence-based scholarly project specific to a population of interest within an identified clinical setting. Continued and ongoing interaction with the assigned mentor is expected and modifications of protocols are completed, where indicated, at this time. . Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A grade of B or better is needed in order to pass this course.

In this fourth and final course, the DNP student conducts the data analysis and writes the discussion section of the scholarly project. The discussion focuses on evaluation of the evidence generated in the scholarly project and the actual or potential impact of the project on identified health care outcomes. Students disseminate their findings through a final oral presentation (defense) and preparation of a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication. Each student will be required to submit individual objectives at the beginning of the semester for each of the four courses. The objectives will be signed by the student and the mentor. The student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the course within the context of the agreed-upon objectives. A B or better is necessary to successfully complete this course.