Graduate Nursing

This course is designed to provide students with an advanced level of skill and knowledge in diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making for conducting health assessments and planning care for holistic, adaptive human beings. The following elements are integrated into the course: scientific integrity and ethics, human diversity, and social issues. Students will apply the knowledge and skills learned as they diagnose and manage the care of clients with acute, chronic and episodic health problems throughout the life span, in the subsequent clinical nursing courses. Students will demonstrate advanced assessment skills (a comprehensive history and physical examination) in the 40-hour precepted clinical experience to detect and differentiate abnormal findings and to generate potential diagnoses.

This course provides an intense and rigorous analysis of pathophysiology in frequently encountered conditions across the life span and in special populations. Pathophysiological theories and research as a basis for advanced nursing practice are also discussed. In-depth case analysis of pathophysiological adaptation and alterations in selected conditions across the life span are also included.

This course focuses on analysis and utilization of principles of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics for the purpose of planning, implementing and evaluating therapeutic pharmacological interventions across the lifespan in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health. The unique characteristics of special populations related to therapeutic needs, as well as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, are defined. Personal, genomic and environmental practice considerations are addressed.

This course is intended to provide the advanced generalist nurse with a working knowledge of the measurement of outcomes for individuals and populations; as well as the improvement model as it relate to nursing practice. Concepts essential for evidence-based practice and clinical prevention and population health are addressed. Additionally, phenomena along the wellness continuum will be discussed. The Natural History of Disease model will be applied to the study of health and illness in human populations. Recommendations for changes in practice for optimal outcomes are explored.

This course examines the mandates to address issues of quality and safety in health care delivery systems. Knowledge, skills and attitudes for the advanced nurse role of provider and designer of direct care across the care continuum are the foci. Advocacy and accountability for safe, quality, patient-centered care within standards of nursing practice are stressed. The completion of a clinical improvement project in the course will require the student to engage in the clinical environment for 80 hours over the course of the semester. Under the guidance of course faculty, students collaborate with a clinical mentor in a specific clinical area. The clinical mentor is a master’s prepared nurse leader who oversees the student Quality Improvement project.

The purpose of this course is to provide students an opportunity to evaluate health care systems that influence advanced nursing practice. The focus of the course is on organizational theories of health system leadership and health care economics. Students examine issues and trends in the development and impact of policy on the health care delivery system. An emphasis is placed upon the process of legislative health policy and the role of professional nursing in influencing the policy-making process. Ethical dimensions of public policy formulations and implementation will be highlighted. In addition, students analyze and evaluate theories and research that influence leadership in complex systems. Leadership is explored in complex system domains. Core competencies and strategies for leadership effectiveness are examined and evaluated.

Population health is the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, public and private organizations, communities and individuals. In this course, students will examine the shifting of the health care system to new models of care; delivering health and not simply health care. Issues such as education, economics, transportation, exercise and nutrition are explored for their influence on the health of a population. Novel developments in technology and roles will also be discussed for both the potential they bring to improve health of populations and also for the challenges they introduce.

This course examines the development of roles for advanced nursing practice. The historical development of these roles along with current scope of practice in a variety of clinical settings will be explored. Focus will be placed on the legal, historical, political, social and ethical aspects of advanced practice nursing.

This course introduces students to teaching practices and strategies designed to help students succeed in learning the complexities of nursing. Theoretical foundations of teaching and learning are examined and applied to a variety of settings. Innovations and issues related to technology and nursing education are examined.

This course focuses on the current health care delivery system and the impact on patient care. An evaluation of the health care delivery system will incorporate the impact of social issues, economics, politics, culture, education and technology on the health care system. Trends in health care delivery will be incorporated into the analysis of organizational Micro and Macro systems.

Students examine the nurse educator role, the concept of role change and its impact on the transition from nurse clinician to nurse educator. The development of curricula is examined with a focus on professional standards and criteria. This course prepares nurse educators to design innovative curricula, grounded in evidence, for nursing programs.

This course introduces the student to contemporary theories of leadership, change, complexity science and organizational structure and design. Concepts such the clinical microsystems, nursing care innovations, strategic planning and change, are covered. Students will complete an assessment of their leadership strengths and weaknesses and develop a professional leadership plan which will guide their progress throughout the rest of the program.

This course provides students with the opportunity to explore multiple methods that can be used to evaluate student learning. Concepts of assessment, testing and evaluation related to student achievement are examined. Multiple factors related to testing and evaluation (social, ethical and legal) are discussed.

This course focuses on organizational behavior theory and research as the foundation for managerial and leadership interventions in health care systems. Students learn how patient care system behaviors, structures, processes and outcomes are affected by the actions of health system leaders.

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed by the nurse executive to plan, monitor and evaluate budget and fiscal affairs for a defined unit or clinical division. Health care economics, personnel and patient activities are analyzed from a budgetary and financial management perspective in an environment of regulations and market competition. Future nurse leaders examine scarce resources, financial principles and tools for financial and business management. They will also use financial budgeting and management practices and analyze the impact of regulations on the current healthcare environment.

This role immersion experience is the final course in the nursing management and executive leadership sequence. The Nurse Executive Capstone experience is designed to integrate theory and knowledge learned in the program in the actual practice of the nurse executive role. The focus of the Capstone is on the professional and operational activities of the nurse executive in leading others in the provision of healthcare. Students are expected to integrate nursing knowledge and advanced critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in the development of a comprehensive project grounded in contemporary nursing leadership theory and practice. Students develop projects based on their interests and this 200-hour practicum placement that can incorporate a range of leadership issues. (The student will be assisted in the selection of a preceptor if needed in an area of interest to the student.)

The purpose of this clinical course is twofold for the nurse educator: role preparation in both academic and healthcare settings and the development of in-depth knowledge and expertise in an identified area of advanced nursing practice. The continued development of the role of the nurse educator is supported through the analysis and application of theories, concepts and competencies. The clinical-expertise focus includes the application of advanced conceptual knowledge in clinical practice experiences at the graduate level. Students work directly with preceptors to fulfil educational and clinical objectives. Requires 200 practicum hours (a minimum of 150 of those hours in a defined area of graduate-level clinical practice).

This is the first course in a two-part clinical nurse leader capstone sequence. Students employ skills and knowledge gained throughout the MSN program to complete an assessment of the assigned microsystem and develop a plan for a process improvement project. Students examine front‐line clinical competencies of nursing leadership, clinical outcomes management and care environment management at the microsystem level. The integration of systems theory, change theory, leadership and management theories and social responsibility in professional nursing practice are emphasized. Students analyze essential patient advocacy and education competencies to ensure delivery of high-quality care as a professional nurse. The course will require the student to engage in the clinical environment for 160 hours over the course of the semester.

This is part II of the clinical nurse leader capstone experience. Students employ skills and knowledge gained throughout the MSN program to implement and evaluate a process improvement project in the assigned clinical microsystem. Students explore key concepts in clinical leadership, clinical outcomes management, management of the patient care environment and the role of the advanced generalist Clinical Nurse Leader. The course is structured to examine preparation for the Clinical Nurse Leader certification and role implementation and will require the student to engage in the clinical environment for 160 hours over the course of the semester.