Course Number and Title

Credits

MSN/DNP Core

NRSG 401 or 501 – Research Methods

Course Description: This course prepares the advanced practice nurse to provide leadership for evidenced based practice. The course emphasizes the integration of knowledge across disciplines and from a variety of sources. Review of research methodology applicable to advanced practice nursing with a focus on application of science to practice and practice to science to solve practice problems and improve health outcomes.

3

NRSG 510 – Theoretical Basis for Nursing Inquiry

Course Description: This course explores the theoretical foundations for advanced nursing. Theoretical foundations are the framework that serves as the structure and support for all aspects of nursing inquiry, including the rationale for the inquiry, the problem statement, the purpose, the significance, and the research questions. Focus will be on applying a variety of theories from within and outside of the discipline of nursing to advance nursing practice, education, and administration.

3

NRSG 520 – Transition to Advanced Practice

Course Description: This course explores the role of the advanced practice nurse in healthcare. Understanding the role of the APRN is essential for providing a framework of understanding of the role and level of practice. This course will focus on the history of the advanced practice nurse and evolution of the role, competencies of the advanced practice nurse, MS/DNP competencies and essentials, scope of practice, advanced practice roles, advanced practice environments and legal considerations.

3

NRSG 402 or 502 – Informatics

Course Description: This course provides a foundation for the use of information systems and technology to support and improve healthcare systems. The student will be introduced to core informatic principles and information literacy skills in order to evaluate information systems used in healthcare organizations and be positioned to provide the leadership for improvement in those systems. Students will demonstrate knowledge of standards and principles for selecting and evaluating information systems and patient care technology, and related ethical, regulatory, and legal issues.

3

NRSG 318 or 414 or 514 – Ethics, Health Policy and Advocacy

Course Description: This course explores the role of the APRN in healthcare policy, patient advocacy and ethical and legal issues. Emphasis will be placed on the leadership role of the APRN as an advocate for the patient and community to reduce healthcare disparities through healthcare reform and policy and ethical and legal challenges from within and outside of the discipline of nursing to advanced nursing practice.

3

NRSG 319 or 415 or 515 – Healthcare Systems and Organizational Leadership

Course Description: This course prepares the advanced practice nurse leaders to demonstrate understanding of the healthcare system, delivery models and work flow, and the environment in which healthcare leaders and providers function, within 4 levels of analysis: Customers, staff, systems, and community/environment (HLA¹). Graduates will learn to facilitate improvements in healthcare through application of health economics theory.

¹Healthcare Leadership Alliance

3

NRSG 504 – Evaluation and Translation of the Evidence

Course Description: This course explores the theoretical, ethical and practical challenges to translation of evidence across disciplines into practice. The course emphasizes various methods of critical analysis and translation techniques using information technology for direct application across advanced care settings and evaluation strategies focused on problem solving and improvement in patient centered care and outcomes of practice.

3

NRSG 413 or 513 – Global Perspectives

Course Description: This course emphasizes the tools necessary for advanced practice nurses to identify the correct uses and interpret biostatistics for epidemiologic and global health nursing research. The application of these tools will occur through critical appraisal of the nursing literature focused on population health.

3

NRSG 316 or 403 or 503 – Methods of Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Course Description: This course emphasizes the importance and meaning of evaluation as an integral part of program design, planning and implementation. Types of evaluation models will be discussed and applied. Established principles and approaches to quality improvement, patient safety, risk management, and performance improvement will be examined and applied.

3

NRSG 590-594 – Doctorate Project I, II, III, IV, V

Course Description: These series of courses are designed to mentor the graduate student in completion of their final doctoral project. This is a scholarly project with the purpose of translating evidence into practice. This final project culminates in the final semester and reflects an area of specialization chosen by the graduate student. The DNP project demonstrates mastery and integration of the DNP Essentials (AACN 2006), the student’s specialty, and advanced nursing practice at the highest level.

6

MSN/DNP Clinical Component

NRSG 435 or 535 – Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology

Course Description: This course is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to diagnose, treat, and manage pathophysiological disorders across primary, tertiary and secondary levels of care. Emphasis is placed on a solid understanding of mechanism of disease and corresponding clinical manifestations for application of evidenced based strategies for diagnosis, treatment and management. Appropriate screening and diagnostic evaluations will be included.

3

NRSG 536 – Advanced Pharmacology I

Course Description: This course is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses to use relevant health assessment data to identify appropriate pharmacological treatment using evidenced based guidelines and conforming to the applicable laws, codes and regulation of prescribing. Application of the principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and evaluation of drug effectiveness, including herbal and natural remedies is emphasized.

3

NRSG 439 or 539 – Advanced Health Assessment

Course Description: This course will focus on learning the principles, skills, diagnostic reasoning and practice of advanced assessment for clients within a variety of healthcare settings.  The student will learn skills to increase his/her knowledge base regarding diagnostic skills, techniques and integration resulting in a patient diagnosis. The student will develop complex skills for problem solving and critical thinking to improve the health and wellness of clients. The course will address the collaborative teamwork required of healthcare professionals for the person seeking care. The student will learn about principles of role transition from registered nurse to advanced level practice which requires the ability to independently manage care for a client.   

2 or 3

Track Specific Courses

NRSG 551 – Family Systems

Course Description: The focus of this course is to review major family perspectives, and theories and to apply this information to modern family issues that can impact health care delivery.  The student will analyze the interrelationship between family and society in contemporary life in the United States and globally and reflect on past and present trends in family structure, relationships, and ethics. The course will examine various types of relationships, marriages, and families and how these factors can influence situations in healthcare.

2

NRSG 552, 553 – Advanced Diagnostics I, II

Course Description: This course will explore the advanced level procedural and diagnostic skills required for independent practice as an APRN. Students will learn and demonstrate advanced diagnostic and procedural skills that are used within primary care, urgent care and acute care settings. Students will increase their critical reasoning skills as it relates to selecting appropriate diagnostic tests and completing advanced level procedural skills to allow for diagnosis and treatment of a client’s healthcare problem. Students will learn and demonstrate these advanced diagnostic and procedural skills within a lab setting.

4

NRSG 537 – Advanced Pharmacology II

Course Description: This course will build on the foundation of knowledge from the pharmacology course. Focus will be on the clinical application of advanced pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics for specialty populations including the older adult, and pediatric populations for disease conditions encountered in primary care settings. Students will learn clinical application of pharmacology with specialized areas including psychiatric medications, the mental health population and prescribing for the complex patient. Uses a body systems approach and includes principles of altered pharmacodynamics related to age, race, and ethnicity. This course will explore the principles of pharmacotherapeutics in advanced practice, including pharmacodynamics, assessment, and decision-making for appropriate drug use, monitoring, education and cost versus benefit of the prescribed drug.

2

NRSG 560 – Advanced Practice Nursing I

Course Description: This course will focus on the holistic care of the patient within a primary care setting. The nurse practitioner student will learn how to apply an advanced level of critical thinking, collaborative work, comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning in the diagnosis and holistic treatment of patients across the lifespan within the primary care setting. The student will demonstrate the use of advanced practice skills in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan within a primary care setting. The nurse practitioner student will learn to critically use subjective and objective data to develop a comprehensive plan of care for a patient by applying advanced level clinical decision-making skills and documentation in the primary care setting. The primary focus for this course will be common diagnosis in the adult patient.

3

NRSG 561 – Advanced Practice Nursing II

Course Description: This course will build on the knowledge of holistic care of the patient learned in Advanced Practice Nursing I.  The nurse practitioner student will learn how to apply an advanced level of critical thinking, collaborative work, comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning in the diagnosis and holistic treatment of a patient across the lifespan within the primary care setting.  The student will demonstrate the use of advanced practice skills in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan within a primary care setting. The nurse practitioner student will learn to critically use subjective and objective data to develop a comprehensive plan of care for a patient by applying advanced level clinical decision-making skills and documentation in the primary care setting. The primary focus for this course will be management of the acutely ill patient and common diagnosis in the pediatric population.

4

NRSG 562 – Advanced Practice Nursing III

Course Description: This course will build on the knowledge of holistic care of the patient learned in Advanced Practice Nursing I and II. The nurse practitioner student will learn how to apply an advanced level of critical thinking, collaborative work, comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning in the diagnosis and holistic treatment of patients across the lifespan within the primary care setting. The student will demonstrate the use of advanced practice skills in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan within a primary care setting. The nurse practitioner student will learn to critically use subjective and objective data to develop a comprehensive plan of care for a patient by applying advanced level clinical decision-making skills and documentation in the primary care setting. The primary focus for this course will be common diagnosis in Woman’s health and specialty areas.

4

NRSG 584, 585, 586 – Clinical Practicum I, II, III

Course Description: The focus of this course will be the development of advanced practice skills as it relates to health promotion and disease prevention for clients within primary care.  The student will learn how to use critical and diagnostic reasoning within the clinical setting to holistically assess, diagnose, manage and educate patients across the lifespan. Students will work with a faculty preceptor caring for patients in a clinical setting to use skills based on primary care delivery principles. Students will collaborate with the healthcare team, communicate and document the care of their patients under the supervision of their faculty preceptor. This course will focus on the care of a patient as it relates to physical, sociocultural, psychological, developmental, and spiritual aspects of life.

6

NRSG 557 – Specialty Care Management

Course Description: This course will build on the knowledge of holistic care of the patient learned in Advanced Practice Nursing I, II, and III. The nurse practitioner student will learn how to apply an advanced level of critical thinking, collaborative work, comprehensive assessment and diagnostic reasoning in the diagnosis and holistic treatment of patients across the lifespan for complex patients within primary care, acute care and specialty areas. The student will demonstrate the use of advanced practice skills in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan within an acute care and specialty care setting. The nurse practitioner student will learn to critically use subjective and objective data to develop a comprehensive plan of care for a patient by applying advanced level clinical decision-making skills and documentation.

2

NRSG 587 – Clinical Practicum elective
(mental health, acute care, specialty care)

Course Description: The focus of this course will be the development of advanced practice skills as it relates to care for complex clients within specialty care areas. The student will learn how to use critical and diagnostic reasoning within the clinical setting to holistically assess, diagnose, manage and educate patients within their designated specialty area. Students will work with a faculty preceptor caring for patients in a specialty care clinical setting to use skills based on primary care delivery principles to care for complex clients. Students will collaborate with the healthcare team, communicate and document the care of their patients under the supervision of their faculty preceptor. This course will focus on the care of a patient as it relates to physical, sociocultural, psychological, developmental, and spiritual aspects of life.

1.5

NRSG 563 – Capstone for the Advanced Practice Nurse: Transition to Practice

Course Description: The focus of this course will be the role transition from registered nurse to advanced practice nurse. The student will analyze the changes in their new APRN role and how to increase their confidence in the role. Students will explore the requirements needed to successfully transition into their new level of practice including requirements for advanced certifications, licensure and professional requirements.

1.5

NRSG 454 or 554 – The Influential Nurse Leader

Course Description: This course prepares advanced practice nurse leaders to inspire individual and organizational excellence by understanding the people they work with and how to effectively use that knowledge in building high-performance working relationships (HLA, 2004). AONL competencies emphasized will be: systems thinking; professional and personal accountability; communication and relationship processes; identifying and using resources to help deliver communications; and relationship and communication at the organizational and departmental level.

3

NRSG 555 – Creating a Vision for Nursing Practice

Course Description: This course prepares advanced practice nurse leaders to create and attain a shared vision, and to successfully manage change to attain the organization's strategic ends and successful performance (HLA). AONL competencies emphasized will be: identifying stakeholder expectations; communicating the organizational mission, vision, and strategic plan; facilitating alternative dispute resolution; practicing and valuing shared decision making; understanding public relations and involving the community; creating, participating in, and leading teams.

3

NRSG 556 – Modern Decision Making in a Collaborative Environment

Course Description: This course prepares the nurse executive to apply strategic leadership, business skills, and technology integration to perform at the highest level of nurse executive practice. Financial knowledge gained in this course includes developing and managing operating budget and capital expenditure plans, interpreting and managing statement and resources, and business models for healthcare institutions. Emphasis on strategic management, including role of governance, aligning expectations with new technological environments, to evaluate and promote achievement of institutional objectives and goals.

3

NRSG 580, 581, 582, 583 – Practicum Inquiry I, II, III, IV
(for Leadership students)

Course Description: The focus of this course will be the development of the student as a doctoral prepared nurse leader. Students will work directly with a faculty mentor and specific inter- and intra-professional team leaders in various integrative-practice activities with the goal of achieving program outcomes. Students are required to pursue leadership practice experiences that address graduate program outcomes and the DNP Essentials. These leadership practice experiences will lead to development of practice at the highest level as a scholar and nurse leader.

AACN Requirements Regarding DNP Practice Experiences (AACN, Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice, 2006, p.19):

“…These experiences should be designed to provide systematic opportunities for feedback and reflection. Experiences include in-depth work with experts from nursing as well as other disciplines and provide opportunities for meaningful student engagement within practice environments. Given the intense practice focus of DNP programs, practice experiences are designed to help students build and assimilate knowledge for advanced specialty practice at a high level of complexity…”

3-8

NRSG 465 or 565 – Facilitating Learning
(elective for FNP/PM Leadership)

Course Description: This course will prepare the advanced practice nurse leader to respond as a change agent in the application of innovative and technology savvy teaching strategies for adult learners in both educational and practice settings for adult learners. Students will demonstrate the importance of a needs assessment, learning theories, competency evaluation and environment when selecting a teaching strategy.

3

NRSG 464 or 564 – Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Evaluation for Nurse Educators
(elective for FNP/PM Leadership)

Course Description: This course prepares graduate students to develop, revise and assess nursing curricula and educational programming in both the academic and practice arena. Learning theories, curriculum development, evolving technology and informatics, and role of the faculty will be emphasized. Students will evaluate competency that translates in to quality practice.

3

NRSG 467 or 567 – Nurse Educator Role Transition
(elective for FNP/PM Leadership)

Course Description: This course prepares graduate students to transition from the role of registered nurse to academic or clinical nurse educator. The focus is on functioning effectively in the role of nurse educator and on continuous self-improvement. By completing 80 practicum hours, students will gain experience collaborating with faculty, staff nurse educators, administrators, and support personnel in the institution(s) of their choice.

3

NRSG 466 or 566 - Transition to Advanced Professional Practice

3

NRSG 336 or 420, 421, 422 - Practicum I, II, III

4