Graduate Courses

This course covers the statistical and quantitative tools for conducting basic research in the healthcare environment. It introduces selecting appropriate research design, evaluating reliability and validity of measures, and planning appropriate statistical analysis. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability distribution, hypothesis testing, and extensive treatment of inferential statistics. Microsoft Excel is the tool of analysis for the course.

Knowledge development, mid-range theories, ethical frameworks and personal beliefs are appraised in order to develop and refine theory-guided nursing practice and ethical decision making.

This course focuses on the role development of the nurse practitioner as an advanced practice nurse prepared at the Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree level. Key aspects of the role will be examined including historical, legal, ethical, social, and policy aspects. Topics such as hallmark competencies, professional behaviors, financial relationships will also be included.

This course provides graduate students the opportunity to enhance written communication skills required of nurses in advanced roles. Coursework is tailored to address individual student needs. Graded on a pass/no pass basis.

This course serves as the theoretical foundation for coordinating and providing nursing care to a variety of populations and families across multiple care settings. Various assessment tools and intervention strategies for population and family health will be examined in practice with populations and families sharing common health and illness phenomena.

This course is designed to provide students with the advanced pathophysiology base required for managing disease processes across the life span. Focus is on pathophysiological principles with application to selected clinical examples.

Course focuses on the development of clinical decision making skills related to physical diagnosing during the process of health assessment. The advanced health assessment process includes appropriate histories, physical exams, labs/diagnostic testing, use of screening tools, diagnosing physical variations and abnormalities, identification of health needs, and documentation for multiple client presentations across the lifespan. Includes 45 hours of lab.

The focus of this course is on family as client for family nurse practitioner students.  Students will examine theories regarding the family unit with attention to how families experience and manage life and health transitions, engage in health promotion behaviors, and access resources needed to maintain balance during transitions.  Application to the DNP prepared FNP role will be emphasized.

This course covers the assessment, diagnosis, and management of adults with acute and simple chronic illnesses within a family context. The focused work-up format will be used with an emphasis on differential diagnosing. Includes 180 hours of clinical experience.

This course addresses pediatric clients with acute and chronic conditions. Beginning with growth, development, and anticipatory guidance for well children, the course incorporates further assessment, diagnosis, and management of acute and chronic conditions in children and adolescents. Includes 120 hours of clinical experience.

This course addresses female clients and their gender specific care needs. Beginning with the well-woman and preventive care practice, the course incorporates further assessment, diagnosis, and management of common gynecological conditions and contraceptive needs. Specific management issues will include caring for the pregnant, peri-menopausal, and menopausal client and their unique health care needs. Includes 120 hours of clinical experience.

This course is to provide a synthesis of the student's nursing science, research, and clinical courses through a guided writing experience culminating in a program grant.

This course covers the assessment, diagnosis, and management of adults and older adults with complex and chronic illnesses. The expanded work-up format will be used and will include self-management, living with chronic illness, and multiple treatment modalities. Best practices for chronic illness care will be emphasized. Includes 180 hours of clinical experience.

Final comprehensive clinical management experience allows students to apply knowledge gained throughout course of study. Students will engage in management of elderly and intensive experience with rural or urban underserved clients, or with clients of a different cultural group. Seminar sessions provided to discuss role issues. Includes 190 hours of precepted clinical experiences.

First of a two course sequence, this course explores the logic, methods of research, and statistical analysis for evaluating evidence based care in a variety of settings. This course examines a variety of research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) and statistical analyses used in quality assurance, clinical research, epidemiology, and outcomes research.

This course is the second in a two-course sequence, which explores the logic, methods of research and statistical analysis for evaluating evidence based care in a variety of settings.

This course provides an overview of the nurse educator role in both the academic and clinical settings.  NLN Nurse Educator Competencies and education models are examined.  Students examine trends and issues in nursing education and for the nursing professoriate and staff developer.  Students design a professional portfolio to guide personal professional development.

This course is designed to provide family nurse practitioner students with a biopsychosocial base for managing conditions unique to and prevalent in men. Students will be prepared to apply theories of the biological sciences and theories of masculinity in developing and implementing gender appropriate strategies to address men's health and men's health policy.

This course focuses on the role of the Clinical Nurse Leader in health care delivery systems. Content includes issues of nursing leadership, advanced nursing practice including advocacy, social justice, ethics and cultural care. Students will design a professional portfolio to guide professional development.

Students will be introduced to several complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies (Oriental, Ayurveda, homeopathy, and naturopathic medicine; energy healing, herbal, and spiritual concepts of healing). In addition, there will be discussion and evaluation of how these practices are used by the general public, medicine and nursing to promote general health and treat common diseases.

This course focuses on the assessment and appropriate diagnosis of mental heath conditions encountered in the primary care setting. Emphasis is on differentiating between referral to a mental health professional or management by the family nurse practitioner. Approaches to maintain the safety of clients, their families, and the health care setting will be included. Includes 60 hours of clinical experience.

This clinical course focuses on the well individual and family. Knowledge and skills from NRS 520: Health Assessment for Advanced Practice will be applied through screening and health exam opportunities in settings such as schools, Head Start preschools, occupational sites, senior centers and migrant clinics. Includes 30 hours of clinical experience. Fee: $55

Students synthesize and apply evidence in the holistic management and coordination of care for a client population experiencing selected chronic illnesses integrating allopathic and non-allopathic modalities.  Students evaluate relevant guidelines, client education, ethics, and practice patterns present in the clinical setting and recommend policy, practice, and system changes for quality improvement.  Includes 150 clinical hours.

This course reviews the principles of adult learning and learner-centered teaching.  Students examine the application of multiple methods of content delivery and strategies to facilitate learner engagement, meta-cognition, and critical thinking processes.  Other topics include the development of learner outcomes and multiple approaches to learner assessment.

In this practicum, students participate in teaching activities and assume leadership for evaluating student and staff learning and the quality of the clinical learning environment.  Students assess staff nurse or DEU clinical instructor needs and implement and evaluate a staff development module for nurses who work with students. Includes 100 clinical hours.

This course focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of curricula and learning programs.  Students examine principles of course design, construction, sequencing and leveling that yield effective attainment of end-of-program outcomes.  Students examine assessments for quality and compliance with standards.  Students advocate for policy changes and resources that improve education program quality.

This course is designed to provide a conceptual understanding of the policy making process and the political context of contemporary health and social policy in the United States. The focus is on acquiring skills to assess policy dimensions of clinical practice issues, translate them into feasible policy, and advocate for them within the policy arena.

In this synthesis practicum, students develop, provide, and evaluate teaching and learning of a comprehensive block of content covering holistic care of persons experiencing chronic illnesses. Under faculty supervision, students teach learners in the classroom, lab, and/ or simulation settings. Students will submit a final project paper and professional portfolio. Includes 150 clinical hours.

This course focuses on complex adaptive systems, systems thinking and transformational leadership.  Students examine concepts of systems and leadership to foster interprofessional collaboration, improve practice environments, facilitate change and promote patient safety and quality care.

Students acquire knowledge and skills in the translation of research into clinical practice. The purpose of translational research is to translate research findings into clinical applications and use clinical observations to generate research foci for nursing research. Translational research is the bridge from discovery to delivery. Students identify practice problems, critically evaluate the evidence to improve practice and propose solutions.

First of three guided practica courses for the nurse educator, in advanced clinical concepts and the role of nursing in providing evidenced based care to facilitate positive health outcomes. Students will develop advanced clinical nursing skills in medical-surgical, pediatrics, geriatrics, perinatal or community nursing. Includes approximately 90 clinical hours.

Second of three guided practica courses for the nurse educator, in advanced clinical concepts and the role of nursing in providing evidenced based care to facilitate positive health outcomes. Students will develop advanced clinical nursing skills in medical-surgical, pediatrics, geriatrics, perinatal or community nursing. Includes approximately 90 clinical hours.

Third of three guided practica courses for the nurse educator, in advanced clinical concepts and the role of nursing in providing evidenced based care to facilitate positive health outcomes. Students will develop advanced clinical nursing skills in medical-surgical, pediatrics, geriatrics, perinatal or community nursing. Includes approximately 90 clinical hours.

Provides students with theories, practices and research from management and human resources needed to effectively manage personal, personnel, and material resources in a clinical microsystem. Effects of macro societal trends on healthcare fiscal management and health economics explored. Strategic implications and skill building to manage risk and increase productively and efficiency emphasized.

Synthesizes communication research and theory for application to practice. Students will explore strategies to enhance their abilities to communicate effectively within the health care system and produce positive health outcomes. Course content focuses on interpersonal health care contexts, communication in organizational and group health care contexts, and managing friction in health care interactions.

Provides students with an introduction to informatics in a microsystem environment. Three major areas that will be covered are introduction to informatics theory and concepts, clinical information systems, and consumer health informatics.

Provides nurses in advanced nursing with scientific methods such as epidemiology to study health events in groups of people. Population theories including ecological theory, health behavior, and other substantive theories will be applied. Assessment tools and intervention strategies for health of selected populations who share common health and illness phenomena will be examined.

This course integrates principles of pharmacology and advanced pathophysiology as the base for nursing management of disease processes and clinical application of pharmacology. This course includes a review of integrated health assessment building upon undergraduate skills. Includes 45 hours of skills lab.

This course is designed to provide students with the advanced pathophysiological foundation required for understanding diseases across the life span. Focus is on the pathophysiological concepts that contribute to various diseases and how humans respond to these processes.

This course is a continuation of NRS 571 Pathophysiology and it continues to explore pathophysiological processes that contribute to diseases across the lifespan and how humans respond to these processes. Focus is on selected pathophysiological processes commonly encountered in advanced nursing practice.

Advanced pharmacology and clinical application of drugs commonly prescribed by nurse practitioners in primary care settings, including drug selection, dosing, monitoring, evaluation, and client education. Examines nurse practitioner role as prescriber.

Application of advanced knowledge of pharmacology in the care of clients across the life span. Includes pharmacology, clinical use and dosing, monitoring parameters, outcome evaluation, and patient education for nurse educators.

Students review pathophysiology of digestion, constituents of food, and vitamins. Specialty diets, the impact of industrial food products on health, conceptual approaches to nutrition, and clinical challenges in changing consumer behavior in regards to food selection are explored. Integrative theories of nutrition and how to incorporate food as an adjunct form of medical treatment are introduced.

Students explore conceptual understandings of integrative health and its place within conventional health care and advanced nursing practice. The concepts of health and healing are explored through the perspective of a variety of therapeutic approaches. Foundational aspects of self-care and motivational interviewing are introduced as threads that appear throughout the curriculum.

Students will explore a variety of whole systems approaches, including but not limited to oriental medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic and osteopathy, becoming informed regarding practitioner education, standards and approaches to care. Emphasis in this course is on foundational knowledge upon which to build collegial relationships with integrative health providers.

Students learn the clinical indications, potential risks and evidence for alternative approaches to nutrition, herbal and dietary supplement therapies.  Conceptual approaches to herbal therapy and botanical medicine are explored. Emphasis is on evaluating and educating patients regarding nutrition, herbs and supplements.  Competency in communicating with other health professionals, documenting and the reporting adverse events is developed.

Students will explore psychoneuroimmunology, interpersonal neurobiology, and other bodies of evidence that link mind and body in health and disease. A variety of healing interventions will be explored. Students will incorporate this knowledge into self and clinical care.

This course is designed to establish the holistic foundations of integrative health and healing, and develop a personal reflective practice of integrative health. Students explore the integration of complementary/ alternative therapies through self-care practices.

This course examines evidence for safety and efficacy of integrative health (IH) modalities and focuses on ethical and legal issues related to IH and implications for scope of nursing practice. Emphasis is on the process of self-reflection regarding IH for use in clinical practice.

This residency is devoted to the integration and demonstration of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program competencies for Post-Masters NP students. Students will demonstrate the most advanced level of NP practice and the application of DNP competencies within their personal NP practice and at the macrosystem level. Taught across 2 semesters (Fall/Spring.) Course approved for IP grade. Includes 360 residency hours. Fee: $55.

Provides framework to evaluate effectiveness of programs, appropriateness of research in providing evidence-based care, and effectiveness of healthcare interventions. Explores conceptual, methodological, organizational, and ethical problems facing nursing, focusing on research analysis and utilization, program evaluation, outcomes research, and use of data. Includes statistical applications. Students must have basic knowledge of research and statistics.

In the semesters in which they are offered, topical electives will cover a variety of subject matter areas as deemed appropriate by the graduate faculty to augment the graduate curriculum in nursing.

Focuses on clinical outcomes management, assessment of the microsystem, identifying a patient care problem and developing a project to address that problem. Projects integrate best practices, principles of leadership and negotiation, information systems to evaluate patient outcomes, and theories of organizational behavior in project design. Includes 100 clinical hours. Fee: $55.

This clinical course assists the CNL candidate to advance his/her practice in the achievement of client outcomes of quality management, risk reduction, and patient safety. The focus of the CNL project this semester is to implement the plan developed in previous courses. Includes 100 hours of clinical experience.

The student refines his/her operationalization of the clinical nurse leader competencies and professional role during this comprehensive clinical management experience. The focus of the CNL project this semester is evaluating the project and disseminating the outcomes of the project. Includes 300 hours of clinical.

The expectation of this course is the completion of a scholarly project in the student’s clinical specialty area aimed at improving practice. Projects will meet NONPF Recommended Criteria for NP Scholarly Projects in the Practice Doctorate Program. Includes 16 hours of seminar.  Must be taken 2 times to meet degree requirements but may be taken up to 4 times.

This residency prepares DNP students for independent, entry-level FNP practice. Clinical expectations include successful application of previous NP specialty and integrative health courses and progression of clinical knowledge and competencies with increasingly complex client situations. Students also will demonstrate integration and application of DNP program competencies. Includes 360 clinical hours. Fee: $55.