Graduate Courses

This course covers the foundational knowledge for evaluating evidence for evidence based practice and conducting practice improvement projects in the healthcare environment.

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.

The 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 are examined including historical, legal, ethical, social, and policy aspects. Topics such as hallmark competencies, professional behaviors, financial relationships with health systems and interdisciplinary relationships also will be included.

The 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.

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 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 are emphasized.

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

The 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.

The 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 include caring for the pregnant, peri-menopausal, and menopausal client and their unique health care needs. Includes 60 hours of clinical experience.

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

The 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.

The 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.

The 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 design a professional portfolio to guide professional development.

The course focuses on the assessment and appropriate diagnosis of mental health 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 are 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 are applied through screening and health exam opportunities in settings such as schools, Head Start preschools, occupational sites, senior centers and migrant clinics. Includes 40 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 100 clinical hours. Fee: $55.

The 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.

The 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.

The 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 submit a final project paper and professional portfolio. Includes 150 clinical hours.

The 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.

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 are explored. Strategic implications and skill building to manage risk and increase productivity and efficiency emphasized.

Synthesizes communication research and theory for application to practice. Students 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 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 are applied. Assessment tools and intervention strategies for health of selected populations who share common health and illness phenomena are examined.

The 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 that builds upon undergraduate skills. Includes 45 hours of skills lab.

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

The 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.  The 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 are addressed. The course examines the nurse practitioner role as prescriber.

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

The 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.

The 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 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.

The role of inquiry in evidence-based practice and quality improvement is explored. Evaluation and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence to improve provider practice and quality of care is emphasized.  Measurement and evaluation methods for improving healthcare are examined.

Focuses on clinical outcomes management, assessment of the microsystem, identification of a patient care problem and development of 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.