Graduate Courses

This course provides the student the opportunity to work with the project chair to complete steps needed to defend the project proposal. The initial steps will include project management planning, CITI training, IRB (Institutional Review Board) submission, final literature review, and project proposal. The final project proposal must be approved before moving to the next course. 

Prerequisites: Approval of program chair, completion of all didactic courses.

Co-requisite: NURS 7251

The course provides the student the opportunity to work with the project chair to stay on target timeline goals, oversee project implementation, and begin data collection for the intervention.

Prerequisites: NURS 7161

Co-requisite: NURS 7252

The course provides the student the opportunity to work with the project chair to stay on target timeline goals, oversee data collection, and analyze data results. Students are ready to begin the project defense process. 

Prerequisites: 7162

Co-requisite: NURS 7253

This course is the culmination of the scholarly project. The scholarly project completion demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for the executive nurse leader to facilitate organizational change to improve healthcare outcomes in various settings for diverse populations. Students can showcase their successful completion of the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) Nursing Essentials competencies through an E-Portfolio. Students will work with the project chair with final preparations for the scholarly project's defense. 

Prerequisites: NURS 7163

Co-requisite: NURS 7254

This course is the first of four practicum courses that support the student’s leadership growth while engaged in capstone project activities. The student will evaluate connections between the project and the leadership essentials required to plan the project. Students will establish goals and objectives that create a framework for the experience. Clinical hours (105) will be accrued during this course. The project chair will approve all clinical hours. Students must complete all pre-practicum requirements such as health clearances before enrollment in this course. 

Prerequisites: Approval of program chair, completion of all didactic courses.

Co-requisite: NURS 7161

This course provides the student an opportunity to more deeply engage in the leadership competencies required to implement a large scope scholarly project. The students will execute the scholarly project, paying close attention to the inter and intra professional collaboration and communication necessary for implementation. Students will continue to progress in project goals and objectives. Clinical hours (105) will be accrued during this course. The project chair will approve all clinical hours. Completion of all course deliverables required for progression to the next course. 

Prerequisites: NURS 7251

Co-requisite: NURS 7162

This course provides the student opportunities to engage in systems level leadership experiences. The scholarly project continues and will conclude during this course. The student will evaluate any continuing challenges with the flow of the project. Students will continue to progress in project goals and objectives.  Clinical hours (105) will be accrued during this course. The project chair will approve all clinical hours. Completion of all course deliverables required for progression to the next course. 

Prerequisites: NURS 7252

Co-requisite: NURS 7163

This course continues to provide students opportunities to engage in systems level leadership experiences. The scholarly project concludes during this course, if not completed in previous course. Students will continue to progress in project goals and objectives. The student will participate in leadership reflection activities that demonstrate growth as a nurse executive leader. Clinical hours (105) will be accrued during this course. The project chair will approve all clinical hours. This is the final course of the practicum. All clinical hours need to be completed by the end of this course.

Co-requisite: NURS 7164

This course emphasizes the necessity of nursing leadership involvement in interdisciplinary collaboration, systems-level thinking, and innovation to advance population and public health initiatives. Students learn about and apply population-focused interventions to address health outcomes. Consideration is given to environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic dimensions of individuals, populations, and communities. Students will gain understanding of emergency and disaster preparedness in community, regional, national, and global forums from a population health perspective. This course includes opportunities to advocate and participate in political and policy-making processes for the student's area of interest.

Prerequisite: NURS 7313

This course is designed to provide students with the philosophy, background, and issues related to the developing DNP role as a terminal nursing degree. Students will investigate and reflect upon conceptual frameworks for the leadership qualities required for the DNP prepared nurse. Students will begin to develop a personal leadership framework and leadership development plan. This course also incorporates connections to nursing theory. The student will gain an understanding of project management concepts.

Prerequisites: Admission to DNP program

This course is designed to enable the student to consider executive level leadership competencies. Students will explore interprofessional team dynamics and ethical conflict resolution. The challenges of ethical decision-making while integrating faith-based discernment are incorporated into the competencies. Students will learn to critically analyze the nurse leader’s role in policy development, ethical research, and outcomes management.

Prerequisite: Admission to DNP program

Corequisite:  7310

This course focuses on providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to analyze and interpret data to be used in translating research into practice. Research design, data collection, and analysis techniques will be explored. The importance of creating the correct question for planned intervention will be discussed. Ethical research concepts are discussed, with an emphasis on human subjects’ protections. Statistical software will be introduced.

Prerequisites: Master’s level statistics course, 7310

This course is designed to support the executive nurse leader with the tools needed to analyze financial and operational mechanisms that drive current healthcare decision-making. Topics include budget analysis, financial decision-making, business plan evaluation, and financial implications on outcomes management in the diverse and complex healthcare system. This course includes opportunities to participate in clinical hours with financial decision-makers for the student's area of interest.

Prerequisite: 7310, can be taken concurrently

This course will focus on exploring organizational change and systems theory for interprofessional collaboration and strategic planning. Forecasting needs, balancing data-driven decisions with innovation, entrepreneurship, and mentoring others are key leadership qualities and concepts for navigating the complexity of the current healthcare environment. This course includes opportunities to participate in clinical hours with leadership for the student's area of interest.

Prerequisites: NURS 7313, 7323

This course prepares students to evaluate evidence-based quality improvement models and implementation science in order to effectively manage data translation into change initiatives. Working as partners in interdisciplinary teams, students will assess organizational quality and patient safety culture. The principles in this course will prepare students to engage in local, state, national, and global healthcare improvement. This course includes opportunities to participate in clinical hours with quality improvement and patient safety specialists/leaders.

Prerequisites: NURS 7345

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed for using data information systems to evaluate and improve healthcare. Students build a foundation for the appraisal of health information systems in various settings and consider how those systems can be used to maximize quality and patient safety. Students will explore different informatics tools for data extraction, organization, and evaluation. This course includes opportunities to participate in clinical hours with nurse informaticist or other data analyst in student's area of interest.

Prerequisite: 7310

This course focuses on the student's final preparations prior to the start of the scholarly project. Various Evidence-Based Practice models will be explored. Synthesis of the evidence into a cohesive plan of action for the scholarly project includes literature review, selecting a theory or conceptual framework for the proposed project, and project management principles. The student will analyze the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process for their work environment. Student must gain approval of final deliverables to proceed to practicum and project courses. Prerequisites: Completion of all core courses in the DNP program.

Prerequisite: NURS 7320, can be taken concurrently