Courses

This course introduces students to the methods used in studying health policy and health services research in the context of critiquing the contributions of research to the development of health policy. In addition to a critical review of methods and results of health services and policy research, the course examines the relationship among science, policy and politics, and identifies critical questions shaping the future policy research agenda.

This course endeavors to link clinical practice in nursing with policy issues by exploring a series of topical clinical issues that have significant health systems and health policy implications. Each seminar topic will address policy questions at four levels: the delivery system (across settings), cultural and ethnic groups, state and regional levels, and national level policies.

The course is designed to introduce the advanced statistical methods commonly used in health care research. The selected topics include multiple regression, logistic regression, analysis of covariance, factor analysis, and survival analysis. The focus of the course is on application of these statistical methods in biomedical and nursing research, execution of statistical analysis using statistical software, and interpretation of results from computer outputs.

This course will address aspects of nursing research from the perspective of preparing researchers to design and carry out studies and preparing clinicians to use research and data to develop interventions for patients and to evaluate evidence for practice. Included are: the research process; formulation of researchable questions and hypotheses; types of research variables; sampling designs and power analyses; and the uses, strengths and weaknesses of experimental, quasi-experimental, and epidemiologic designs.

This introductory, overview course examines methodologic and design aspects of qualitative nursing research.  Students will study published, qualitative, empirical research in nursing and related disciplines with emphasis on paradigm distinctions, theoretical perspectives, various research approaches, designs and methods, critique of research reports, and ethical issues in qualitative research.  Learning experiences include fieldwork exercises and proposal development.

This course examines the empirical foundation of advanced nursing practice, analyzing nursing theories, their concepts, and the applicability to observe clinical nursing. Focus will be placed on development of critical thinking skills in analyzing extant practice for theory implications. Students will examine various frameworks for the development, definition, analysis, and synthesis of theories and concepts, as well as assessing theory applications through direct clinical observation. Focus will be placed on development and analysis of selected concepts.

The course will explore the methods used to study clinical and other phenomena. Included will be discussion of issues related to instrumentation, both qualitative and quantitative, access to patient populations including clinical trials, validity, reliability, and ethical aspects of research.

This foundational course will examine the philosophy of nursing knowledge including foundations of nursing theory, concept development, and its application to research. Students will explore approaches to the analysis and development of concepts and the application of nursing concepts and frameworks to clinical practice and research. Ideas, assumptions, events, people, and writings are examined for their influence, inter-relationships, and significance to nursing. Types of reasoning will be evaluated within the context of nursing and health. Major theories, frameworks, and concepts of nursing and health and their implication for research will be discussed. The focus of the course will be on development of critical thinking skills in analyzing key elements of philosophies, concepts, and conceptual frameworks.

In this foundational course students will study the links between theory and the psychosocial and biophysical measures used in nursing research.  Students will employ the principles of classical test theory and item response theory to evaluate the reliability and validity of measurement.  Application of computational techniques will be covered in the lab portion of the course.  Course topics include types and uses of measures, item/scale development and validation, survey methods, reporting for publication, and the relationships between measurement and research ethics, cultural competency, and health disparities.

This course is designed to provide the students with the knowledge to apply the best available evidence to clinical practice problems and the information technology to support evidence-based practice. Course content includes critical appraisal skills to determine the quality of the research for usability in practice, to determine if the findings have applicability in a specific practice, and what the findings mean for the patient. Overview of informatics topics of most relevance to evidence-based practice will be presented. Topics include: standardized clinical terminology; health care standards; electronic health records; retrieval and critical analysis of digital data, information, and knowledge; clinical decision making; and decision support including decision analysis.

No longer offered. Please see N9405. Formerly known as Practice Management and Information.

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge to apply the best available evidence to resolve clinical practice problems and to use information technology to support evidence-based practice. Course content includes critical appraisal skills to determine the quality of the research fro usability in practice, to determine if the findings have applicability in a specific practice and what the findings mean for the patient. Overview of informatics topics of most relevance to evidence-based practice will be presented. Topics include: standardized clinical terminology; health care standards; electronic health records; retrieval and critical analysis of digital data, information, and knowledge; clinical decision making and decision support including decision analysis.

Utilizing a symptom-based approach, this course will examine the diagnosis and management of patients with complex diagnoses and comorbid conditions in the context of family, community and culture. The course will emphasize principles of primary care, including "provision of integrated and accessible health care services" (IOM, 1996). The accountability and ethical implications in the provision of comprehensive care to a population of ambulatory patients will be emphasized. Cultural diversity, epidemiology, differing health belief models, and alternative therapies will be explored as an integral part of primary care.

This practicum is a clinical field experience designed to provide the opportunity for students to apply the knowledge of diagnosis and management of ambulatory patients with complex diagnoses and comorbid conditions in the context of family, community and culture. The clinical experience will emphasize principles of primary care including integration, accessibility, accountability and ethical decision making. Sites for this clinical experience will include hospital based clinics, ambulatory centers and private offices.

Using symptom-based case studies, the seminar format will encourage students to integrate knowledge of clinical and scientific methodology, pathophysiology, principles of practice management, evidence-based practice, and ethical decision-making to determine differential diagnoses, therapeutic interventions, and coordinated patient management. The discussion will promote the synthesis of all factors that have some bearing on and provide a rationale for clinical decision-making.

Utilizing a symptom-based approach this course will examine the diagnosis and management of patients with complex diagnoses and/or comorbid conditions who present with acute changes in health status requiring interventions available only in an acute care setting. Discussion will focus on sophisticated evaluation techniques, appropriate clinical monitoring of vital functions, and the therapeutic interventions available in the acute care setting. The accountability and ethical implications in the facilitation and coordination of comprehensive care for a population of acutely ill patients will be emphasized. Transitioning the patient to the appropriate level of care following resolution of the acute illness will be discussed

This course will focus on persons who are unable to function independently due to age related alteration in mental and physical status, developmental, perceptual and physical disability and chronic, degenerative illness. Diagnosis and management of this population of patients within the context of hospice care, home care, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, group homes, day care facilities and other health related assisted living facilities will be presented. The impact of altered clinical presentation and multiple coexisting problems on diagnosis, management, and ethical decision making will be discussed.

An in-depth understanding of the complexity of chronic illness management will be emphasized. Content will include discussion of current and innovative models of care delivery, issues impacting patients, caregivers and advanced practice nurses, care systems that enhance outcomes, and use of an interdisciplinary approach to chronic illness management for persons across the lifespan. 

Seminar aimed at the continued refinement of critical thinking associated with a focused area of clinical nursing. The framework of the seminar will be the health care of vulnerable populations.

Seminar designed to facilitate the application of critical thinking, concept development and inquiry to health-related questions about specific populations, with an emphasis on populations considered vulnerable to poor health outcomes.  

This seminar is designed to strengthen the student’s ability to synthesize information gained in doctoral coursework and to apply this integrated knowledge to common challenges in the evaluation of a body of work relevant to nursing scholarship. The content is designed to assist in codifying the student’s area of dissertation interest, and serve as the basis for the early chapters of the dissertation that provide a critical literature review and rationale for aims, and hypotheses of the proposed work.

The student works under the guidance of a faculty member to study in depth a topic related to the development of nursing science. Specific objectives and requirements are negotiated individually. The course may be repeated more than once provided different faculty members supervise the learning experience.

This colloquium is designed for the doctoral student in the clinical nursing research specialty. Seminars will include an examination of current theory, research findings and issues regarding an area of clinical practice identified by the student. Each student will pursue in-depth study of a clinical phenomenon in the context of clinical research. Conceptual and empirical issues and the applicable theoretical underpinnings will be explored fully. The primary outcome of the colloquium is to prepare effective leaders in clinical practice, using principles of change, leadership, and the scientific literature as the foundations.

This course provides the doctoral student with an opportunity for the practical application of leadership and health policy skills at a high level within a health or health-related organization. This experience should be planned with the advisor and course director in advance of the semester in which the student registers in order to be of maximum benefit.

This course explores the current parameters of genomics [beyond genetics] as is influences new conceptualizations of health and illness.  Using a case discussion approach, clinical issues of genetic testing, genetic exceptionalism, individualized risk assessments and predictions are explored throughout the life span.

This course is designed to facilitate the contribution of nursing science to improved practice and health policy. The course consists of two major components: (1) Seminars on the translation of scholarly evidence to clinical practice, health policy and health care delivery, and (2) Field work in which each student conducts a specific translational project in collaboration with a mentor with leadership responsibilities in a clinical or policy organization. In each seminar, policy and clinical questions will be discussed as they impact cost, access and quality of care, especially for vulnerable populations and as they present challenges to leadership at all levels of decision-making, including state and national government. Students will be expected to draw from their field work for discussions and presentations and to apply content from class into their work products. The selected field work is expected to be related to the student’s research or practice interests and require development of a policy-related product of mutual value to the student and the setting.

This course will explore the broadly defined principles of ethics and the legal and ethical implications for practice and research. Case studies will be used to illustrate how the principles of ethics can guide the decision making process when clinical research and practice management dilemmas arise. Emphasis is placed on the ethical and legal issues in practice, scholarly work and research. Content will include the following: professional interactions, scientific integrity and research ethics, gender issues, conflict of interest, genetic screening and diagnostic testing, reproductive technology, vulnerable populations, and end-of-life issues.

This course provides students with specialization in Health Policy, a Practicum experience developing and analyzing health policy in an organization relevant tot the student's clinical practice specialty.