Graduate Course Descriptions

MSN Core Courses

NUR 5000 Advanced Nursing Concepts in Theory and Practice (3-3-0)

The course prepares students to critique, evaluate, and utilize theory in advanced practice nursing. Students will analyze and evaluate selected contemporary theories and frameworks from nursing and related disciplines to develop a comprehensive, ethical, and holistic approach to client care within their nursing practice. Emphasis will be on the integration of nursing middle–‐range and practice theories, theories related to cultural aspects of care, population focused theories, and change theories into advanced nursing practice. PREREQ: Admission to School of Graduate Studies and Nursing Graduate Program 

NUR 5010 Research Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (3-3-0)

This course focuses on the development of skills needed to analyze, critique, and conduct nursing research for scientific and clinical merit to promote evidence‐based nursing practice. Students will build on their knowledge of the research process and conduct an in‐depth analysis of research methods as a framework for studying clinical issues. Emphasis will be on the use of descriptive and inferential statistics, qualitative and quantitative research methods, and application and utilization of research related to advanced nursing practice. PREREQ: NUR 5000 or permission of instructor. 

NUR 5020 Advanced Pathophysiology (3-3-0)

This course focuses on pathophysiological processes across the lifespan and the development of clinical reasoning skills that distinguish the relationships between normal and altered physiological functioning of body systems. Particular attention will be given to etiology, pathogenesis, developmental and environmental influences, and clinical manifestations of major health problems. Changes associated with individuals of different ethnic/racial origins, gender and which occur across the lifespan will be examined. Relevant evidence‐based research findings related to pathophysiologic changes will be included. 

NUR 5030 Advanced Concepts of Pharmacology in Nursing (3-3-0)

This course builds on a foundation of basic pharmacology to provide students with advanced theoretical and empirical knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherpaeutics of drug groups. Students will apply advanced knowledge in pharmacology to support clinical decision‐making for the therapeutic management of clients across the lifespan. PREREQ: NUR 5020. 

NUR 5040 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (3-2-1)

This course focuses on the development of advanced practice nursing skills related to health assessment and clinical decision-making. Health assessment focuses on interviewing to acquire a comprehensive health history and refinement of physical examination skills of populations across the lifespan. Clinical decision-making focuses on the diagnostic process, prevention and early detection of risk factors, abnormal assessments and related pathology, developing differential nursing diagnoses, and developing individualized plans of care. Students will have an opportunity to enhance and refine their critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, documentation, and communication skills in the laboratory component of the course. PREREQ: NUR 5020. 

Nurse Educator Specialty Concentration Courses

NUR 5300 Educating Diverse Populations (3-3-0)

This course provides students with the opportunity to understand the ever‐changing demographics of society and how these changes influence health care delivery systems and approaches to education. Concepts of design and adaptation of instructional materials and methods will be explored as well as the impact of educator and learner characteristics on the education process. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010. 

NUR 5310 Curriculum Theory and Design in Nursing Education (3-3-0)

This course focuses on curriculum design in nursing education. Theories of education and cognitive development, as a foundation for program development, will be presented. Students will participate in the curriculum-design process using mission and philosophy statements as the basis of curriculum development. The evaluation process and its impact on curriculum development, implementation and outcomes will be considered. 

NUR 5320 Classroom Teaching and Integration of Technology (3-2-1)

This course focuses on the development and analysis of classroom teaching and learning strategies in nursing education. Adult learning principles of teaching and learning will be incorporated into the innovative strategies developed within this course. Integration of new technology in instructional design and delivery will be highlighted. Students will produce media‐rich, interactive programs for use in nursing education or continuing education programs. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010, NUR 5300, NUR 5310. 

NUR 5330 Clinical Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educators (3-2-1)

Much of the basic education for nurses and for students in other health professions occurs in clinical settings. These settings require teaching methodologies quite different from the classroom setting. This course focuses on clinical instruction and the development of clinical judgment in the health professions. Emphasis will be given to clinical education in undergraduate programs. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010, NUR 5020, NUR 5030, NUR 5040, NUR 5300, NUR 5310. 

NUR 5340 Measurement and Evaluation in Nursing Education (3-3-0)

This course provides students the opportunity to learn evaluation concepts, including testing and measurement in nursing education at the didactic, clinical and programmatic levels. Content includes strategies to assess and evaluate learning in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. Quality improvements, as well as legal and ethical considerations are explored. Key concepts include classical test theory; criterion and norm referenced theory and technique; reliability, validity, and the associated descriptive statistics; preparation of instrumental objectives for use in developing classroom tests and clinical nursing performance evaluations. 

NUR 5350 Nurse Educator Capstone Practicum (6-1-5)

This course is a concentrated opportunity to function in an advanced nursing role as a nurse educator, integrating clinical and functional role activities within a chose setting. Emphasis includes educator nursing practice, functional role responsibilities, and activities with emphasis on their relationship to client outcomes. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5360. 

NUR 5360 Master’s Nurse Educator Research or Action Project (3-1-2)

This course provides the opportunity for students to develop and implement a research or action project reflecting analysis, synthesis, and integration of their learning for advanced practice as a nurse educator. Students will participate in a seminar as part of the nurse educator project. This course will be taken during the final semester of study. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5350. 

Clinical Nurse Leader Specialty Concentration Courses

NUR 5100 Rural Health Care: Theoretical Foundations (2-2-0)

This course focuses on the theoretical and philosophical basis for rural health from nursing and related disciplines, providing an overview of rural culture, rural health issues, healthcare priorities for rural dwellers, and strategies for dealing with challenges facing rural healthcare providers. Areas of emphasis will include: analysis of key rural concepts, rural healthcare policy, impact of technology on rural healthcare, workforce issues in rural health, and challenges facing the nurse case manager or clinical nurse leader working with rural populations. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010. 

NUR 5110 Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care (3-3-0)

This course provides an overview of health care policy, organization, and financing with emphasis on current health care trends. The focus is to educate the nurse case manager or clinical nurse leader to collaborate with members of the health care community in the planning and provision of quality, cost‐effective care. Emphasis is placed on the development of a leadership role in managing human, fiscal, and physical health care resources in order to improve client outcomes and eliminate health disparities. Core concepts include basic policy development and policy analysis, health care finance systems, government structure related to health care, primary health care, core public health functions, and patient safety and quality. 

NUR 5140 Epidemiology and Global Health (3-3-0)

This course focuses on the distribution and determinants of health‐related states or conditions in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems. Students will be presented with epidemiologic models and methods in order to assess the health of individuals and populations to prevent or control health conditions, diseases, and injuries. Emphasis is on a local to global perspective and on application of methods to improve healthcare delivery and health policy. PREREQ: NUR 5000 and NUR 5010. 

NUR 5210 Leadership in Clinical Microsystems (4-3-1)

The focus of this course is on assessment of clinical microsystems in healthcare settings to identify needed changes in the clinical trajectory for patients within the system. Development of the role of the CNL student as a patient care coordinator and educator for interprofessional team is the aim of this course. Improving patient safety, quality outcomes, and planning for implementation of innovations in care based on evidence‐based practice will be discussed. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010, NUR 5110, NUR 5200.

NUR 5220 Care Environment and Clinical Outcomes Management (3-2-1)

Building on baccalaureate level nursing skills and foundational pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment, the focus of this course is on integrative care approaches that improve health through graduate‐level nursing and collaborative planning to design systems that promote positive health outcomes. Health promotion, disease reduction, and/or prevention as health‐oriented strategies will be applied to patient care. Students will develop an outcome‐focused model that relates to a graduate-level clinical practice area and that will inform the terminal project and residency.  PREREQ: NUR 5000, 5010, 5100 and 5110 

NUR 5230 Clinical Nurse Leader Capstone Practicum (6-1-5)

The residency is the culminating application of the role of the CNL. Under faculty supervision, students will design a collaborative residency with clinical preceptors focusing on refinement of nursing leadership skills and management of clinical outcomes in the care environment. The complexities of clinical nursing leadership in interdisciplinary clinical applications will be discussed in weekly meetings. Students will apply evidenced-based practice including risk management, interdisciplinary collaboration for the promotion of patient outcomes and the integration of informatics to advance decision‐making. Advocacy, health care resource, and organizational issues will be intentionally evaluated. Students will develop a written analysis of personal leadership skill development and reflection of the impact of CNL change within the care environment. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5240. 

NUR 5240 Master’s Clinical Nurse Leader Research or Action Project (3-1-2)

This course provides the opportunity for students to develop and implement a research or action project reflecting analysis, synthesis and integration of their learning for advanced practice as a clinical nurse leader. Students will participate in a seminar as part of the clinical nurse leader project. This course will be taken during the final semester of study. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5230. 

Rural Case Manager Specialty Concentration Courses

NUR 5100 Rural Health Care: Theoretical Foundations (2-2-0)

This course focuses on the theoretical and philosophical basis for rural health from nursing and related disciplines, providing an overview of rural culture, rural health issues, healthcare priorities for rural dwellers, and strategies for dealing with challenges facing rural healthcare providers. Areas of emphasis will include: analysis of key rural concepts, rural healthcare policy, impact of technology on rural healthcare, workforce issues in rural health, and challenges facing the nurse case manager or clinical nurse leader working with rural populations. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010. 

NUR 5110 Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care (3-3-0)

This course provides an overview of health care policy, organization, and financing with emphasis on current health care trends. The focus is to educate the nurse case manager or clinical nurse leader to collaborate with members of the health care community in the planning and provision of quality, cost‐effective care. Emphasis is placed on the development of a leadership role in managing human, fiscal, and physical health care resources in order to improve client outcomes and eliminate health disparities. Core concepts include basic policy development and policy analysis, health care finance systems, government structure related to health care, primary health care, core public health functions, and patient safety and quality. 

NUR 5120 Human Relations Management (3-3-0)

This course focuses on establishing relationships with person(s) and families, group dynamics, team building, leadership and management skills, negotiation, human diversity in health and illness, conflict management, and rural health issues relevant for case management of rural populations. 

NUR 5130 Nursing Case Management Process (4-3-1)

This course examines the process of case management and the evolving role of the case manager in a variety of settings across the continuum of health care, with particular emphasis on populations residing in rural and medically underserved areas. Emphasis is on examining the fundamental concepts, components, principles and models of case management, as well as measuring and evaluating outcomes of case management related to access, quality, costs and client satisfaction. PREREQ: NUR 5000, NUR 5010, NUR 5100, and NUR 5110. 

NUR 5140 Epidemiology and Global Health (3-3-0)

This course focuses on the distribution and determinants of health‐related states or conditions in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems. Students will be presented with epidemiologic models and methods in order to assess the health of individuals and populations to prevent or control health conditions, diseases, and injuries. Emphasis is on a local to global perspective and on application of methods to improve healthcare delivery and health policy. PREREQ: NUR 5000 and NUR 5010. 

NUR 5150 Case Management Capstone Practicum (6-1-5)

This course focuses on the application of the nurse case manager’s functions of assessing, planning, intervening, monitoring, and evaluating health care in rural communities. Emphasis is placed on implementing a coordinated, evidence‐based, interdisciplinary, collaborative, integrated and cost effective approach to health care with rural populations. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5160. 

NUR 5160 Master's Rural Case Manager Research or Action Project (3-1-2)

This course provides the opportunity for students to develop and implement a research or action project reflecting analysis, synthesis, and integration of their learning for advanced practice as a nurse case manager. Students will participate in a seminar as part of the rural case manager project. This course will be taken during the final semester of study. PREREQ: Completion of all coursework related to the major with the exception of NUR 5150.