School of Nursing
KRISTEN M. SWANSON, Dean
Gwen Sherwood, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Jennifer D’Auria (85) Director of Master’s Programs
Suzanne Thoyre (45) Director of Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Programs
Distinguished Professors
Linda Beeber (109) Health Care Environments
Linda R. Cronenwett (105) Health Care Environments
Kathleen Knafl (48) Research Division
Barbara Mark (124) Health Care Environments
Merle Mishel (82) Adult and Geriatric Health
Marilynn Oermann (36) Adult and Geriatric Health
Mary H. Palmer (6) Adult and Geriatric Health
Margarete Sandelowski (64) Family Health
Sheila Santacroce (51) Family Health
Mi-Kyung Song (22) Adult and Geriatric Health
Professors
Catherine I. Fogel (4) Family Health
Sandra G. Funk (32) Research Division
Barbara Germino (49) Adult and Geriatric Health
Donna Havens (123) Health Care Environments
George Knafl (47) Research Division
Kathleen Knafl (48) Research Division
Mary Lynn (84) Health Care Environments
Gwen Sherwood (33) Adult and Geriatric Health
Marcia Van Riper (120) Family Health
Associate Professors
Debra Barksdale (122) Family Health
Diane Berry (130) Adult and Geriatric Health
Barbara Carlson (113) Adult and Geriatric Health
Jennifer D’Auria (85) Family Health
Cheryl Jones (112) Health Care Environments
Shawn Kneipp (134) Health Care Environments
Deborah Mayer (28) Adult and Geriatric Health
Virginia J. Neelon (13) Adult and Geriatric Health
Pamela Rowsey (44) Adult and Geriatric Health
Sheila Santacroce (51) Family Health
Suzanne Thoyre (45) Family Health
SeonAe Yeo (108) Family Health
Mi-Kyung Song (22) Adult and Geriatric Health
Assistant Professors
Anna Beeber (14) Adult and Geriatric Health
Beth Black (42) Family Health
Cheryl Giscombe (31) Adult and Geriatric Health
Jill Hamilton (15) Adult and Geriatric Health
Eric Hodges (16) Family Health
Coretta Jenerette (39) Adult and Geriatric Health
Jennifer Leeman (133) Health Care Environments
Lixin Song, Adult and Geriatric Health
Theresa Swift-Scanlan (30) Adult and Geriatric Health
Debbie Travers (38) Health Care Environments
Jia-Rong Wu (Research) Adult and Geriatric Health
Emeriti Faculty
Eleanor M. Browning
Barbara Bunker
Margaret E. Campbell
Jo Ann Dalton
Molly C. Dougherty
Margery Duffey
Cynthia M. Freund
Barbara Germino
Joanne Harrell
Carol C. Hogue (65)
Margaret F. Hudson
Diane Kjervik
Betty H. Landsberger
Patricia Lawrence
Margaret Miles
Nancy Milio
Helen M. Murphy
Susan Pierce
Barbara C. Rynerson
Anne Skelly
Ingrid Swenson
Eleanor Taggart
Master of Science in Nursing
The master of science in nursing (M.S.N.) program prepares nurses for advanced practice nursing focused on direct patient care (e.g. nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist) or as advanced specialists in health care systems (e.g. administration, outcomes).
Length of Program
The program of study varies from 32 to 46 credits of academic course work including clinical practice, an oral comprehensive examination, and a master’s paper (or in some cases, a thesis). Students may pursue the M.S.N. degree on a full-time or part-time basis.
The Curriculum
The curriculum consists of four components: the professional core, the research core, the clinical core, and the advanced nursing practice core courses. The professional core courses (NURS 646, NURS 647) and research core courses (NURS 778, NURS 779, NURS 992 or 993) are required of most M.S.N. students. The clinical core courses and advanced practice area courses focus on the student’s selected area of specialization and role preparation.
The specialty areas offered by the program reflect a combination of current practice trends as well as available faculty resources. Content in specialty areas and the types of areas of specialization offered are adjusted based on these factors. In some advanced practice specialty areas, electives in nursing or other disciplines or courses to support a focus area are required. Each student is admitted to a specific advanced practice area and a faculty advisor helps design a program of study that is appropriate to the student’s educational and career goals. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations appropriate to their advanced area of preparation.
The current advanced practice nursing population foci include adult/gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner/primary care, and psychiatric-mental health nursing nurse practitioner (family focus). The advanced specialties in health care systems include administration, clinical nurse leader, education, informatics, and outcomes management. The M.S.N. program also includes specialty courses in adult oncology advanced practice. M.S.N. students may elect to take these offerings as electives or declare an oncology focus in addition to their primary population of interest. For students in the health care systems informatics option, dual M.S.N./M.S.I.S. and M.S.N./M.S.L.S. degree options are available through the School of Nursing and the School of Information and Library Science. An up-to-date listing of the advanced nursing practice areas being offered and detailed descriptions of the curriculum for each option may be accessed through the School of Nursing home page (nursing.unc.edu); click on "Academic Programs."
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
The discipline of nursing is concerned with the study of and research on human experiences related to health, illness, and life transitions, as well as the professional practices that enhance well being, promote a healthful life, prevent injury and disease, facilitate recovery from and stimulate adaptive responses to illness and disability, ameliorate the negative effects of the treatment of disease, and promote a dignified and peaceful death. The Ph.D. in nursing program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is designed to prepare scholars who will contribute to the science of nursing by expanding (generating, evaluating, and disseminating) knowledge in these areas for use by nurses and others concerned with health care.
With changes in demography, advances in technology, and changes in the social and economic mandate for health care, the faculty of the School of Nursing has chosen to emphasize scholarship and research in five areas: preventing and managing chronic illness and other major health threats, reducing health disparities, improving health care quality and patient outcomes, understanding the biobehavioral and genetic bases of health and illness, and developing innovative approaches to enhance science and its translation to practice. In the area of preventing or managing chronic illness, emphasis is on a range of chronic conditions including people at all stages of life. There are research studies addressing diabetes, cancer, cancer survivorship, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depressive symptoms, HIV/AIDS, and urinary incontinence among other conditions across the life span. The focus on reducing health disparities seeks to understand and eliminate these disparities in populations that bear the greatest burden of illness and those living in rural areas. There are research studies on factors that contribute to illness burden among African Americans and Latinos and tests of interventions to improve the health of these groups. Another priority area of research is the improvement of health care quality and patient outcomes, which includes areas such as the relationship between nursing care, patient and system level outcomes, factors influencing the nursing shortage, and improving the nursing work environment. With our expanded biobehavioral laboratory, students can focus their research on the interactions among biological, behavioral, and social factors in preventing or managing illness. The areas of emphasis include the physiology of infant and child feeding, mechanisms that underlie a variety of inflammatory disorders, the epigenetics of breast cancer, and the relationship between stress and physiological responses in various conditions. With the increasing research in nursing areas as noted here, there is a need to translate the findings to improve practice. As the fifth area of emphasis in the program, there is ongoing work between clinical and community partners to ensure that the results of research studies meet the needs of practitioners as well as methods for synthesizing findings from both qualitative and quantitative studies to inform both research and practice.
Faculty assist students in the ‘formation’ of self as scholar. This mentoring role takes place in the classroom, laboratory, research team meetings, through the conduct of faculty and student research, and in dissemination efforts. Students are guided to link their clinical and research interests with programmatic foci. For example, students may focus on various kinds of chronic conditions, health-related social problems, or advanced biobehavioral measurement techniques. They may also focus their research on evaluating and testing theories and concepts from nursing and other disciplines that address chronic conditions or the systems of care; population groups that vary by gender, developmental level, race/ethnicity, or genetic predisposition; specific theory-driven individual, family, or community oriented interventions in the biobehavioral, psychosocial, psychoeducational, and/or technological domains; or enhancing access to care, treatment effectiveness, cost containments, quality improvement, and systems outcomes across the continuum of care.
Students learn the value and skilled use of a variety of methodological and analytic approaches from the biological, behavioral, and social sciences and the humanities, as well as interdisciplinary and participative collaboration with other scholars and affected populations. The overall goal of the program is to prepare competent, culturally sensitive, and compassionate scholars and investigators of nursing who will, through their active engagement with and passion for scholarship, contribute to the goal of a healthy nation.
Doctoral Curriculum
Doctoral students can expect to take two and a half years of course work, in addition to completing a dissertation. The Ph.D. coursework includes a minimum of 54 credits:
(1) core content on knowledge development in nursing and health policy (6 credits)
(2) research methods and analysis (18 credits)
(3) substantive knowledge in nursing (6–9 credits)
(4) electives from nursing and/or other disciplines (6–9 credits)
(5) courses from a secondary area of concentration (9 credits)
(6) dissertation credits (6 credits minimum).
The program of study for students incorporates both required and menu-driven courses. The requirement of nine credits from a secondary area of concentration (a cluster of courses from one or more disciplines outside of nursing) is intended to strengthen students’ understanding of essential knowledge from related fields applicable to their area of study in nursing. We encourage students to think about how other disciplines approach their area of interest and to situate their work within a broader context. Because of the rich resources available on the University’s campus, courses are available in a wide range of fields; students have taken courses in psychology, sociology, management and organizational behavior, anthropology, epidemiology, history, women’s studies, health behavior and health education, health policy and administration, exercise and sports science, genetics, biomedical engineering, and physiology. Students who elect a minor from another department on campus are able to do so by combining the elective credits with the required credits from the secondary area of concentration.
Courses for Advanced Undergraduate Students
NURS
456 Discipline of Nursing II (2). Prerequisites, NURS 254 and at least one of the following: NURS 470, 472, 477, or 479. Majors only. This course emphasizes professional development through exploration of a variety of roles and practice environments. Students analyze personal and professional goals and values to develop a framework for nursing practice.
470 Public Health Nursing (5). Prerequisites, NURS 364 and 371. Corequisites, NURS 472, 477, and 479. Majors only. Students apply public health concepts to community practice to improve health and reduce disparities across the lifespan, emphasizing interventions using partnership strategies at individual/family, organizational, and policy levels.
472 Nursing Care of Infants, Children, and Their Family (5). Prerequisites, NURS 253, 261, 360, 361, 362, 364, and 366. Majors only. Nursing care of infants, children, and their families is explored. Knowledge from a variety of disciplines is applied through the nursing process to the direct care of infants and children.
477 Psychiatric Mental Health Concepts for Broad Clinical Application in Nursing (5). Prerequisites, NURS 253, 361, and 362. Corequisites, NURS 364 and 382. Majors only. Using theories of psychosocial development, psychopathology, therapeutic communication, and psychotherapy, this course requires students to examine the range and complexities of human emotional suffering and methods of effective intervention.
479 Maternal/Newborn Nursing (5). Prerequisites, NURS 253, 254, 261, 360, 361, 362, 364, and 366. Majors only. The course focuses on application of caring and critical thinking skills in providing evidence-based nursing care to childbearing families.
487 Practicum in Nursing: Work-Study Experience (3). Prerequisites, NURS 254 and 364. Certification as Nurse Aide I and II also required as pre- or corequisite. Majors only. This course provides the student an opportunity to participate in a work-study experience in participating health care agencies. Students participate in a reflective experience that integrates classroom and experimental learning.
488 Practicum in Nursing: Health Services Improvement Work Experience (3). Prerequisites, NURS 254 and 364. Majors only. Certification as a Nurse Aide I and Nurse Aide II are recommended. Practice in health care settings is the course focus. Students participate in a reflective experience that provides the context to integrate classroom and experiential learning into an evolving professional identity.
489 Practicum in Nursing: Global Health Experience (3). Prerequisites, NURS 254 and 364. Majors only. Certification as a Nurse Aide I and Nurse Aide II are recommended. Practice in global health care settings is the course focus. Students participate in a reflective experience that provides the context to integrate classroom and experiential learning into an evolving professional identity.
490 Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing Practice (3). Majors only. Selected concepts, theories, and models are explored as a basis for making judgments and decisions in nursing practice. Emphasis is on helping students expand and refine the body of knowledge upon which they base practice decisions. Critical thinking skills are developed as an essential component of professional practice.
491 Improving Nursing Practice: Application of Concepts, Theories, and Research (3). Majors only. This course emphasizes analysis of clinical problems that affect the nursing care of selected populations. Students also apply the nursing process, therapeutic communication skills, and teaching-learning principles in clinical situations.
494 Community Health Nursing for the Public’s Health (3–6). Majors only. Prepares R.N. students for population-focused practice in community health nursing. Analyses and applications of selected theories; health promotion/protection and disease prevention strategies are emphasized.
496 Advanced Practicum in Nursing (1–3). Majors only. The focus of this course is the development of knowledge and experience related to research or service learning and its application to the practice of nursing and health care.
588 Leadership in Health Care Organizations (4). Prerequisites, NURS 364, 371, and 487 or 488 or 489, and 472 or 477 or 479. Majors only. This course explores organizational leadership and management practices and theories. Current social, economic, legal, ethical, and policy issues affecting practice, education, and the profession of nursing are examined.
590 Nursing Care of Adults with Major Health Problems, II (8). Prerequisites, NURS 364, 371, 472, 456, 477, and 487 or 488 or 489. Corequisite, NURS 470. Majors only. This senior-level course focuses on applying critical thinking, clinical decision making, and evidence-based nursing practice to complex health problems of adults. Unique health needs of older adults are addressed.
595 Alternative Paradigms for Nursing Practice (3). Majors only. Concepts and principles underlying biomedical and biopsychosocial approaches to health care delivery are analyzed to determine their impact on health and to provide a framework for integrating both approaches to care.
596 Contemporary Issues in Nursing Practice (3). Majors only. The context of professional nursing practice will be analyzed from a social, economic, and policy perspective. Analysis will include projections for the future of the profession.
599 Experimental Courses (1-3).
600 SHAC: Student Health Action Coalition (0). This course provides service-learning opportunities to apply nursing practice within the context of interprofessional care for vulnerable populations by participating with Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) activities.
607I Interprofessional Team Work and Communication - Key to Patient Safety (3). Majors only. This interprofessional course focuses on understanding roles, teamwork, and communication to improve patient safety within the health care environment. National standards and initiatives will be the foundation of the course. Pass/Fail only.
609 Health Care in the Global Context (1). Majors only or permission of the instructor. A faculty led experiential learning opportunity focusing on development and knowledge related to research, health care systems, or service learning and its application to nursing and health care.
613I Intermediate Spanish for Health Care I (AHSC 613I, PHCY 613I, PUBH 613I, SOWO 613I) (3).
614I Intermediate Spanish for Health Care II (AHSC 614I, PHCY 614I, PUBH 614I, SOWO 614I) (3).
615I Advanced Spanish for Health Care (AHSC 615I, DENT 615I, MEDI 615I, PHCY 615I, PUBH 615I, SOWO 615I) (3).
642 Health Promotion and Illness Prevention in Advanced Nursing Practice (2). Focuses on the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and identification of factors that impact health across the life span.
646 Health Care Policy in the U.S.: Development, Impacts, and Implications for Nurses (3). Examines health care systems development, impacts and prospects for change. Content enables nurses to draw implications for nursing practice and advocacy for improving systems.
647 Contemporary Issues in the Role of Advanced Practice Nursing (3). This course examines the evolution, current issues, and roles in advanced practice nursing within the context of contemporary healthcare delivery. For graduate students only.
685 Care of the Dying and Bereaved throughout the Life Span (3). Students from a variety of health sciences-related disciplines gain an understanding of issues in working with dying and bereaved individuals of all ages and their families.
686 Advanced Concepts in the Clinical Care of Older Adults (2). Focuses on advanced concepts for nursing management of older adults and their families with an emphasis on interdisciplinary care. For graduate students only.
687 Ethical Issues in Nursing (2). Examination and discussion of major ethical issues arising in the professional practice of nursing in the context of systematic consideration of the nature of ethical choice.
688 Advanced Pharmacology in Oncology (1). Prerequisites, NURS 715 and720. Permission of instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Focuses on the pharmacologic management of drugs used for therapeutic management and supportive care in adult oncology.
689 Advanced Concepts in Oncology Nursing (2). Admission to Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program or permission of instructor. Focuses on advanced concepts for the advanced practice oncology nurse incorporating pathophysiology, prevention and detection, treatment modalities, nursing diagnoses, and socioeconomic, ethical, and legal issues related to cancer care of adults.
691H Honors in Nursing, Part I (3). Permission of the program director. Majors only. Preparation of a two-semester honors project under the direction of department advisors.
692H Honors in Nursing, Part II (3). Permission of the program director. Majors only. Preparation of a two-semester honors project under the direction of department advisors.
699 Experimental Courses (1–3). Pilot test for new courses in nursing program.
Courses for Graduate Students
NURS
703I Alternative Medicine (3).
704 Scientific Writing (1). Focuses on the principles and practice of scientific writing, with emphasis on research proposals, theses, research reports, dissertations and articles for publication.
710 Developmental Physiology and Pathophysiology (3). This course explores developmental changes in morphological processes and normal and pathologic physiology in humans from conception through adolescence. Physiological differences between infants and children and adults are emphasized.
715 Pathophysiology for Advanced Nursing Practice (3). Examines the physiological and pathophysiological responses to injury-effects on cell function, host defense responses, maintenance of vital functions, and neuro-endocrine-immune responses.
720 Pharmacotherapeutics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3). Prerequisite, NURS 710 or 715. Examines principles of pharmacotherapeutic decision making in advanced nursing practice with application to clinical management of common health problems specific to all age groups, encompassing a life-span approach.
721 Pediatric Pharmacology (1). Prerequisites, NURS 715 and 720. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. The course will examine the principles of pharmacotherapeutic decision making in advanced nursing practice, with application to the clinical management of common health problems specific to pediatrics.
722 Psychopharmacology in Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing (2). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 726, and 727. Co-requisite, NURS 720. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the pre- and corequisites. Examines the principles of psychopharmacology and neurobiology for safe and effective psychotherapeutic management of individuals with psychiatric and mental health problems across the lifespan.
725 Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning in Neonatal and Pediatric Nursing (4). Prepares the advanced practice neonatal/pediatric nurse to comprehensively assess neonates and children using a diagnostic reasoning process.
726 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning in Primary Care (4). Pre- or corequisite, NURS 715. This course examines the process of diagnostic reasoning as a framework to synthesize comprehensive assessment of patients throughout the lifespan.
727 Advanced Diagnostic Process in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (4). Pre- or corequisites, NURS 715 and 726. This course introduces students to the role of the advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurse. Models for assessment, intervention, and evaluation are explored and tested clinically.
776 Research for Advanced Clinical Practice (3). Graduate standing and successful completion of an undergraduate statistics course required. This course explores approaches to research problems in advanced practice nursing. Theories, methods, designs, measurement, ethical conduct, and skills in critical appraisal are emphasized.
777 Intermediate Statistical Applications in Health Care (3). Graduate standing required. This course provides an introduction to probability, statistical concepts, and analytical techniques useful in health care research and for interpreting the literature.
778 Interpreting Research Reports (3). For Nursing students admitted to The Graduate School. Focuses on approaches for critical reading of research reports to evaluate the evidence base for practice.
779 Synthesis and Translation of Evidence (3). Prerequisite, NURS 778. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Focuses on the translation of research evidence to support improved models of care delivery.
780I Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Managing Diabetes Mellitus (PHCY 608I) (2). This course examines the current issues involved in managing diabetes mellitus in persons over their life span. Contributions of the multidisciplinary team are an important theme throughout this course.
781I Genomics and Society (3). This multidisciplinary course offers students the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of human genetics and explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of recent advances in genetics.
782I Aging and Health (DENT 604I, EPID 620I, HMSC 904I, MEDI 604I, PHCY 604I, PHYT 904I, PSYC 904I, SOCI 824, SOWO 604I) (3). See SOWO 604I for description.
783I Aging and Public Policy (DENT 607I, FMME 607I, HMSC 951I, HPM 961, MEDI 607I, PSYC 907I, SOWO 607I) (3). See SOWO 607I for description.
799 Special Problems (1–3).
810 Primary Care Management of Adults (5). Prerequisites, NURS 715 and726. Pre- or corequisite, NURS 720. Focuses on the management of illnesses common to young, middle, and older adults in ambulatory care.
811 Selected Issues in Adult Health (4). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, and 810. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Provides the opportunity for an in-depth examination of management strategies with selected health problems in adults. Also examines issues inherent in the management of women and elderly populations.
812 Management of Complex Health Problems in Adults (4). Prerequisites, NURS 642, 715, 720, 726, 810, and 811, Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. This capstone course focuses on the management of complex health problems in adult populations for the adult nurse practitioner.
819 Practicum in Primary Care Management of Adults (2). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, and 810. A precepted practicum in community-based ambulatory care settings that provides experiences in continuity of care in the delivery of personal health services to adult individuals and their families.
820 Clinical Practicum in Advanced Oncology Nursing (1–2). Prerequisites, NURS 688 and 699. Corequisite, NURS 821. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the corequisite. Focuses on the evidence-based management of common acute, episodic, and chronic health problems in adult cancer patients for the oncology nurse practitioner.
821 Seminar in Advanced Oncology Nursing (0.5). Prerequisites, NURS 688 and 689. Co-requisite, NURS 820. Permission of instructor for students lacking the corequisite. Focuses on evidence-based nursing and medical management issues relevant to the care of patients and their families across the cancer continuum and practice settings.
825 Sexual and Reproductive Health (4). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, and 810. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Uses a life span approach to examine principles of primary care management of childbearing couples, and sexual reproductive health in women and men. Application is in community-based settings.
826 Introduction to Population Health and Community-Based Practice (2). This course introduces fundamental concepts and models of population-oriented nursing practice and the central issues affecting that practice. Focuses on health disparities and underserved populations.
827 Child Health Issues in Primary Care (3). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, and 810. Pre- or corequisite, NURS 642. Permission of the instructor for students lacking NURS 642. Examines the principles of assessment, management, evaluation, and continuing care of children in primary care settings. Developmentally appropriate, family-centered approaches and management of common medical problems are addressed.
828 Advanced Clinical Practicum in Primary Care of Families (2). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, 810, 825, and 827. Introduction to supervised clinical practice in primary health care with emphasis on use of history, physical examination, and laboratory data to plan interventions for promoting and restoring health.
833 Specialty Care in the Health of Women (4). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 726, 810, and 825. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Focuses on the primary care of women with complex gynecological problems, reproductive complications, and socially derived health care problems. Emphasis is placed on assessment, diagnosis, management, and clinical decision making.
838 Health Care of Women Practicum (1–5). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 726, 810, 825, and 833. The women’s health care advanced practicum focuses on the synthesis and clinical management of primary health care and specialty health care problems of women.
840 Primary Care of Children (4). Prerequisites, NURS 710 and NURS 725. Pre- or corequisite, NURS 720. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. This course focuses on advanced practice nursing management of common clinical symptomatology and problems in pediatric primary care.
841 Advanced Concepts in Family-Centered Health Care of Children and Adolescents (3). Pre- or corequisites, NURS 642, 710, 725, and 840. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the pre- or corequisites. Focuses on advanced concepts in family-centered health care of selected child and adolescent health problems. Students function in an advanced practice roll working with children, adolescents and their families in primary care, acute, and/or chronic illness settings.
842 Management of Complex Conditions in Advanced Practice Pediatric Nursing (3). Pre- or corequisites, NURS 642, 710, 720, and 840. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the pre- or corequisites. This course prepares the advanced practice nurse to design, implement, and evaluate a coordinated system of interventions that aim to promote optimal health and maximize outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents with complex conditions.
849 Clinical Practicum in Advanced Practice Pediatric Nursing (1–5). Prerequisites, NURS 710 and 725. Corequisites, NURS 720 and 840. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the pre- or corequisites. Supervised practicum in an advanced practice role in a selected health care setting that provides primary care and/or specialized health care to infants, children, or adolescents.
860 Psychiatric Nursing Interventions with Individuals (5). Prerequisite, NURS 727. Focuses on theories, techniques, and research related to providing individual psychotherapy. Contextual factors affecting the delivery of psychiatric-mental health nursing services are analyzed.
863 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing for Underserved Populations (3). Prerequisites, NURS 727 and 860. Utilizing epidemiology, psychoeducation, case management, and health policy, students examine the scope of mental health problems and services for underserved populations.
864 Psychiatric-Mental Nursing Interventions: Families and Groups (3). Prerequisites, NURS 727 and 860. Students will analyze theories, techniques, and research relevant to therapy with groups and families experiencing mental health problems.
865 Application of Play Therapy in Advanced Practice Nursing (3). Prerequisite, NURS 727. Corequisite, NURS 860. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the pre- or corequisites. Focuses on the applications of play therapy for the advanced practice nurse working with children from diverse and underserved populations.
868 Management of Complex Psychiatric-Mental Health Problems Across the Lifespan (4). Prerequisites, NURS 715, 720, 722, 726, 727, 860, 864, and 865. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. This courses focuses on the management of complex psychiatric-mental health problems across the lifespan for the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
869 Practicum in Psychiatric Mental Health Care for Advanced Practice Nurses (1–3). Prerequisites, NURS 727, 860, 863 and 864. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. This is the final advanced clinical course for students to apply knowledge and skills in selected domains of the advanced practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Supervision, peer evaluation, seminar, and independent readings will enhance the experience.
870 Health Care Informatics (3). Focuses on developing an understanding of the concepts relevant to health care informatics and the use of computerized information systems, as well as the use of computer applications to support clinical and administrative decision making.
871 Leadership and Advanced Practice Roles in Health Care Organizations (3). This course examines health care and nursing practice organizations, and the influence of the external and internal environment on these organizations. Roles and functions of nurses at different levels and in different types of health care settings are explored.
872 Human Resource Management (3). Explores the knowledge and skills required for effective human resource management. Managerial behaviors that promote and maintain a professional nursing practice environment are emphasized.
873 Financial Management (3). Examines theoretical underpinnings and financial management concepts pertaining to costs, cost analysis, budgeting, variance analysis, staffing, and productivity, and forecasting to prepare nurse leaders for decision making in complex healthcare organizations.
874 Improving Quality, Safety, and Outcomes in Healthcare Systems (3). Majors only. Explores theories and methods for improving the quality, safety, and outcomes of care and patient and organizational levels, with emphasis on the quality and patient safety movement, improvement science, and evidence based practice.
875 Principles of Teaching Applied to Nursing (3). Provides students who have had minimal or no teaching experience with the educational principles necessary to teach in nursing programs or health care settings.
876 Innovations in Nursing and Health Care Curricula (3). This online course examines foundations of contemporary nursing and health care education, including academic, staff development, patient education programs, and lifelong learning.
878 Health Care Residency and Integrative Seminar (3). Required preparation, all required courses for the HCS specialty or concurrent enrollment in final HCS coursework. Students develop, implement and evaluate managerial strategies related to the management of human and material resources, fiscal services, information systems, policy, quality outcomes, and/or physical facilities in an integrative fashion.
880 Evidence-Based Care for Clinical Nurse Leaders I (5). Prerequisite, NURS 715. Permission of the instructor. First of two courses preparing clinical nurse leaders. Emphasis is on the use of evidence-based approaches from outcomes/quality, transitional care, and finance to improve nursing care delivery in clinical systems.
881 Evidence-Based Care for Clinical Nurse Leaders II (6). Pre- or corequisites, NURS 715 and 880. Advanced clinical nurse leadership course emphasizing collaboration with key stakeholders to implement evidence-based interventions and improve care delivery in clinical systems.
882 Clinical Teaching (3). Graduate standing required. Prepares nurses for teaching in clinical settings. Focuses on how to develop a clinical course, select clinical settings, work with staff, plan teaching methods and learner activities, and evaluate outcomes.
889 Special Topics in Nursing (1–5). Topics directed by an authority in the field.
910 Knowledge Development in Nursing (3). Examines the origin and development of nursing knowledge, theories, and research testing nursing theories and models.
915 Nursing, Health Organizations and Policy Making (3). Examines interrelated changes in nursing, ethical and legal expectations, and the organization of health care and health policy. Ways that nurse leaders in health care organizations adapt to and challenge public policies throughout the policymaking process and consequences for organizations and for health, practice, research, and education are explored
923 Theories of Prevention/Management of Chronic Illness (3). Overviews research on the prevention and management of chronic illness across the life span. Social/political issues and current theories are included.
928 Organizational Theories Applied to Nursing (3). Examines the major theoretical paradigms, perspectives, and issues in organization theory, particularly as applied to organizations providing health care services.
930 Infants and Children at Risk (3). Applies the developmental science perspective to children at risk for health problems. Students examine conceptual models, design, measurement, and ethical issues involved in preventing or ameliorating these health problems.
932 Families and Health (3). Explores theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues related to research in families and health across the life span. Content includes family research related to health promotion, risk reduction, vulnerability, and health risk, and the family in the context of acute and chronic illness. Cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic issues are included.
933 Health Care Quality and Patient Outcomes: Conceptual and Empirical Approaches (3). Prerequisites, NURS 976, and 970 or 971. Examines literature on quality of care - effectiveness, safety, efficiency, equity, timeliness and patient-centeredness. Critically evaluates conceptual frameworks, research designs, sources of data, analytic approaches, and implications for health care policy.
950 Analysis of the Academic Role in Nursing Education (3). Knowledge, theories, and skills necessary for transition into an academic teaching role in university schools of nursing. Particular emphasis on the teaching-learning process as used in higher education.
953 Ethics and Law in Health Care and Research (3). Focuses on the analysis of contemporary ethical/legal dilemmas in health care and research. Examines nurses’ ethical/legal responsibilities, law and the impact of judicial precedent upon clinical practice and research, the interface of law and ethics, and comparative theories/models of ethical reasoning and decision-making.
957 From Theory to Intervention (3). Prerequisite, NURS 923 or 928. In-depth exploration of selected programmatic research in nursing and related fields on prevention and management of chronic conditions in order to generate and evaluate treatment theory and intervention protocol.
958 Designing Intervention Studies (3). Prerequisite, NURS 957. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Examines methodological, ethical, and practical issues in the design and implementation of theory-based intervention studies.
959 Research Grant Writing (3). Course is designed to assist doctoral students and post-doctoral students with preparation of Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) or other research grant application. All steps in grant writing process will be addressed. Student should have solidified research idea prior to course. Mentor must agree to work with student throughout course.
960 Proseminar in Nursing (1–3). Proseminars are offered for one, two, or three credits. Topics differ each semester.
961 Integrative Literature Review (3). Course is designed to develop students’ skills in writing integrative literature reviews. Students will complete a review of literature in a topical domain of their choice. In addition, they will read method literature describing the integrative literature review and examples of published integrative reviews that vary in purpose and approach.
965 Issues in Gerontological Research (3). This course is designed to enhance the student’s knowledge of relevant issues researchers face when planning, designing, and implementing research with an older adult population.
970 Advanced Statistics I: Principles of Regression and Correlation (3). Required preparation, successful completion of placement exam or NURS 777. Examines principles of bivariate and multiple regression and correlation. Emphasis is on the application of these techniques in the analysis of nursing and health related data.
971 Advanced Statistics II: Principles of Analysis of Variance (3). Required preparation, successful completion of placement exam or NURS 777. Examines Univariate ANOVA, multiple ANOVA, ANCOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA. Emphasis is on application of these techniques in the analysis of nursing and health-related data.
976 Issues in Sampling and Design for Nursing Research (3). Required preparation, graduate level research methods course. Systematic and critical analysis of quantitative research designs including experimental, quasi-experimental, longitudinal, comparative, correlational, and descriptive. Examines sampling frameworks, types of samples, sampling errors and biases, and advantages and disadvantages of these designs for the study of nursing and healthcare issues.
977 Qualitative Approaches to Knowledge Development in Nursing (3). Required preparation, graduate level research methods course. Examines the philosophical orientation and techniques of qualitative methodologies including qualitative description, grounded theory, ethnography, and narrative. Design issues related to sampling, data collection, data analysis, and data re-presentation, validation, rigor, and ethical concerns are considered.
978 Principles of Measurement (3). Required preparation, graduate level statistics course in the previous three years. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the required preparation. Examination of measurement and techniques for assessing validity, reliability, and structure of data collection instruments. Instrument construction and procedures for critical evaluation of instruments are included.
979 Qualitative Analysis (3). Required preparation, doctoral level qualitative methods course or NURS 977. Emphasizes the work of analysis and interpretation. Students apply relevant qualitative techniques to their own data.
980 Observational Methods (3). Explores quantitative observational research techniques. Strategies for developing coding systems, determining reliability and validity, and analyzing data are included.
981 Longitudinal Methods and Analysis (3). Prerequisite, NURS 970 or 971. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. Examines longitudinal research methods, including conceptualization, design, and analysis. Assumptions and limitations of longitudinal statistics, relationship between design and analyses, and strategies to maintain scientific integrity are covered.
985 Research Seminar and Practicum: Guided Individual Research Experience (3–5). Directs students to develop research skills related to the dissertation and to their future research.
992 Master’s Paper (3).
993 Thesis (3–6).
994 Dissertation Registration (3–9).