Nursing Courses

NURS 5207 - Informatics in Health Care
Hours: 2
This course focuses on the application of computer technology to healthcare management of individuals and groups, with recognition of the social, ethical, and legal issues involved. Available resources useful in patient care and educational settings are emphasized. The opportunity for application of specific concepts is provided.

NURS 5209 - Issues in Advanced Practice
Hours: 2
This course focuses on social, economic, political, cultural, ethicolegal, and historical factors affecting nursing. It provides a forum for exploration of issues and concerns, enabling the critical analysis and evaluation of their effect on advanced practice nursing. Prerequisites: Instructor permission.

NURS 5270 - Introduction to Psychopharmacology
Hours: 2
This course is designed to prepare the advanced practice registered nurse to accurately describe, administer, and counsel patients regarding appropriate and safe medication regimens used in psychiatric care. Pharmacologic principles, pharmacologic actions, and application of major drug classes used in psychopharmacology will be discussed in relation to their role in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

NURS 5271 - Pre-Clinical Essentials for the PMHNP Role
Hours: 2
This course is designed to prepare the advanced practice registered nurse for clinical experience in the psychiatric-mental health practice setting, including skills in assessment, documentation, and planning. The course will also include concepts and theories related to the role of the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and the care of persons with psychiatric-mental health problems.

NURS 5301 - Theoretical Foundations in Nursing
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the philosophical and theoretical bases, underlying concepts and operations inherent to nursing. Synthesis of theories from behavioral, natural, social, and applied sciences is emphasized as it relates to nursing and practice. There is an investigation of the intersections between system science and organizational science. Nursing, ethical, and scientific theories are used in the analysis of clinical problems, illness prevention, and health promotion. Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor.

NURS 5302 - Advanced Pathophysiology
Hours: 3
This course focuses on pathophysiology and disruptions in normal body functioning for individuals across the lifespan. In depth theoretical and clinical principles of diseases encountered in primary care setting as well as health disparities resulting from genetic, environmental, and stress related causes are included. Assessment findings, diagnostic testing and interventions specific to selected health problems are explored to begin development of critical thinking skills for pathophysiologic causes and treatments of given disease processes. Prerequisites: Instructor permission.

NURS 5303 - Pharmacology for Advanced Practice
Hours: 3
This course focuses on general principles of pharmacology including pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics as they relate to the treatment and management of common illnesses and conditions across the lifespan. Attention is given to the physiologic basis and clinical characteristics of disease states relative to pharmacotherapy. Clinical decision-making and review of laws governing prescriptive authority for advance practice nursing are also emphasized. Prerequisites: Instructor Permission.

NURS 5304 - Health Promotion and Population Health
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the assessment and management of healthy children and adults in a variety of settings. The concepts of health, health promotion, and disease prevention related to age and cultural values are explored. Health promotion for vulnerable populations is explored through epidemiologic methods. Age appropriate primary and secondary prevention and risk reduction strategies and their research base are examined. Prerequisites: Instructor Permission.

NURS 5305 - Advanced Health Assessment
Hours: 3
This course focuses on theoretical and clinical principles for health assessment in advanced practice nursing. Physical, psychosocial, and cultural assessment skills necessary to develop a comprehensive health database, clinical decision making, and diagnostic reasoning skills are emphasized. Advanced health assessment principles and skills necessary for performing a comprehensive physical examination across the lifespan are applied in the primary care clinical setting. Integration of theory is tested in the laboratory setting with a comprehensive physical assessment and development of a plan of care based on the formulation of differential medical diagnoses. Prerequisites: Instructor Permission.

NURS 5306 - Translational Research in Nursing
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the logic, methods, and techniques of the research process as they apply to the nursing profession. Evidence-based practice, research utilization, and knowledge transformation processes are emphasized. The research-oriented approach is explored from problem formulation to analysis and interpretation in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The opportunity to recognize a researchable problem in nursing and to develop a plan for its study is provided. This course meets 595 research requirement. Prerequisites: Instructor permission.

NURS 5307 - Primary Care Procedures
Hours: 3
This course focuses on clinical procedures commonly needed in primary care practices as well as urgent care and fast track practices. It provides an opportunity to learn the skills needed to manage frequently encountered problems. Electrocardiograph interpretation, ordering and interpretation of diagnostic imaging will be included. The clinical component will consist of practice of skills in the skills lab and time spent with a clinical preceptor. An urgent care setting or emergency care setting is preferred for this course. Prerequisites: Instructor Permission.

NURS 5310 - Health Care Policy, Organization, and Financing
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the effect of politics, organizations, and resources on the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective health care. The leadership role of the advanced practice nurse in the design, implementation, and management of human fiscal and physical health care resources is emphasized. Prerequisites: Instructor permission.

NURS 5312 - Advanced Nurse Practice Role
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the role of the advanced practice nurse with focus on the nurse practitioner. Concepts of professional development, scope of practice, peer review, legal and ethical parameters of practice, business management, and models of practice are included. Theoretical concepts related to role theory, change theory, empowerment, and socialization are emphasized. Prerequisites: Instructor permission.

NURS 5478 - Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing Clinical Practicum
Hours: 4
This course provides an opportunity for the student to integrate didactic and clinical education in the inpatient and outpatient settings in preparation for summative clinical and didactic examinations and board exams. Hours for this course are primarily clinical, so didactic load will be light with lectures and discussions intended to be supportive, assisting the student to integrate the curriculum in preparation for practice. Prerequisites: Instructor approval.

NURS 5621 - Primary Care I
Hours: 6
This course focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and management of common episodic and chronic conditions across the lifespan. Included is the application of epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, symptom complexes, and research-based treatments as well as appropriate patient education resources and protocols. Attention is given to the integration and application of advanced health assessment and critical-thinking skills, developmental and family theories, and health promotion strategies in the diagnostic and clinical management processes of the advanced nurse practitioner role. Prerequisites: NURS 5302, NURS 5303, and NURS 5305.

NURS 5622 - Primary Care II
Hours: 6
This course provides the opportunity to continue developing clinical expertise as a nurse practitioner. Assessment and management of additional selected health problems frequently seen in primary health care are explored. Increasing responsibility for the diagnostic and clinical management processes of the nurse practitioner is emphasized. Prerequisites: NURS 5621 Primary Care I.

NURS 5672 - Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing 1: Adult/Acute
Hours: 6
This course provides didactic and clinical education in the care of the adult patient with acute psychiatric or mental health problems in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

NURS 5674 - Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing II: Child/Adolescent
Hours: 6
This course provides didactic and clinical education in the care of the child-adolescent patient (3-24 years) with acute psychiatric or mental health problems in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

NURS 5677 - Family Psychiatric-Mntl Hlth Adv Practice Nursg III: Older Adults & Chronically Mentally Ill
Hours: 6
This course provides didactic and clinical education in the care of the older adult patient or the adult with chronic psychiatric or mental health problems in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Prerequisites: NURS 5270 & NURS 5271.

NURS 6300 - Practice Intervention Project
Hours: 3
This course focuses on the delineation of a problem/issue/project related to the clinical or functional area, review of pertinent literature, and development of a proposed solution with steps in implementation and evaluation methodology. Emphasis on quality improvement. A written document and an oral presentation of the project to a selected audience are required. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

NURS 6301 - Performance and Improvement Projects and Quality Improvement
Hours: 2
This course focuses on the delineation of a problem/issue/project related to the clinical or functional area, review of pertinent literature, and development of a proposed solution with steps in implementation and evaluation methodology. Quality improvement is emphasized. A written document and an oral presentation of the project to a selected audience are required. Prerequisites: NURS 6300.

NURS 589 - Independent Study
Hours: 0-6
Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated when the topic varies. Prerequisites: Consent of department head.

NURS 597 - Special Topics in Nursing
Hours: 1-6
Note: May be repeated when the topic varies. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.