Accelerated Nursing Option RN to MSN Online

This course is designed to introduce the licensed registered nurse to the role of the bachelor's prepared nurse in complex health care setting. The Transformational model of learning will be the foundation to develop scholarly inquiry in order to improve practice. Skill development in critical reflection, assessing evidence, professional writing, study habits, and work-life balance will be essential for success. The goal is to provide a knowledge base in nursing theory to improve nursing practice. The role of the Bachelor's prepared nurse as a patient advocate, clinical expert and a leader in evidence-based practice and transformation of health care will be emphasized. The course will discuss the capstone course and development of a project.

This course explores patient care technologies, information systems, telecommunication technologies, and communication devices that support safe nursing practice. Topics covered include standardized terminology; electronic health record, patient portal, meaningful use, and pay for performance; data integrity, abstraction and mining; use of clinical decision support tools to promote patient safety, and ethical and legal issues related to information technology.

This course introduces the student to common health problems in individuals. Adult conditions will be reviewed. Cellular disruptions resulting from environmental, genetic, and stress conditions will be analyzed. The understanding of nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan and implement treatments for disease processes will serve as the foundation for decision-making and management. Diagnostic evaluations and holistic management of selected disease processes will be explored.

The student will analyze health assessment methods and communication strategies for diverse populations across the continuum of care in this course. An overview of assessment techniques and patient education will be explored in order to support informed health care decisions. Development of interpersonal effectiveness and cultural competence will be the focus of competency for the student. The goal of health literacy will be to develop verbal and written communication strategies that nurses can use to effectively meet the individualized needs of the patient to promote health and address illness. The student will review standards of care and regulations which oversee the provision of safe and effective care. This three-credit hour course will include 45 hours of practical application of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired in the course.

In this course, the student will develop the ability to assess, analyze, and recommend change for health issues for groups and in communities. Topics will include local and regional conditions that affect vulnerable populations through the lifespan. Case management and care coordination will be discussed. Application of community health principles will be the foundation for recommending interventions. The prevention will include diverse, environmental disease treatments and healthcare policy strategies. This three credit hour course will include 45 hours of practical application of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired in the course.

This course will explore organizational and systems leadership within the complex clinical microsystems to promote high quality patient care utilizing the knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote care coordination, negotiation, change management, team building and collaboration within the interdisciplinary team. Topics will include quality improvement and safety concepts using structure, process and outcome measures, and performance improvement methodologies to promote quality outcomes for diverse populations. This three credit hour course will include 45 hours of practical application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Undergraduate students will be introduced to theory-guided and evidence-based nursing practice. Students will acquire the skills to become proficient consumers of nursing research. Focus is placed on understanding established research methodologies, ways of knowing in nursing, and developing the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors to retrieve and critique published studies for application to evidence-based nursing practice. This three credit course will include 45 hours of practical application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse.

The Transformational Capstone course will utilize a seminar process, portfolio development, and final project to illustrate achievement of all program outcomes. In keeping with the Transformational Learning Theory, the summative activities will provide evidence of the student's progression to a baccalaureate-professional nurse. This three credit hour course will include 90 hours of practicum experience to demonstrate synthesis of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired in the program.