Summer Quarter:

NUR 7935 Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I: Clinical Nurse Specialist

Course Description:

This is the first in a series of practica and connected clinical seminars designed to provide the clinical nurse specialist student with opportunities to develop advanced nursing practice competencies within the specialty population (e.g. Adult/Gerontology) across a variety of health care settings with moderate assistance. Emphasis is on the utilization of clinical reasoning, relevant theories of health and illness, and evidence-based practice to advance leadership skills, clinical judgment, advocacy and a caring practice within care delivery systems. The course integrates content from prior coursework and includes beginning exploration of leadership roles and identification of practice inquiry questions related to health promotion, health care delivery, and system concerns.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, as scholars and professionals, students will be able to:

1. Formulate differential diagnoses and plans of care for individuals, families, or populations including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
2. Design evidence based interventions for clients considering cultural, ethnic and behavioral context.
3. Provide beginning consultation in specialty area for patients with complex healthcare needs, including the interprofessional team.
4. Prepare effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution in health care settings employing leadership principles.
5. Apply principles of leadership in health care settings including effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution.
6. Apply principles of teaching/learning and health literacy to provide, and evaluate patient education.
7. Use organizational and system theory to facilitate clinical environments that promote evidence based, outcome focused, collaborative, cost effective, and ethical care delivery.

Autumn Quarter

NUR 7936 Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II: Clinical Nurse Specialist  

Course Description:

This is the second in a series of practica and connected clinical seminars designed to provide the clinical nurse specialist student with opportunities to develop advanced nursing practice competencies with a targeted patient population from diverse backgrounds across a variety of health care settings with minimal to moderate assistance. Emphasis is on the utilization of critical thinking, relevant theories of health and illness, and evidence-based practice to assess, diagnose, treat and evaluate health care problems across the age-span of specialty focus. The course integrates content from prior coursework and includes exploration of leadership roles and identifying practice inquiry questions related to common health or system concerns. Utilizes skills of self-reflection and self-analysis to evaluate ongoing development of advance practice competency with plan for continued professional development.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, as scholars and professionals, students will be able to:

1. 1. Formulate differential diagnoses and plans of care for individuals, families, or populations including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
   2. Design evidence based interventions for clients considering cultural, ethnic and behavioral context.
   3. Provide consultation in specialty area for patients with complex healthcare needs, including the interprofessional team.
   4. Prepare effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution in health care settings employing leadership principles.
   5. Apply principles of leadership in health care settings including effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution.
   6. Apply principles of teaching/learning and health literacy to provide, and evaluate patient education.
   7. Use organizational and system theory to facilitate clinical environments that promote evidence based, outcome focused, collaborative, cost effective, and ethical care delivery.

Winter Quarter

NUR 7937 Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum III: Clinical Nurse Specialist

Course Description:

This is the third in a series of practica and connected clinical seminars designed to provide the clinical nurse specialist student with opportunities to develop advanced nursing practice competencies with a targeted patient population from diverse backgrounds across a variety of health care settings with emerging independence. Emphasis is on the utilization of critical thinking, relevant theories of health and illness, and evidence-based practice to assess, diagnose, treat and evaluate health care problems across the age-span of specialty focus. The course integrates content from prior coursework and includes exploration of leadership roles and identifying practice inquiry questions related to common health or system concerns. Utilizes skills of self-reflection and self-analysis to evaluate ongoing development of advance practice competency with plan for continued professional development.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, as scholars and professionals, students will be able to:

1. Formulate differential diagnoses and plans of care for individuals, families, or populations including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
2. Design evidence based interventions for clients considering cultural, ethnic and behavioral context.
3. Provide consultation in specialty area for patients with complex healthcare needs, including the interprofessional team.
4. Prepare effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution in health care settings employing leadership principles.
5. Apply principles of leadership in health care settings including effective communication, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and conflict resolution.
6. Apply principles of teaching/learning and health literacy to provide, and evaluate patient education.
7. Use organizational and system theory to facilitate clinical environments that promote evidence based, outcome focused, collaborative, cost effective, and ethical care delivery.

Spring Quarter

NUR 7938 DNP Immersion Practicum

Course Description:

This course is a concentrated immersion experience to implement the doctorally prepared advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) role in preparation for independent entry-level practice. Focus will be on the integration and application of APRN competencies, leadership strategies and practice inquiry as they relate to care management from wellness to acute care in the context of the individual, population/community, and health system. Course taken over multiple quarters for a total of 7 credits.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, as scholars and professionals, students will be able to:

1. Practice independently with minimal supervision within APRN specialty focus area. 
2. Critically assess, plan, intervene and evaluate the health concerns/experiences of individuals and populations. 
3. Evaluate and apply evidence to support best practices in advanced clinical decision making for complex health concerns in multi-problem situations to improve health care outcomes and systems of care. 
4. Consistently utilize appropriate mix of interviewing/listening/counseling skills with individuals/families/groups. 
5. Integrate and appraise advanced communication and decision support tools/systems to optimize health outcomes and cost-effective health care delivery for individuals, populations and systems. 
6. Demonstrate leadership and collaboration with interprofessional teams to plan transitions across the continuum of care and to solve practice or system problems. 
7. Identify gaps in evidence for practice and clinical systems level changes to insure higher quality of care. 
8. Synthesize knowledge of cultural diversity/global perspectives in delivering health care and in critiquing health systems. 
9. Synthesize ethical theories, health policy, and clinical expertise to guide decision making in advanced practice or in nursing systems and organizations.