Master of Nursing and Post-Master FNP Certificate Addendum
FNP Track- Requirements Update: The following change effects all currently enrolled students starting the FNP Track in the November 2013 Term and afterwards. The requirements for the FNP Track of the Master of Nursing and Post-Master FNP Certificate are now as follows:
NURS 600: Principles of Teaching and Learning (3 Credits)
This course is designed to provide an opportunity to explore the role of educator in both academic and clinical settings as advanced practice nurses. Understanding how people learn and the various theories about learning is fundamental to being able to develop solid educational plans. Faculty roles are changing to meet the needs of learners in a world experiencing explosive technological advances. The educator role now synthesizes a broader range of scholarship which emphasizes discovery, integration, application, and the scholarship of teaching. A variety of both traditional and innovative teaching and evaluation methodologies will be explored as well as appraising the four major components of the educator role: teaching, curriculum, information technology, and evaluation of students and programs.
HCM 530: Information Systems in Health Care Programs (3 Credits)
With the ever increasing costs of health care and the demand for quality of care, information systems are expected to play an important role in managing health care organizations. Topics include the analysis, design, selection, implementation, and evaluation of information systems in a variety of health care settings.
NURS 660: Roles in Advanced Practice (1 Credit)
This course focuses on the multiple professional roles of the Advanced Practice Nurse who functions autonomously and in collaboration with health care providers as a practitioner, educator, consultant, researcher and manager. Expansion of the nurses' role permits the student to explore the influence and responsibility as health promoter, teacher-learner, leader-manager, research consumer, advocate, colleague, and collaborator. The student will gain knowledge of the historical, theoretical, ethical, and legal foundations of professional nursing, and investigate the changing health care system especially related to health care economics, nursing in a culture of violence, and nursing in a culturally and spiritually diverse world. Health care system demands are continuously transforming the nurse's emerging role and function of promoting change within the health care delivery system.
NURS 662: Primary Care Pediatric Patient: Theory Pharmacology and Practice (2 Credits)
This course focuses on management of health care of children (from birth through adolescence) and their families. The effects of culture on development, parenting, and health care practices are emphasized. The course provides theory instruction in the management of normal and common pathological conditions to prepare students for advanced nursing practice in the role of nurse practitioner. Case studies and seminar weekends will be utilized to enhance and support student learning. This course will also build upon basic knowledge in pharmacology and provides content essential for the advanced practice nurse to render appropriate pharmacological treatment in practice. Mechanisms of action, interactions, side effects, and prescribing guidelines for drugs commonly utilized across the life cycle are addressed. Variations in pharmacological reactions attributed to cultural factors are emphasized. Strategies for fostering individual/family adherence to pharmacological regimens are examined. This course meets the requirements of the California Board of Registered Nursing in the application of a "furnishing number" by the advanced practice nurse in California.
NURS 662L: Primary Care Pediatric Patient: Practicum (2 Credits- Externship)
This course focuses on management of health care of children (from birth through adolescence) and their families. The clinical experiences emphasize assessment, prevention, and management of physiological, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and educational needs of the child as an individual and as a family member. The clinical experiences in the management of normal and common pathological conditions will prepare students for advanced nursing practice in the role of nurse practitioner.
NURS 663: Primacy Care Adult and Geriatric Patient: Theory Pharmacology and Practice (3 Credits)
This theory course focuses on the role of the family nurse practitioner (FNP) in caring for mature adults and aging family members, from young adulthood to elderly adulthood. Emphasis is placed on the management of common primary health problems of these age groups. Discussion will focus on health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention, curative, and restorative care and cross-cultural aspects related to male and female health care issues will be addressed. Case studies and seminar weekends will be utilized to enhance and support student learning. The pharmacological component this course builds upon basic knowledge in pharmacology and provides content essential for the advanced practice nurse to render appropriate pharmacological treatment in practice. Mechanisms of action, interactions, side effects, and prescribing guidelines for drugs commonly utilized across the life cycle are addressed. Variations in pharmacological reactions attributed to cultural factors are emphasized. Strategies for fostering individual/family adherence to pharmacological regimens are examined. This course meets the requirements of the California Board of Registered Nursing in the application of a "furnishing number" by the advanced practice nurse in California.
NURS 663L: Primacy Care Adult and Geriatric Patient Practicum (3 Credits-Externship)
This clinical course focuses on the role of the family nurse practitioner (FNP) in caring for mature adults and aging family members, from young adulthood to elderly adulthood. Emphasis is placed on the management of common primary health problems of these age groups. The delivery of culturally competent primary health care interventions of young, middle-aged, and elderly adults are addressed. Practice will focus on health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention, curative, and restorative care and cross-cultural aspects related to male and female health care. Students are required to participate in a 2 day seminar for common procedures in preparation for course requirements.
NURS 664: Primary Care Women’s Health: Theory Pharmacology and Practice (2 Credits)
This theory course focuses on Women’s Health Care and prepares the student to provide primary care of episodic illnesses of women across the lifespan. This course will also prepares students in the care of normal antepartum women and those with health pattern variations with an at-risk pregnancy. Case studies and seminar weekends will be utilized to enhance and support student learning. This course prepares nurses for professional roles in advanced nursing practice with knowledge of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics principles of common drug categories used to prevent illness and to restore and maintain health for client systems across the lifespan. Mechanisms of action, pharmacologic response, usual doses, adverse effects, indications, interactions, compatibilities, contraindications and routes of administration will be emphasized in acute and chronic conditions.
NURS 664L: Primary Care Women’s Health: Practicum (2 Credits-Externship)
This clinical course focuses on Women’s Health Care and prepares the student to provide primary care of episodic illnesses of women across the lifespan. Students will engage in comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and women’s health care management for women across the lifespan and assume professional practice roles and responsibilities in managing common health pattern variations pertaining to gynecological and primary care. This course will also prepare students to assume professional roles in the care of normal antepartum women and those with health pattern variations with an at-risk pregnancy. Emphasis is placed on the collaborative management of interventions to achieve desired outcomes during pregnancy. Students are required to participate in a 1 day seminar of pelvic and breast exam instructions.
NURS 665: Care Management and Coordination: Theory (2 Credits)
This course focuses on principles and models of care management and its implementation in a multidisciplinary practice environment that emphasizes health care delivery through system integration. The student is introduced to decision making related to allocation of resources and services, the development of clinical pathways, and evaluation of management approaches. Integral to care management is the promotion of consumer education, involvement, and advocacy. Students will also be exposed to clinic management, billing and coding practices related to care management. The professional, social, political, legal, ethical, economic, and financial factors that affect health care practice are analyzed.
NURS 668L Advanced Health Care Residency (3 Credits-Externship)
This course provides the final comprehensive clinical management experience, allowing FNP students to apply knowledge gained throughout their course of study. Students engage in the clinical assessment and management of adults with routine and complex health problems in urban and/or rural settings to include those of diverse cultural backgrounds. Students work under the supervision of qualified preceptors and School of Nursing faculty to ensure that students achieve entry-level clinical competency in the nurse practitioner role. Clinical conferences provide opportunity for discussion of role development issues and clinical case studies. This clinical course promotes the development of care management skills in collaborative practice with members of the health care team. It allows the student opportunities to apply principles of care management and utilize care management tools and methods to improve patient care and patient outcomes. Six hours of legal, ethical and financial content related to prescribing is addressed in this course as required by the California Board of Nursing.
Total Track Requirement: 26 Credits (Unchanged)
The following courses descriptions have been updated effective in the November 2013 Term.
NURS 690A Culminating Experience I (1.5 Credits)
The culminating experience is the final academic experience in the master’s program. It is a two-term course, and in this first term of the course, students will begin work on their final project which provides students an opportunity to illustrate how they have synthesized and integrated knowledge acquired throughout their coursework in the analysis and resolution of a significant nursing problem, and to illustrate how students have applied the theories and principles of their previous courses to the assessment of a healthcare related problem and the development of a proposed evidence-based approach to address that problem. Examples might include: (1) integration of research findings into practice with evaluation of client system outcomes; (2) evaluation of current nursing practice through examination of relevant client system clinical outcomes; or (3) description of new knowledge with potential for enhancing nursing practice.
NURS 690B Culminating Experience II (1.5 Credits)
o In this second term, students will complete their evidence-based graduate project, The student will submit the final written project which provides evidence of competency in critical thinking and writing, ability to integrate field-based and academic learning, a comprehensive review of the literature, and capacity to reflect meaningfully on the student's professional development. A presentation will also be required.