Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

A solid foundation in the concepts and principles of drug therapy across the lifespan is essential to the work of advanced practice nurses. Students in this course apply the advanced principles of pharmacology, including pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, by analysis of common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the lifespan. Factors influencing successful therapy such as effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic/environmental influences, complementary regimens, and patient behaviors are considered. Through this course, students prepare to examine complex decisions in the management and treatment of selected acute and chronic diseases across the lifespan through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents. Advanced practice nursing students will have a more in-depth understanding of drug legislation and regulation for prescribing drugs.

In this course, students learn how nurse practitioners master the art and science of clinical decision making among adult populations. Students focus on the diagnosis and management of primary healthcare needs and problems of the adult and elderly adult. They engage in a variety of course assignments that focus on physical and behavioral disease processes central to diagnosing illnesses as well as planning, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic treatment programs for acute illnesses commonly encountered in a primary healthcare setting. Students gain confidence in clinical experiences in a primary healthcare setting where they learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for adult patients with common acute and chronic illnesses.

The frail elderly are a subpopulation characterized by inactivity and weight loss. In this course, students focus on the complex healthcare and management needs of the frail elderly by advanced nurse practitioners in community settings. Students learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens through the analysis of case studies and the actual care of frail elderly in various settings. Additionally, students examine content related to end-of-life care and caregiver issues to gain the knowledge and sensibilities needed to implement positive change for the quality of life available to this vulnerable population.

How can a nurse practitioner decide what is important to focus on in a 15–30 minute appointment with a woman seeking primary care? Students in this course gain opportunities to teach and promote wellness in women through the process of screening for commonly seen in gynecological disorders. Students learn to analyze data to interpret results for the benefit of women seeking assistance with planning healthy lifestyle behaviors. They also gain clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to increase competence in diagnosis, treatment, referrals, or follow-up care with a concentration on improving patient outcomes.

Taking a broader view of the comprehensive perspectives of health in a community is imperative for an advanced practice nurse. Students in this course focus on health-related behaviors that impact the health and wellness of individuals across their lifespan. Students examine how nutrition, exercise, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle relate to common diseases. Through case studies and a group project, students complete risk assessments, diagnose health problems directly related to risky lifestyles, and implement and evaluate various behavioral and therapeutic measures to reduce the negative behavior and improve lifestyles.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and its relationship to the changes in organization, structure, and function of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare are examined with consideration given to the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables, as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.

This course focuses on the basic elements of the research process in discovery of new knowledge and models for applying evidence to inform clinical decisions and improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Consideration is given to the ethical conduct of research and scholarly work as well as the nurse’s role in the collection, documentation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of research data.

This course highlights major acute and chronic health problems and leading causes of death across the lifespan, including etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and implications for treatment and disease management. Consideration is given to the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness, infection-control issues such as drug-resistant organisms, accidents/injuries, common geriatric syndromes, palliative and end-of-life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. Development of a framework for nursing interventions is emphasized.

The focus of this course is on application of theories and concepts from nursing and public health sciences in assessing health status and preventing and controlling disease in families, aggregates, and communities as clients. The use of epidemiological and community assessment techniques to examine populations at risk, health promotion, and levels of disease prevention with special emphasis on ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations are incorporated. Major local, state, and national health issues are considered including mental health and substance abuse and related co-morbidities; re-emergence of infectious and communicable diseases; environmental and occupational health hazards; bioterrorism; emergency preparedness, and disaster response. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online population-based practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

This course will focus on building the knowledge and key competencies essential to successful leadership and influence in an evolving health care delivery system. The course emphasizes increasing self-awareness in the context of organizational challenges and individual motivation; distinguishing leadership from management; team building; strengthening interpersonal communication, and interdisciplinary effectiveness; shaping a preferred future for nursing; translating strategic vision into action; as well as developing skills in implementing and managing organizational change. Specific learning opportunities include case studies; a battery of self-assessments and 360-degree feedback instruments and exposure to top-level leaders in nursing and health care. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online leadership practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

A solid foundation in the concepts and principles of drug therapy across the lifespan is essential to the work of advanced practice nurses. Students in this course apply the advanced principles of pharmacology, including pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, by analysis of common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the lifespan. Factors influencing successful therapy such as effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic/environmental influences, complementary regimens, and patient behaviors are considered. Through this course, students prepare to examine complex decisions in the management and treatment of selected acute and chronic diseases across the lifespan through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents. Advanced practice nursing students will have a more in-depth understanding of drug legislation and regulation for prescribing drugs.

In this course, students learn how nurse practitioners master the art and science of clinical decision making among adult populations. Students focus on the diagnosis and management of primary healthcare needs and problems of the adult and elderly adult. They engage in a variety of course assignments that focus on physical and behavioral disease processes central to diagnosing illnesses as well as planning, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic treatment programs for acute illnesses commonly encountered in a primary healthcare setting. Students gain confidence in clinical experiences in a primary healthcare setting where they learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for adult patients with common acute and chronic illnesses.

The frail elderly are a subpopulation characterized by inactivity and weight loss. In this course, students focus on the complex healthcare and management needs of the frail elderly by advanced nurse practitioners in community settings. Students learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens through the analysis of case studies and the actual care of frail elderly in various settings. Additionally, students examine content related to end-of-life care and caregiver issues to gain the knowledge and sensibilities needed to implement positive change for the quality of life available to this vulnerable population.

How can a nurse practitioner decide what is important to focus on in a 15–30 minute appointment with a woman seeking primary care? Students in this course gain opportunities to teach and promote wellness in women through the process of screening for commonly seen in gynecological disorders. Students learn to analyze data to interpret results for the benefit of women seeking assistance with planning healthy lifestyle behaviors. They also gain clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to increase competence in diagnosis, treatment, referrals, or follow-up care with a concentration on improving patient outcomes.

Taking a broader view of the comprehensive perspectives of health in a community is imperative for an advanced practice nurse. Students in this course focus on health-related behaviors that impact the health and wellness of individuals across their lifespan. Students examine how nutrition, exercise, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle relate to common diseases. Through case studies and a group project, students complete risk assessments, diagnose health problems directly related to risky lifestyles, and implement and evaluate various behavioral and therapeutic measures to reduce the negative behavior and improve lifestyles.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

A solid foundation in the concepts and principles of drug therapy across the lifespan is essential to the work of advanced practice nurses. Students in this course apply the advanced principles of pharmacology, including pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, by analysis of common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the lifespan. Factors influencing successful therapy such as effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic/environmental influences, complementary regimens, and patient behaviors are considered. Through this course, students prepare to examine complex decisions in the management and treatment of selected acute and chronic diseases across the lifespan through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents. Advanced practice nursing students will have a more in-depth understanding of drug legislation and regulation for prescribing drugs.

In this course, students learn how nurse practitioners master the art and science of clinical decision making among adult populations. Students focus on the diagnosis and management of primary healthcare needs and problems of the adult and elderly adult. They engage in a variety of course assignments that focus on physical and behavioral disease processes central to diagnosing illnesses as well as planning, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic treatment programs for acute illnesses commonly encountered in a primary healthcare setting. Students gain confidence in clinical experiences in a primary healthcare setting where they learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for adult patients with common acute and chronic illnesses.

How can a nurse practitioner master the art and science of clinical decision making among pediatric populations? This course provides students with the opportunity to answer this question as they examine content related to the primary healthcare of children and adolescents while focusing on common health problems. Students learn how to identify, diagnose, and manage these problems. They also gain confidence in clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for acute and chronic illnesses commonly found in children and adolescents.

How can a nurse practitioner decide what is important to focus on in a 15–30 minute appointment with a woman seeking primary care? Students in this course gain opportunities to teach and promote wellness in women through the process of screening for commonly seen in gynecological disorders. Students learn to analyze data to interpret results for the benefit of women seeking assistance with planning healthy lifestyle behaviors. They also gain clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to increase competence in diagnosis, treatment, referrals, or follow-up care with a concentration on improving patient outcomes.

Taking a broader view of the comprehensive perspectives of health in a community is imperative for an advanced practice nurse. Students in this course focus on health-related behaviors that impact the health and wellness of individuals across their lifespan. Students examine how nutrition, exercise, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle relate to common diseases. Through case studies and a group project, students complete risk assessments, diagnose health problems directly related to risky lifestyles, and implement and evaluate various behavioral and therapeutic measures to reduce the negative behavior and improve lifestyles.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and its relationship to the changes in organization, structure, and function of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare are examined with consideration given to the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables, as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.

This course focuses on the basic elements of the research process in discovery of new knowledge and models for applying evidence to inform clinical decisions and improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Consideration is given to the ethical conduct of research and scholarly work as well as the nurse’s role in the collection, documentation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of research data.

This course highlights major acute and chronic health problems and leading causes of death across the lifespan, including etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and implications for treatment and disease management. Consideration is given to the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness, infection-control issues such as drug-resistant organisms, accidents/injuries, common geriatric syndromes, palliative and end-of-life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. Development of a framework for nursing interventions is emphasized.

The focus of this course is on application of theories and concepts from nursing and public health sciences in assessing health status and preventing and controlling disease in families, aggregates, and communities as clients. The use of epidemiological and community assessment techniques to examine populations at risk, health promotion, and levels of disease prevention with special emphasis on ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations are incorporated. Major local, state, and national health issues are considered including mental health and substance abuse and related co-morbidities; re-emergence of infectious and communicable diseases; environmental and occupational health hazards; bioterrorism; emergency preparedness, and disaster response. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online population-based practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

This course will focus on building the knowledge and key competencies essential to successful leadership and influence in an evolving health care delivery system. The course emphasizes increasing self-awareness in the context of organizational challenges and individual motivation; distinguishing leadership from management; team building; strengthening interpersonal communication, and interdisciplinary effectiveness; shaping a preferred future for nursing; translating strategic vision into action; as well as developing skills in implementing and managing organizational change. Specific learning opportunities include case studies; a battery of self-assessments and 360-degree feedback instruments and exposure to top-level leaders in nursing and health care. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online leadership practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

A solid foundation in the concepts and principles of drug therapy across the lifespan is essential to the work of advanced practice nurses. Students in this course apply the advanced principles of pharmacology, including pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, by analysis of common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the lifespan. Factors influencing successful therapy such as effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic/environmental influences, complementary regimens, and patient behaviors are considered. Through this course, students prepare to examine complex decisions in the management and treatment of selected acute and chronic diseases across the lifespan through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents. Advanced practice nursing students will have a more in-depth understanding of drug legislation and regulation for prescribing drugs.

In this course, students learn how nurse practitioners master the art and science of clinical decision making among adult populations. Students focus on the diagnosis and management of primary healthcare needs and problems of the adult and elderly adult. They engage in a variety of course assignments that focus on physical and behavioral disease processes central to diagnosing illnesses as well as planning, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic treatment programs for acute illnesses commonly encountered in a primary healthcare setting. Students gain confidence in clinical experiences in a primary healthcare setting where they learn to plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for adult patients with common acute and chronic illnesses.

How can a nurse practitioner master the art and science of clinical decision making among pediatric populations? This course provides students with the opportunity to answer this question as they examine content related to the primary healthcare of children and adolescents while focusing on common health problems. Students learn how to identify, diagnose, and manage these problems. They also gain confidence in clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate therapeutic regimens for acute and chronic illnesses commonly found in children and adolescents.

How can a nurse practitioner decide what is important to focus on in a 15–30 minute appointment with a woman seeking primary care? Students in this course gain opportunities to teach and promote wellness in women through the process of screening for commonly seen in gynecological disorders. Students learn to analyze data to interpret results for the benefit of women seeking assistance with planning healthy lifestyle behaviors. They also gain clinical experience in a primary healthcare setting that provides opportunities to increase competence in diagnosis, treatment, referrals, or follow-up care with a concentration on improving patient outcomes.

Taking a broader view of the comprehensive perspectives of health in a community is imperative for an advanced practice nurse. Students in this course focus on health-related behaviors that impact the health and wellness of individuals across their lifespan. Students examine how nutrition, exercise, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle relate to common diseases. Through case studies and a group project, students complete risk assessments, diagnose health problems directly related to risky lifestyles, and implement and evaluate various behavioral and therapeutic measures to reduce the negative behavior and improve lifestyles.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

This course sets the foundational stage for the Leadership and Management specialty track. Students focus on theoretical and practical aspects of leadership and management functions in healthcare administration, and they discuss standards of practice for nursing administration. They explore a range of topics, including roles and responsibilities, quality improvements, strategic planning and management, regulations, accreditation, and information systems. Through this course, students learn the goals of the nurse leader, including ways to facilitate efficient, quality healthcare delivery to achieve excellence in patient care and services.

Students in this course learn about the fundamentals of finance and budgeting in healthcare delivery. They apply financial principles, such as budgeting processes used in multiple healthcare settings and the nurse administrator’s responsibilities within the context of leading and managing resources. Through these applications, students explore budget development and management of operational and capital resources. They examine the influence of private and public policies and budgeting models that effect quality outcomes within the aspect of financial planning using information systems. Students also explore budget and resource decisions contributing to the achievement of organizational outcomes within the context of providing efficient and cost-effective quality care.

Nursing leadership is grounded firmly in managing our most important resource—human capital. In this course, students address nurse administrators’ role and responsibilities in human resource management. Students explore current legal, ethical, professional, and practice policies and standards, and they learn how to apply technology to human resource functions. Additionally, students learn strategies to support positive organizational and nursing service goals. They also have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the importance of staff satisfaction as well as creating collaborative and supportive partnerships within organizations.

The development of leadership strategies and competencies that support the healthcare organizational delivery of quality care is imperative to quality outcomes within healthcare systems. In this course, students use a systems approach to explore the organizational structures that impact healthcare quality and, ultimately, positive patient outcomes. Students learn how interdisciplinary collaboration is important to the development of quality management structures, gaining an understanding of how quality improvement is a strategic mandate. Engaging in conceptual and application-based assignments, students focus on clinical and service quality planning, control and improvement initiatives, models and tools for process improvement, and the importance and use of metrics in daily operations.

Nurse administrators in healthcare organizations must be aware of and integrate strategic organizational goals. Students in this course use an interdisciplinary case study approach to examine nursing administrative practice issues as they relate to the strategic planning process. Students apply leadership and management principles, concepts, and theory to strategic issues within the case study format. Through these applications, students learn to use a variety of administrative strategies within the context of supportive and collaborative interdisciplinary relationships to achieve positive patient care delivery outcomes that effect positive social change in patient communities.

Students in this course apply the MSN curriculum experience by translating knowledge into practice by designing, developing, and implementing a project in a professional healthcare setting. By using the culmination of learning, students gain the opportunity effect positive social change within the healthcare delivery environment in the roles of change agent and nurse. The result of the practicum experience provides students with an experience through which they develop their passion as a practitioner while enhancing the nurse role as an advocate for social change within the context of a scholarly presence.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and its relationship to the changes in organization, structure, and function of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare are examined with consideration given to the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables, as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.

This course focuses on the basic elements of the research process in discovery of new knowledge and models for applying evidence to inform clinical decisions and improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Consideration is given to the ethical conduct of research and scholarly work as well as the nurse’s role in the collection, documentation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of research data.

This course highlights major acute and chronic health problems and leading causes of death across the lifespan, including etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and implications for treatment and disease management. Consideration is given to the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness, infection-control issues such as drug-resistant organisms, accidents/injuries, common geriatric syndromes, palliative and end-of-life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. Development of a framework for nursing interventions is emphasized.

The focus of this course is on application of theories and concepts from nursing and public health sciences in assessing health status and preventing and controlling disease in families, aggregates, and communities as clients. The use of epidemiological and community assessment techniques to examine populations at risk, health promotion, and levels of disease prevention with special emphasis on ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations are incorporated. Major local, state, and national health issues are considered including mental health and substance abuse and related co-morbidities; re-emergence of infectious and communicable diseases; environmental and occupational health hazards; bioterrorism; emergency preparedness, and disaster response. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online population-based practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

This course will focus on building the knowledge and key competencies essential to successful leadership and influence in an evolving health care delivery system. The course emphasizes increasing self-awareness in the context of organizational challenges and individual motivation; distinguishing leadership from management; team building; strengthening interpersonal communication, and interdisciplinary effectiveness; shaping a preferred future for nursing; translating strategic vision into action; as well as developing skills in implementing and managing organizational change. Specific learning opportunities include case studies; a battery of self-assessments and 360-degree feedback instruments and exposure to top-level leaders in nursing and health care. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online leadership practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

This course sets the foundational stage for the Leadership and Management specialty track. Students focus on theoretical and practical aspects of leadership and management functions in healthcare administration, and they discuss standards of practice for nursing administration. They explore a range of topics, including roles and responsibilities, quality improvements, strategic planning and management, regulations, accreditation, and information systems. Through this course, students learn the goals of the nurse leader, including ways to facilitate efficient, quality healthcare delivery to achieve excellence in patient care and services.

Students in this course learn about the fundamentals of finance and budgeting in healthcare delivery. They apply financial principles, such as budgeting processes used in multiple healthcare settings and the nurse administrator’s responsibilities within the context of leading and managing resources. Through these applications, students explore budget development and management of operational and capital resources. They examine the influence of private and public policies and budgeting models that effect quality outcomes within the aspect of financial planning using information systems. Students also explore budget and resource decisions contributing to the achievement of organizational outcomes within the context of providing efficient and cost-effective quality care.

Nursing leadership is grounded firmly in managing our most important resource—human capital. In this course, students address nurse administrators’ role and responsibilities in human resource management. Students explore current legal, ethical, professional, and practice policies and standards, and they learn how to apply technology to human resource functions. Additionally, students learn strategies to support positive organizational and nursing service goals. They also have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the importance of staff satisfaction as well as creating collaborative and supportive partnerships within organizations.

The development of leadership strategies and competencies that support the healthcare organizational delivery of quality care is imperative to quality outcomes within healthcare systems. In this course, students use a systems approach to explore the organizational structures that impact healthcare quality and, ultimately, positive patient outcomes. Students learn how interdisciplinary collaboration is important to the development of quality management structures, gaining an understanding of how quality improvement is a strategic mandate. Engaging in conceptual and application-based assignments, students focus on clinical and service quality planning, control and improvement initiatives, models and tools for process improvement, and the importance and use of metrics in daily operations.

Nurse administrators in healthcare organizations must be aware of and integrate strategic organizational goals. Students in this course use an interdisciplinary case study approach to examine nursing administrative practice issues as they relate to the strategic planning process. Students apply leadership and management principles, concepts, and theory to strategic issues within the case study format. Through these applications, students learn to use a variety of administrative strategies within the context of supportive and collaborative interdisciplinary relationships to achieve positive patient care delivery outcomes that effect positive social change in patient communities.

Students in this course apply the MSN curriculum experience by translating knowledge into practice by designing, developing, and implementing a project in a professional healthcare setting. By using the culmination of learning, students gain the opportunity effect positive social change within the healthcare delivery environment in the roles of change agent and nurse. The result of the practicum experience provides students with an experience through which they develop their passion as a practitioner while enhancing the nurse role as an advocate for social change within the context of a scholarly presence.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

The educational environment is influenced by social, economic, regulatory, and technological transformations. Students in this course learn the theoretical processes that drive curriculum development, assessment, and evaluation. They also focus on curriculum components, which include societal, professional, and educational trends that affect nursing education curricula in the current environment.

In this course, students explore ways to use technology successfully and design effective teaching strategies to meet diverse learning needs. Students engage in producing innovative teaching approaches that use a variety of teaching methods, including adapting technology for multiples learning styles. Students write learning objectives using Bloom’s Taxonomy that meet unique needs of nontraditional, international, educationally disadvantaged, and physically challenged learners.

In today’s complex healthcare arena there is increased patient acuity and a growing need for better-educated nurses at the bedside. Nurse educators must possess advanced clinical knowledge to teach complex clinical content effectively, including selecting a focus to advance their knowledge in a clinical specialty. Students advance their clinical knowledge in a selected specialty to prepare them to fulfill the role of the nurse educator.

Nursing education students in this course explore the roles of the nurse educator, including providers of care, staff developers, clinical educators, and academic educators. Through the practicum experience, students translate and apply theoretical principles from their advanced clinical specialty of providing direct care to patients as well as in their practice of teaching. Students work toward solving real-world problems, with the assistance of their preceptors, in a clinical setting as well as with teaching projects in a classroom setting, patient setting, and staff-development setting. They also present the results of their project in the workplace and in the online classroom.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and its relationship to the changes in organization, structure, and function of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare are examined with consideration given to the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables, as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.

This course focuses on the basic elements of the research process in discovery of new knowledge and models for applying evidence to inform clinical decisions and improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Consideration is given to the ethical conduct of research and scholarly work as well as the nurse’s role in the collection, documentation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of research data.

This course highlights major acute and chronic health problems and leading causes of death across the lifespan, including etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and implications for treatment and disease management. Consideration is given to the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness, infection-control issues such as drug-resistant organisms, accidents/injuries, common geriatric syndromes, palliative and end-of-life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. Development of a framework for nursing interventions is emphasized.

The focus of this course is on application of theories and concepts from nursing and public health sciences in assessing health status and preventing and controlling disease in families, aggregates, and communities as clients. The use of epidemiological and community assessment techniques to examine populations at risk, health promotion, and levels of disease prevention with special emphasis on ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations are incorporated. Major local, state, and national health issues are considered including mental health and substance abuse and related co-morbidities; re-emergence of infectious and communicable diseases; environmental and occupational health hazards; bioterrorism; emergency preparedness, and disaster response. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online population-based practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

This course will focus on building the knowledge and key competencies essential to successful leadership and influence in an evolving health care delivery system. The course emphasizes increasing self-awareness in the context of organizational challenges and individual motivation; distinguishing leadership from management; team building; strengthening interpersonal communication, and interdisciplinary effectiveness; shaping a preferred future for nursing; translating strategic vision into action; as well as developing skills in implementing and managing organizational change. Specific learning opportunities include case studies; a battery of self-assessments and 360-degree feedback instruments and exposure to top-level leaders in nursing and health care. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online leadership practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

The physical and emotional well-being of patients and families can be complex and multifaceted. Advanced practice nurses need to have the knowledge and ability to provide safe, competent, and comprehensive physical health assessments to develop appropriate treatment plans. Students in this course focus on concepts and assessment skills to care for patients across the lifespan. They learn to use diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication and physical assessment skills to identify changes in health patterns, from conception to geriatrics. Students also use a systematic approach through which they focus on the assessment of patients with acute and chronic health problems. They engage in course assignments that emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance across the lifespan.

The educational environment is influenced by social, economic, regulatory, and technological transformations. Students in this course learn the theoretical processes that drive curriculum development, assessment, and evaluation. They also focus on curriculum components, which include societal, professional, and educational trends that affect nursing education curricula in the current environment.

In this course, students explore ways to use technology successfully and design effective teaching strategies to meet diverse learning needs. Students engage in producing innovative teaching approaches that use a variety of teaching methods, including adapting technology for multiples learning styles. Students write learning objectives using Bloom’s Taxonomy that meet unique needs of nontraditional, international, educationally disadvantaged, and physically challenged learners.

In today’s complex healthcare arena there is increased patient acuity and a growing need for better-educated nurses at the bedside. Nurse educators must possess advanced clinical knowledge to teach complex clinical content effectively, including selecting a focus to advance their knowledge in a clinical specialty. Students advance their clinical knowledge in a selected specialty to prepare them to fulfill the role of the nurse educator.

Nursing education students in this course explore the roles of the nurse educator, including providers of care, staff developers, clinical educators, and academic educators. Through the practicum experience, students translate and apply theoretical principles from their advanced clinical specialty of providing direct care to patients as well as in their practice of teaching. Students work toward solving real-world problems, with the assistance of their preceptors, in a clinical setting as well as with teaching projects in a classroom setting, patient setting, and staff-development setting. They also present the results of their project in the workplace and in the online classroom.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

Nursing informatics is a rapidly evolving discipline that impacts all areas of nursing practice. Students in this course establish foundational knowledge for understanding and practicing nursing informatics in healthcare settings. Students explore models and theories that support nursing informatics and examine the use of information technology in support of decisions that promote safety and quality in patient-centered care. They also differentiate concerns about information protection and system integrity. Using concepts learned in the course, students engage in assignments through which they focus on nursing practice in healthcare applications, thus acquiring necessary skills to improve the management of healthcare through informatics nursing practice.

Effectively managing healthcare data is essential to the practice of nursing informatics. In this course, students examine database systems, including database design and manipulation. Students also explore concepts of information and knowledge management in the healthcare practice setting. Course assignments provide students with the opportunity to work efficiently in teams and build essential skills to execute database design. Through this course, students examine nursing’s contributions to knowledge management in healthcare organizations. (Microsoft Access 2010 is required for this course. Access is commonly furnished with Microsoft Office).

Effective knowledge and information flow is critical in the coordination of patient care. Nurses are at the center of care coordination for patients and informatics nurses are central to the design and development of information systems that support workflow in nursing practice. Students in this course examine the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of electronic information systems in healthcare systems. They compare, contrast and critique methods of system design. Students also focus on workflow modeling, including assessment of current state workflow and the design of future state workflow, and they examine workflow design best practices to support the implementation and optimization of electronic health records. (Microsoft Visio 2010 is required for this course).

Healthcare policy, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (1996), mandates that electronic documentation systems are secure and effective. In this course, students explore systems security and evaluation methods. Through discussion of real-world practice that includes public health and community-based settings, students evaluate the impact of redesigned workflows to the larger system design and throughout the organization. Students create a plan for system design and system evaluation. Through team projects and individual applications, they build skills and confidence that support collaborative, interdisciplinary system design to improve the effectiveness of care.

Healthcare information technology and the implementation of electronic health records are foundational practices critical for success in project management. In this course, students learn the theory of health information technology project management and apply it to real-world experiences. Using project management software, students create a project management plan and schedule, and they control and close tasks related to a health informatics project. Through team projects and individual applications, students build skills and confidence that support the implementation of healthcare information technology to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. (Microsoft Project 2010 is required for this course).

Students in this course apply the MSN curriculum experience by translating knowledge into practice by designing, developing, and implementing a project in a professional healthcare setting. By using the culmination of learning, students gain the opportunity effect positive social change within the healthcare delivery environment in the roles of change agent and nurse. The result of the practicum experience provides students with an experience through which they develop their passion as a practitioner while enhancing the nurse role as an advocate for social change within the context of a scholarly presence.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. The course will also provide a foundation for the student’s academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and the integration of professional practice with professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in nursing.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and its relationship to the changes in organization, structure, and function of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Major issues and trends in nursing and healthcare are examined with consideration given to the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables, as well as professional values on contemporary nursing practice.

This course focuses on the basic elements of the research process in discovery of new knowledge and models for applying evidence to inform clinical decisions and improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. Consideration is given to the ethical conduct of research and scholarly work as well as the nurse’s role in the collection, documentation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of research data.

This course highlights major acute and chronic health problems and leading causes of death across the lifespan, including etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and implications for treatment and disease management. Consideration is given to the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness, infection-control issues such as drug-resistant organisms, accidents/injuries, common geriatric syndromes, palliative and end-of-life care, as well as complementary and alternative therapies. Development of a framework for nursing interventions is emphasized.

The focus of this course is on application of theories and concepts from nursing and public health sciences in assessing health status and preventing and controlling disease in families, aggregates, and communities as clients. The use of epidemiological and community assessment techniques to examine populations at risk, health promotion, and levels of disease prevention with special emphasis on ethnically diverse and vulnerable populations are incorporated. Major local, state, and national health issues are considered including mental health and substance abuse and related co-morbidities; re-emergence of infectious and communicable diseases; environmental and occupational health hazards; bioterrorism; emergency preparedness, and disaster response. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online population-based practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

This course will focus on building the knowledge and key competencies essential to successful leadership and influence in an evolving health care delivery system. The course emphasizes increasing self-awareness in the context of organizational challenges and individual motivation; distinguishing leadership from management; team building; strengthening interpersonal communication, and interdisciplinary effectiveness; shaping a preferred future for nursing; translating strategic vision into action; as well as developing skills in implementing and managing organizational change. Specific learning opportunities include case studies; a battery of self-assessments and 360-degree feedback instruments and exposure to top-level leaders in nursing and health care. This course includes a 45-hour virtual, online leadership practicum with no required preceptors or travel.

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare delivery system, decisions made within the political arena impact the future of healthcare systems and the populations that healthcare professionals serve. In this course, students examine healthcare reform and its impact on healthcare delivery, population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure, financing, and quality in healthcare and examine healthcare delivery from a global perspective. Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effects of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare delivery, and population health outcomes. Students also examine ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health and gain the necessary skills to influence policy and support changes effected by the passing of new healthcare reform legislation.

Evidence-based practice is an essential nurse competency that supports the provision of effective and efficient care. Through team projects and individual applications, students learn how to organize, evaluate, and use health information and knowledge to critically appraise and use information technology to enhance evidence-based practice. Students also apply evidence-based practice to improve advanced nursing practice and healthcare outcomes across organization, public-health, and consumer-health settings.

Nurses base practice on sound and tested evidence to ensure the safety, high quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. This course provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development and relationship of nursing theory, research, and practice. Through a variety of online activities and coursework, students explore the role of nursing theory in both research and practice. They examine research literature to differentiate and critique various research designs, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method models; appraise statistical data; and analyze evidence. Acquired knowledge helps students to critically evaluate research to make decisions about use of findings to enhance practice.

Students in this course prepare to exercise leadership through which they can help to ensure their organization is able to adapt and flourish in the ever-changing world of healthcare. Students explore the impact of healthcare system changes on transforming the nursing profession. They examine and discuss theories related to leadership and management and learn about empowerment strategies that assist master’s-prepared nurses to assume and succeed in leadership roles. Students engage in course assignments that focus on real-world nursing practice applications of theory.

Nursing informatics is a rapidly evolving discipline that impacts all areas of nursing practice. Students in this course establish foundational knowledge for understanding and practicing nursing informatics in healthcare settings. Students explore models and theories that support nursing informatics and examine the use of information technology in support of decisions that promote safety and quality in patient-centered care. They also differentiate concerns about information protection and system integrity. Using concepts learned in the course, students engage in assignments through which they focus on nursing practice in healthcare applications, thus acquiring necessary skills to improve the management of healthcare through informatics nursing practice.

Effectively managing healthcare data is essential to the practice of nursing informatics. In this course, students examine database systems, including database design and manipulation. Students also explore concepts of information and knowledge management in the healthcare practice setting. Course assignments provide students with the opportunity to work efficiently in teams and build essential skills to execute database design. Through this course, students examine nursing’s contributions to knowledge management in healthcare organizations. (Microsoft Access 2010 is required for this course. Access is commonly furnished with Microsoft Office).

Effective knowledge and information flow is critical in the coordination of patient care. Nurses are at the center of care coordination for patients and informatics nurses are central to the design and development of information systems that support workflow in nursing practice. Students in this course examine the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of electronic information systems in healthcare systems. They compare, contrast and critique methods of system design. Students also focus on workflow modeling, including assessment of current state workflow and the design of future state workflow, and they examine workflow design best practices to support the implementation and optimization of electronic health records. (Microsoft Visio 2010 is required for this course).

Healthcare policy, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (1996), mandates that electronic documentation systems are secure and effective. In this course, students explore systems security and evaluation methods. Through discussion of real-world practice that includes public health and community-based settings, students evaluate the impact of redesigned workflows to the larger system design and throughout the organization. Students create a plan for system design and system evaluation. Through team projects and individual applications, they build skills and confidence that support collaborative, interdisciplinary system design to improve the effectiveness of care.

Healthcare information technology and the implementation of electronic health records are foundational practices critical for success in project management. In this course, students learn the theory of health information technology project management and apply it to real-world experiences. Using project management software, students create a project management plan and schedule, and they control and close tasks related to a health informatics project. Through team projects and individual applications, students build skills and confidence that support the implementation of healthcare information technology to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. (Microsoft Project 2010 is required for this course).

Students in this course apply the MSN curriculum experience by translating knowledge into practice by designing, developing, and implementing a project in a professional healthcare setting. By using the culmination of learning, students gain the opportunity effect positive social change within the healthcare delivery environment in the roles of change agent and nurse. The result of the practicum experience provides students with an experience through which they develop their passion as a practitioner while enhancing the nurse role as an advocate for social change within the context of a scholarly presence.