Effectively managing healthcare data is essential to the practice of nursing informatics. In this course, students examine database systems including the concept of data modeling and techniques of data definition, data manipulation, and data analytics and visualization. Students explore concepts of information and knowledge management in the healthcare practice setting, including issues related to big data. Course assignments provide students with the opportunity to build essential skills to manage the life cycle of data from how it is captured to how it is managed, stored, interpreted, and applied. Through this course, students have the opportunity to gain the skills needed to make informed decisions related to data management and the translation of data to improve patient care.

In this course, students are provided with an overview of the evolution of nursing as a profession and introduced to their new role as scholar-practitioners. They examine changes in the U.S. healthcare delivery system, the importance of information technology, and measures that promote quality, safety, and better health outcomes in patient care. Students consider major issues and trends in contemporary nursing and healthcare practice, including the influence of socioeconomic, ethical, legal, and political variables and professional values. Through weekly discussions and assignments, students explore and share personal experiences in the context of contemporary nursing issues, such as the nursing shortage, workforce challenges, healthcare financing, professional organizations, and diversity. They are challenged to examine and propose solutions to these nursing issues in addition to those in their workplace. Students reflect on Walden's mission of social change and its impact on their future nursing practice as a scholar-practitioner. Because this is the first nursing course within the RN/BSN program, students learn to use Walden University's resources to enhance writing skills. Students are also introduced to the tools essential to success at Walden.

Nurses must understand research in order to effectively participate in the provision of evidence-based nursing care. Students in this course learn the foundational elements of the research process, refine information-literacy skills, and develop an understanding of ethical research. Students investigate each step of the research process and complete a critical examination of quantitative and qualitative research relevant to their nursing practice. Students are given the tools to analyze nurse-sensitive indicators and clinical practice guidelines.

Nurses play a critical role in the care of patients with major acute and chronic health problems. They are accountable for clinical outcomes and for promoting quality and safety in patient care through the use of information technology. Students in this course will examine their role in the evaluation of nurse-sensitive indicators, standards, and core measures to develop an evidence-based practice approach to care. Students explore the relationship of genetics and genomics to health and illness as well as infection-control issues. The nurse's role in palliative and end-of-life care and complementary and alternative therapies is also explored. Students apply course concepts and demonstrate an understanding of nursing interventions and agency policy to improve nursing practice.

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 increase their awareness of the innovative ways the informatics discipline is helping transform healthcare policies and procedures by appraising the many roles of nurse informaticists. 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 healthcare applications, thus acquiring necessary skills to improve the management of healthcare through nursing informatics practice.