M.S. in Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program Information

This course assesses the various roles of the master's prepared nurse. The influence of the health care delivery systems, health care policy, diversity, ethics, quality, safety, theory, evidence based practice, and information systems on the role of the master's prepared nurse will be explored.

This course provides an in-depth study of the physiological changes and responses to altered health states and their impact on the functional status of patients. Students will focus on the essential knowledge of human health and disease across the lifespan. Pathophysiological theories and evidence-based research serve as a basis for applying content to population groups.

This course builds upon the student?s previous health assessment knowledge offering more advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for advanced professional nursing roles. This course emphasizes knowledge of health assessment, including physical, psychosocial, spiritual health assessment, risk assessment, and functional assessment in diverse populations in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. To maintain a nursing focus on patient responses to health, illness, or the threat of illness, the nurse must exhibit effective communication and client teaching, which is incorporated throughout the course. The importance of effective documentation and health record keeping is included.

This course focuses on the concepts, principles, and application of pharmacotherapeutics used in the management of health problems encountered in primary care. Emphasis is placed on theories and principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics, which provide a foundation for critical thinking, and the application of research finding. The focus on pharmacology is aimed at the treatment of acute and chronic health problems in populations over the lifespan. Prescriptive authority for nurses is explored.

This course will explore and analyze methods to improve nursing practice and health outcomes. Collaborative efforts and ethical concerns are considered. Emphasis is placed on critically evaluating evidence-based practice and quality assurance initiatives.

This course will provide students with content regarding common diagnostic tests applicable to APN practice, the rationale for these tests, expected results and common abnormal results. Topics include selection of appropriate diagnostic tests, procedures for collecting specimens, analyzing selected tests and evaluating results. The role of the APRN is to be knowledgeable about evidence-based support for the choice of diagnostic testing and use critical thinking to evaluate the significance of this testing in the context of the test?s sensitivity specificity the disease prevalence and the patient?s likelihood for the condition. The APRN is an advocate for the patient when weighing the risk/benefit factors for testing while also being a good manager of resources and avoiding unnecessary testing which contributes to the high cost of medical care. The APRN needs to be familiar with legal implications of testing such as protecting the privacy of medical information, timeliness of providing test results, and laws concerning mandatory reporting. The ethics of autonomy and the right to refuse a test need to be considered as the APRN shares decision making with the patient. Socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health can influence create barriers to access to care and also need careful consideration.

This course introduces the practice of primary health care. Principles of safety, quality, and the art of diagnosis and treatment influencing care delivery will be addressed. These include fundamentals in the art of diagnosis and treatment, population health, cultural competency, oral and written communication, and billing and coding. This course has a required basic office procedure skills and assessment lab of 16 hours.

This course provides the nurse practitioner student with advanced theoretical knowledge in the principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

This course provides the nurse practitioner student with advanced theoretical knowledge in the principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate, focused, and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

This course focuses on the health care concepts specific to the application of assessment and management of physical and mental health with special emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, disease detection, and chronic disease management for the geriatric population. Students will advance understanding of aging, age-related changes, palliative and end-of-life care. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients' health records.

This course focuses on the health care concepts specific to the application of assessment and management of physical and mental health with special emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, disease detection, and gender-related well-being. Students will advance understanding of core concepts related to well-being and gender-related health in diverse populations. This course has a required clinical experience of 150 hours, where students will complete appropriate focused and comprehensive subjective and objective assessments; use a differential diagnosis process to make clinical decisions; select appropriate interventions including diagnostic tests, medications, and referrals; and document effectively in patients? health records.

This course is designed to prepare the student to successfully pass the national certification exam. Emphasis will be on best test-taking practices, the application of critical thinking, health promotion, disease prevention, and management of care of individuals with chronic health needs.

This course will explore the essential conceptual and analytical understanding of health policymaking and politics, including their impact on health administration and leadership. Selected policy issues will be explored through the application of political concepts and behavioral models, including a system model of policymaking. The emphasis will be on understanding the health leader?s approach to the policymaking system, become involved in it, and work through it to attain their objectives and those of their organization.