Nursing (NURS) Graduate Courses

NURS 500 Masters Plan Studies (1) Used for continuous enrollment purposes. Must be taken as CR/NC. Does not count toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Pre: Master's or Doctoral candidacy and instructor's consent.

NURS 601 Social Aspects of Health (3) Complex interactions among the physical and social environment; health status; education; culture; and human capital in urban and rural communities are examined. Issues related to quality of life as the outcome of micro and macro-determinants of health, consequences of health that operate at the individual, family, neighborhood, community, national and global levels, and the influence of sociopolitical agendas and community organizations are addressed through a multidisciplinary framework.

NURS 602 Information Systems/Technology (3) Examines emerging health information resources including: 1) the theory and conceptual base for healthcare information systems and technology; 2) design, selection, and use of current and developing health information technology applications; and 3) approaches to evaluating the effective- ness of health information systems used in health care systems, for patient care and in education.

NURS 603 Adv Clinical Pharmacology (3) Focus on the pharmacotherapeutic principles of drugs most commonly used by advanced practice nurses. Emphasis on the process of selecting appropriate agents for therapy, and monitoring adverse drug reactions or interactions with prescription, over-the-counter and alternative therapies. Emphasis on integration of pharmacy, physiology and physical assessment in developing evidence-based primary clinical management skills for patients across the lifespan with regard to their medication use. Foundations of prescriptive authority will be addressed.

NURS 604 Advanced Clin Pathophysiology (3) Advanced pathophysiological concepts and clinical manifestations of diseases necessary to support clinical decision-making of advanced practice nurses in the manage- ment of common acute and chronic diseases of adults, older adults and children are presented. Internal and external causative factors for disease expression including genetic, autoimmune, environmental, and biochemical will be addressed and rational therapies to prevent or control illness will be offered. Analysis of the interrelated effects of genes, environment, and lifestyle on patterns of disease in populations will be an integral part of developing evidence- based care. Relevant screening and diagnostic laboratory evaluation methods will be presented.

NURS 605 Advanced Health Assessment (4) (lecture/lab) Focus of this course is on the integration and synthesis of of knowledge from natural and behavioral sciences, humanities and nursing in order to conduct a comprehensive history and physical examination. Diagnostic reasoning for the purpose of clinical decision- making and problem solving will be stressed. Interview techniques will address developmental, psychosocial, cultural and occupational concerns as well as symptoms. Advanced examination skills and analysis of pertinent diagnostic data will support critical thinking and selection of accurate differential diagnoses. Faculty and preceptors facilitate laboratory and clinical experiences in a variety of settings (90 clock hours).

NURS 606 Rural Health Promotion (3) Focus is on the responsiveness of organizational health services to health needs of populations, individuals, and families in rural communities. The impact of political, ecological, economic and cultural factors on community health in rural areas will be analyzed. Utilization of evidence-based processes and collaborative leadership in designing and structuring health promotion services to address rural community needs are emphasized.

NURS 606L Rural Health Promotion Lab (3) (lab) This is a supervised advanced practice practicum focusing on health promotion and clinical management of the health concerns of adult clients as commonly encountered in diverse and rural primary care settings. Emphasis will be placed on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation, research and evaluation. Three (3) semester hours of supervised practicum hours (135 clock hours) are required.

NURS 607 Primary Care of Adults (3) Course focus is on primary care of adults addressing the evidence-based strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. Integration and application of advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology will aid in addressing the management of common acute, episodic and chronic health problems. Transcultural and biobehavioral assessments are used in the diagnosis and evidence-based management of health problems and are integrated into patient education and evaluation of care.

NURS 607L Primary Care of Adults Lab (3) (lab) This supervised advanced practice practicum focuses on health promotion and clinical management of the health concerns of adult clients as commonly encountered in diverse and rural primary care settings. Emphasis will be placed on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation research and evaluation. Three (3) semester hours of supervised practicum hours (135 clock hours) are required.

NURS 608 Primary Care of Older Adults (3) Building on the management of acute and chronic illness of the adult, this courses emphasizes special needs of the older adult. The focus on quality of life will be supported utilizing theories of aging, management of complex chronic health problems, polypharmacy, dementia and frailty. Evidence-based management plans incorporating transcultural and functional assessments are used to address issues of self-care, family care giving, surrogate decision-making and end of life care.

NURS 608L Prim. Care of Older Adults Lab (3) (lab) This supervised advanced practice practicum focuses on promotion and clinical management of the health concerns of older adult clients as commonly encountered in diverse and rural primary care settings. Emphasis will be placed on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation, research and evaluation. Three (3) semesters of supervised practicum hours (135 clock hours) are required.

NURS 609 Primary Care of Women (2) The provision of comprehensive and culturally competent primary care to women including the maturation process from menarche, through pregnancy, childbearing period and menopause is presented. Emphasis is on evidence-based health assessment, diagnosis, health education, health promotion, disease prevention, perinatal care, clinical management and evaluation of common gynecologic and obstetric health care needs of women commonly encountered in diverse and rural settings.

NURS 609L Primary Care of Women Lab (2) (lab) This supervised advanced practice practicum focuses on health promotion and clinical management of the health concerns of female clients as commonly encountered in diverse and rural primary care settings. The health and wellness, perinatal care, gynecologic aspects of care and occupational health concerns of women will be specifically addresses. Emphasis will be placed on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation, research and evaluation. Two (2) semester hours of supervised practicum hours (90 clock hours) are required.

NURS 610 Primary Care of Children (2) Using normal development and physiology as the foundation of care, evidence-based management of the health and social needs of children will be addressed. Management of acute and episodic illnesses in children commonly encountered in diverse primary care settings is emphasized. Health education, health promotion and disease prevention of children are addressed.

NURS 610L Primary Care of Children Lab (2) (lab) This supervised advanced practice practicum focuses on health promotion and wellness for infants, children and adolescents. Students will focus on clinical management of common acute and chronic health conditions encountered in diverse and rural primary care settings related to infants, children and adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation, research and evaluation. Two (2) semesters hours of supervised practicum hours (90 clock hours) are required.

NURS 611 Advanced Research Methods (3) This course focuses on the systematic examination and application of the qualitative, quantitative, and outcome processes used in nursing research. The interrelationships among research theory, research ethics and evidence-based nursing practice are explored. Uses of culturally appropriate research database tools consistent with specific patients or populations are included.

NURS 612 Evidence Based Practice (3) Focus is on culturally appropriate evidence-based practice (EBP) used to produce best outcomes for diverse populations. Steps of the EBP process, implementation and evaluation of EBP, practical strategies and information systems approaches are explored. Proposal development for the practice inquiry project will be a primary objective of the course and will address issues and practices relevant to culturally diverse and rural populations.

NURS 613 Program Develop/Evaluation (3) This course builds on the synthesis of evidence-based know- ledge for a specific culturally diverse clinical target population/practice. Students will identify and propose appropriate strategies for organizational/practice program development and evaluation. An innovative policy action plan for a population of interest based on an understanding of the cultural, financial, legal, and human resource needs of the health care environment is developed.

NURS 614 System-Based Leadership (3) Leadership and management concepts used to address complex microsystem and macrosystem issues within selected health organizations are explored. The role of the DNP within complex health organizations will be addressed using the interrelationships of special theoretical frameworks and models of care. Emphasis is on the application of advanced communication skills necessary to serve on collaborative and interdisciplinary teams within health care organizations.

NURS 615 Health Policy: Local to Global (4) Emphasis will be on exploration and analysis of health policy from the perspective of evidence development, analysis, and socio-economic context. The leadership role of the DNP in developing and implementing health policy is examined. Social justice, access equity, and delivery of health care services will be discussed. Opportunities are provided to participate in the political processes impacting nursing and health care policy. Includes two semester hours of a specialty focused practicum (90 clock hours).

NURS 616 Health Economics (3) Basic economic theory, market drivers and restraints, cost/ benefit analysis, and reimbursement are analyzed. Theory and application are integrated with a focus on the role of the DNP in complex healthcare organizations, the delivery of healthcare in rural settings, and the DNP as entrepreneur. Issues of equity, fairness, ethics, and efficacy in health care resource allocation and management are explored.

NURS 617 Practice Inquiry/Project (6) (lecture/other) Emphasis is on the synthesis, critique and application of evidence to support quality clinical or organizational practices in complex health care organizations. Students will implement an evidence-based clinical study or project on a topic of practice interest targeting a culturally diverse and vulnerable population, present an oral presentation of the study or project, and submit a scholarly paper from the study or project. Includes six semester hours of cognate residency.

NURS 618 EPI/Environmental Health (3) Epidemiological concepts and quantitative research techniques used in modern epidemiology will be examined as well as the health effects on the general population associated with selected environmental exposures. The course emphasizes analytical studies, quantitative measures of association, and critical readings of current literature. Epidemiology approaches estimating the burden of disease and evaluation of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies are presented.

NURS 619 Mentorship in Nursing Educ (3) Supervised practicum in instructional planning and teaching in nursing education. Students may choose between two pathways: mentorship and teaching in a didactic course or clinical practicum.

NURS 620 Contemp Health Care Ethics (3) Contemporary Health Care Ethics provides a thorough grounding in ethical principles and theories as evidenced in current healthcare issues and policies. Introduction of various frameworks for ethical decision-making and policy analysis, as well as current trends in the political, economic and legal spheres of the contemporary health care arena.

NURS 621 Practice Residency Elective (3–5) (lab) This clinical residency elective is designed for DNP students to add clinical hours after finishing required clinical coursework. The clinical residency, under the supervision of a preceptor and UH Hilo SON faculty, emphasizes culturally appropriate evidence-based practice, consultation, research and evaluation consistent with the APRN role. Three to five (3-5) semester hours of supervised practicum hours (135-225 clock hours) will be approved. This course is repeatable up to 10 credit hours.

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NURS x94 Special Topics in Subject Matter (Arr.) Special topics chosen by the instructor. Course content will vary. May be repeated for credit, provided that a different topic is studied. Additional requirements may apply depending on subject and topic.

NURS x99 Directed Studies (Arr.) Statement of planned reading or research required. Pre: instructor’s consent.