Program of Study
The Doctor of Nursing Science curriculum is designed to prepare
expert nurse scholars. Particular emphasis is placed on knowledge
development that contributes to increasing healthy life spans, reducing
health disparities, and improving health policy. Course work is
organized in three areas: Conceptual Basis of Nursing Practice includes
course work in theory development and nursing concepts. Methods of
Inquiry includes research design and methods, measurement, and
statistics. Health Service Delivery and Policy includes content and
methods for health services research and policy analysis and
development. Cognates may be taken in nursing, or any area related to
the student's research, including appropriate methodology and statistics
courses. Cognates may include one or more independent studies (904a/b/c)
with doctoral program faculty. A dissertation is required with a minimum
of ten credit hours of advisement.
The program has two focus areas (Management of Health and Illness;
Health Services Delivery and Policy) and students focus their studies in
one of these two area. Core courses required of all students as well as
those required of students in two focus areas are listed below.
Core Courses
901a Methods for Nursing Research
903a Measurement of Clinical
Variables
905b Creating Method: Issues in
Nursing Research
907a/b Dissertation Seminar
913a Conceptual Basis for Nursing
Science
917b Advanced Statistics for
Clinical Nursing Research
961a Contemporary Issues in Health
Policy and Politics
991a/b/c Dissertation Advisement
One additional advanced analytical course appropriate to the
dissertation
Required in Management of Health and Illness Focus
943a Conceptual Basis for Self and
Family Management
943b Methodological Issues in the
Study of Management of Health and Illness
Required in Health Services Delivery and Policy Focus
941b Methods for Health Services
Research and Policy
The following is a sample plan of study for the full-time program,
but varies by focus area.
Conceptual Basis of Nursing Practice
This sequence includes one required course for all students and one
additional course for students enrolled in the Management of Health and
Illness focus. A study of the nature and evolution of science is
essential to understand the impact of scientific inquiry on the
development of knowledge in a discipline. Knowledge in any discipline
develops as a result of the systematic examination of the phenomena of
concern. The systematic study is guided by a view of science as a
process of inquiry that recognizes a number of equally legitimate
approaches to the study of the phenomena of concern.
Students are introduced to theories and understanding of health care
delivery. Students have an opportunity to explore the state of knowledge
with regard to health-related concepts and frameworks.
Course work focuses on the exploration and analysis of nursing and
health-related concepts.
Methods of Inquiry
This sequence consists of five required courses. To examine the full
range and scope of nursing practice and outcomes of care, students are
exposed to a variety of research techniques.
Because current methodologies may not always be sufficient for the study
of nursing practice and policy analysis, alternative methodological
approaches emerge with the development of nursing knowledge.
Students evaluate research designs and instruments with which questions
relevant to nursing science can be examined. They review the processes
by which designs and instruments are applied in specific clinical
investigations, and the processes by which established techniques may be
adapted to specific questions and circumstances. The creation of
instruments for clinical research
is addressed. Research issues related to the study of nursing care and
health care systems are explored with an emphasis on questions
concerning individual differences, adaptation, and long-term outcomes of
care, with particular focus on the methodological implications of
questions posed.
Policy
This sequence contains one required course. Nurses prepared at the
doctoral level for professional leadership increasingly need to see
clinical issues in the context of policy. The ways in which the values
of an organized society are expressed and mediated through institutions,
law, legislation, regulation, professional associations, historical
factors, and future alternatives and innovations form the basis for
analysis of policy as it affects nursing's practice and the health care
delivery system. To educate the next generation of advanced practice
nurses, nurse educators and clinical scholars need to understand the
planning, structure, regulation, financing, and management of health
care.
Focus Areas
Students select one focus area.
Management of Health and Illness
This focus is on in-depth study of the human experience of health and
illness, developmental issues, health promotion, trajectory of illness,
demands of illness, family response and environments for care.
Conceptual and methodological issues related to self- and family
management of illness are addressed. Graduates of this focus are
prepared to assume positions in academia and health care systems and to
undertake programs of research related to self- and family management of
health and illness.
Health Services Delivery and Policy
As the health care delivery systems develop increasingly complex
relations within and across all settings, the need for nurses prepared
to influence these systems effectively becomes more important. This
focus area prepares nurses for leadership positions in these new
settings.
Graduates of this focus are expected to be mentors and leaders for their
colleagues and students, and to collaborate closely with members of
other disciplines involved in health services delivery and policy. They
are prepared to assume positions in academia, government, health
delivery systems, professional organizations, think tanks, and other
entities involved in health delivery and policy.
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