Fall 2019 Graduate Calendar

NURSING: COURSES

Not all of the courses listed below will necessarily be offered in any one year.


NURS-8300. Advanced Health Assessment, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics of the Oncology/Palliative Patient I
(Part 1)
This course prepares students with advanced skills in health assessment, diagnostics and therapeutics in preparation to provide holistic care to individuals who have experienced alterations in their physical health from cancer treatment and/or may also to individuals who are palliative. Students will learn through lectures, readings, and simulation in the laboratory, learn and practice performing a holistic health history and the techniques of inspection, percussion, palpation and auscultation for systematic health assessment of individuals

NURS-8310. Leadership and Management in Oncology/Palliative Care Settings
This course prepares students who work across the continuum of cancer care for advanced practice and leadership roles. Course content will focus on the examination and critical appraisal of concepts and theories of leadership, research, management, and education within the context of oncology and palliative nursing environments. Emphasis will be placed on organizational and change theories, professional practice, decision-making and governance models, power and social justice concepts. Strategies for knowledge transmission and information system development will be appraised. Note: This course is equivalent to NURS-8880; thus, students who take NURS-8880 will not be eligible to take this course for credit.

NURS-8320. Advanced Health Assessment, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics of the Oncology/Palliative Patient II
(Part 2)
This course is the second of two advanced health assessment, diagnostics and therapeutics courses of the Oncology/Palliative diploma that are designed to prepare students with advanced skills to provide holistic care to individuals who have experienced alterations in their physical health from cancer treatment and/or may also be in need of palliative care. Students will learn through lectures, readings, and simulations, learn and practice performing a holistic health history along with advanced techniques in inspection, percussion, palpation and auscultation for systematic health assessment of individuals.

NURS-8330. Interprofessional Psychosocial Oncology: Introduction to Theory and Practice
This course is required for the graduate diploma in Advanced Practice Oncology/Palliative Care. It is also open to other students from any discipline enrolled in Masters of PhD program to take as an unspecified graduate course. It provides graduate students with an introduction to the field of psychosocial oncology. Emphasis is placed on understanding and interpreting the experience of cancer informed by theory, evidence and illness narratives. This course also emphasises an understanding of the illness experience and assists the student to assess distress and coping from a family centred perspective. This course draws on a case-based, narrative format and provides opportunities to learn in small groups of interprofessional learners drawn from across Canada.

NURS-8340. Advanced End of Life Care
This course teaches the specialized assessment, diagnostics and therapeutics needed to care for patients at the end of life. This class will focus on, but is not limited to, disease management; psychological and physical support: loss, grief, social, and practical end of life care management along with spiritual support for caregivers and the patient. Students will learn through lectures, readings, case studies and assignments how to more effectively care for these patients and their family members. They will learn the basics of the theories used in palliative care and the fundamentals of how to care for a dying patient and their family members.

NURS-8350. Oncology/Palliative Capstone Project

This course will provide learners with the opportunity to synthesize concepts from prior coursework and to undertake an in-depth exploration of an area of oncology/ palliative care nursing practice. Students will systematically search, analyze, and synthesize relevant research literature and make recommendations for practice, education and research. The student will write an evidence-based scholarly article that is suitable for publication in a journal.(Prerequisites: NURS-8300, NURS-8310, NURS-8320, NURS-8330, NURS-8340)

NURS-8500. Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
Examine theoretical and practice related concepts in pathophysiology as a basis for advanced nursing practice. Explore alterations in physiological function with an emphasis on age-related, acute, episodic, and chronic conditions found in primary health care practice. (Prerequisite or co-requisite: NURS-8810.) (3 hours per week.)

NURS-8520. Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Roles and Responsibilities
Compare and contrast advanced practice nursing and related frameworks to develop, integrate, sustain, and evaluate the role of the nurse practitioner within primary health care. Critically analyze and develop strategies to implement advanced practice nursing competencies ( research, leadership, collaboration, and health and social policy). (Prerequisites or co-requisites: NURS-8810 and NURS-8830.) (3 hours per week.)

NURS-8540.Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) for Advanced Practice Nursing (APN)
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills required to identify and use best evidence in advanced practice roles. The course focuses on developing a relevant evidence-based practice question, and searching appropriate evidence resources. Frameworks for the critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative studies will be critiqued. Issues related to influencing practice and health outcomes through evidence, at the level of the individual practitioner and the health care organization, are addressed.This course will explore paradigms and theories that inform knowledge development and knowledge transfer. The foci of the course are the exploration, critical analysis, and application of concepts. Challenges and strategies related to addressing complex health care system issues through evidence, at the level of the individual practitioner and the health care organization, are addressed. (Prerequisites: NURS-8810 and NURS-8830.)

NURS-8560. Research Utilization Project: Evidence Based Decision Making in Health Care: Integrating Knowledge into Advanced Practice
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills required to identify and use best evidence in advanced practice roles. The course focuses on developing a relevant evidence based practice question, and searching appropriate evidence resources. Frameworks for the critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative studies will be critiqued. Learning is facilitated through seminars, and workshops to address a question emerging from their own practice. Issues related to influencing practice, and health outcomes through evidence, at the level of the individual practitioner and the health care organization are addressed. (Prerequisite: COUPN Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate)

NURS-8570. Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis I
Differentiate concepts and frameworks essential to advanced health assessment, clinical reasoning, and diagnosis in advanced nursing practice. Apply clinical, theoretical, and scientific knowledge in comprehensive and focused health assessment, including history taking, physical examination, diagnostic reasoning, and interpretation for the individual client’s diagnostic plan of care. (Prerequisites or co-requisites: NURS-8500 and NURS-8810.) (3 hours seminar per week; 6 hours clinical per week.)

NURS-8580. Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis II
Integrate conceptual frameworks integral to advanced health assessment, clinical reasoning, and diagnosis in advanced nursing practice. Demonstrate substantive initiative, responsibility, and accountability in complex decision making for individual clients, groups, and/or communities within the nurse practitioner scope of practice. (Prerequisites or co-requisites: NURS-8570 and NURS-8810.) (3 hours seminar per week; 6 hours clinical per week.)

NURS-8610.Therapeutics in Primary Health Care I
Critically appraise and interpret concepts and frameworks integral to pharmacotherapy, advanced counseling, and complementary therapies for common conditions across the lifespan. Develop, initiate, manage, and evaluate therapeutic plans of care that incorporate client values and acceptability, goals of therapy, analysis of different approaches, pharmacotherapeutic principles. (Prerequisites or co-requisites: NURS-8570, NURS-8810 and NURS-8830.) (3 hours seminar per week; 6 hours clinical per week.)

NURS-8620.Therapeutics in Primary Health Care II
Integrate conceptual frameworks and evidence underlying the study of pharmacotherapy, advanced counseling, and complementary therapies for complex client situations. Demonstrate substantive initiative, responsibility, and accountability in complex decision making. (Prerequisites or co-requisites: NURS-8580, NURS-8610, NURS-8810, NURS-8820 and NURS-8830.) (3 hours seminar per week; 6 hours clinical per week.)

NURS-8700.Counselling Process in Nursing
Development and refinement of counselling skills with an emphasis on human relationships and nursing strategies that facilitate health. Experiential learning will be implemented to bring a balance between counselling theory/research and applied counselling knowledge.

NURS-8720.Women and Health
An analysis of health issues of Canadian women from a holistic woman-centered perspective to include geographical, sociocultural and political variables that impact women's health.

NURS-8760. Management of Human Resources in Nursing
A study of concepts, theories, and practices that will assist nurse leaders to develop effective approaches to human resource management in nursing education and service settings.

NURS-8780. Seminar in Current Nursing Issues
An historical and futuristic examination of the critical issues facing the nursing profession and discipline. Considering the practice orientation of nursing, students will explore issues related to education, practice, discipline, and professionalism.

NURS-8800. Selected Readings in Nursing
Intended for students with a special interest in and knowledge of a specialty area in nursing. To explore theory and research related to an area of interest in nursing. (To be taken only with permission of the School.)

NURS-8810. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing
The focus of this course is theory exploration in nursing. Beginning with the theoretical evolution of the discipline of nursing, students progress to issues related to development of theory in a practice discipline. Analysis, evaluation, and comparison are made of selected nursing conceptual models/theories and their major concepts. The contributions of the conceptual models to practice and research are investigated.

NURS-8820. Advanced Statistics
An advanced course with a focus on multi-variate analysis. Topics include ANOVA, MANOVA, regression analyses, critique of statistical analyses of research articles, and computer data analysis.

NURS-8830. Research Methods in Nursing
Students will examine diverse approaches to scientific inquiry in nursing. Within selected research paradigms, students will explore design, process, and evaluation techniques. Models for research analysis will be explored. Opportunities will be provided for students to develop a research proposal to gain solutions to nursing problems.

NURS-8840. Summer Institute of Clinical Health Research
This intensive one-week Summer Institute will provide participants (i.e. graduate students, clinicians, and academics from various health related fields) with 35 hours of in-depth exploration and discussion of the principles and applications of clinical health research. Participants will be engaged by a team of experts in discussions pertaining to the understanding and applications of topics such as qualitative research and evidence based practice, the use of mixed methods in clinical health research, epidemiologic research designs, clinical trials, and statistical modeling techniques in clinical health research. Other topics will include successful grant writing, running a successful research program, and ethical issues in clinical health research.(Pre-requisites: Basic Research and biostatistics course(s); Permission of instructor)

NURS-8850. Health of Individuals, Families and Groups
The focus of this course is excellence in health care delivery for individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. Students will critically appraise conceptual frameworks and the empirical research underlying health promotion, health adaptation and risk reduction for individuals, families, and groups. Students will be prepared to influence client care and participate in research, education and policy activities related to advanced practice nursing and health care for diverse populations.

NURS-8910. Advanced Professional Nursing Practicum
Students, working in diverse areas of non-clinical advanced nursing practice, will engage in projects focused on complex system-related issues at the unit and/or organizational level. The goal is to integrate and apply in-depth knowledge across the domains of professional autonomy, leadership, research, practice, communication, intra/inter-professional teamwork and collaboration. (Prerequisites: NURS-8810; NURS-8820; NURS-8830 and either NURS-8880 and NURS-8890 or NURS-8850 and NURS-8860) (3 lecture hours per week plus approximately 20 hours per week related to community placement project work.)

NURS-8860. Community and Population Health
This course will examine the conceptual frameworks and empirical research underlying health promotion, health adaptation and risk reduction for communities and populations. The course engages the student in using advanced problem-solving , critical thought, and research to develop a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of the health of populations and their complex interaction. Students will have the opportunity to appraise the relationships among the determinants of health, decision making, policy, and legislation at local, provincial, national and international levels.

NURS-8870. Integrative Practicum in Primary Health Care
Synthesize competencies essential to advanced practice nursing to provide primary health care for clients across the life span. Demonstrate autonomy in decision-making, and critical analysis of organizational and system issues that influence scope of practice, professional accountability, and outcomes. (Prerequisites: All PHCNP courses; NURS-8810, NURS-8820 and NURS-8830.) (3 hours seminar per week; 32 hours clinical per week.)

NURS-8880. Theoretical Foundations of Leadership
This course will focus on the examination and critical appraisal of concepts and theories of leadership, research, management, and education within the context of nursing and dynamic health care systems. Emphasis will be placed on organizational and change theories, professional practice, decision making and governance models, power and social justice concepts. Strategies for knowledge transmission and information system development will be appraised.

NURS-8890. Innovations in Nursing Leadership
This course focuses on the application of leadership and organizational theories and research that support excellence and innovation in professional nursing practice, education, and workplace environments. Emphasis will be placed on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health systems, and human resource management. Students will examine issues pertaining to operations management, including finance, quality and risk management, information systems development and policy development. Students will be prepared to formulate innovative strategies to influence current policy and legislation that impact nursing practice, education, health care systems, and the health of Canadians.

NURS-8970. Thesis Option
Before writing the thesis, the student must meet with the Master's committee to obtain approval of the thesis investigation. Permission will only be granted when the student has shown sufficient preparation and competence to carry out the thesis proposal. Upon completion, each candidate will be required to make a satisfactory oral presentation and defense of the thesis.

NURS-9100. Philosophy of Science in Nursing
This course introduces students to the philosophical assumptions concerning knowledge and knowledge development that inform the conduct of research in the discipline of nursing. Students will explore key concepts in relation to a variety of paradigm/perspectives within the philosophy of science, ranging from positivism to post-modernism and critical theory. Major topics to be debated will include the notion of nursing as a science and what constitutes nursing knowledge. Individual seminars will enable in-depth analysis of selected philosophers (as representative of such paradigms) in their respective socio-political and historical contexts. This course will enable students to articulate and defend their own philosophical assumptions of the paradigm that informs their dissertation topic.

NURS-9200. Advanced Perspectives in Quantitative Research Methods and Analyses
This advanced course is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of the design and analysis of selected observational (prevalence, ecologic, cohort, and case-control) and experimental (controlled trials) quantitative research designs. The course will also address principles and issues pertaining to the development, evaluation, and use of psychometric measures. Emphasis will be focused on the understanding and decision making pertaining to (a) the selection of the right research design, (b) the identification of issues associated with various research methodologies, (c) the use of psychometric measurement, and (d) multivariate statistical procedure such as linear regression analysis, Binary and multinomial logistic regression analysis, and survival analysis. Approaches to evaluation of the quality of evidence in published research will also be addressed. (Pre-requisite: NURS-9100; NURS-9300; Graduate level course)

NURS-9300. Advanced Perspectives in Qualitative Research
This course provides advanced philosophical and theoretical knowledge required to conduct qualitative research. Students are challenged to critically appraise the scholarship of published studies and to explore arising issues with qualitative inquiry. Issues may include, but are not limited to the importance and integration of philosophical underpinnings, researcher positioning, methodological congruence/consistency, ethical issues (anonymity, confidentiality of participation, privacy), challenges inherent in data collection and analysis, metasynthesis, rigour, and the usefulness of qualitative health research for nursing practice and healthcare policy. The relationship between qualitative and mixed methods health research will be examined. Students will defend their application of knowledge about these issues in relation to their own dissertation research interests. (Pre-requisite: NURS-9100, Fall semester)

NURS-9410. Comprehensive Exam
This course allows students to demonstrate, in writing and orally, their ability to complete an extensive review and critical analysis of the literature to synthesize current knowledge and theoretical underpinnings pertaining to their research area. The critical review will also examine potential methodological and analytical approaches that are relevant to their research. The examination includes a written paper and an oral defense of the work.(Pre-requisites: (NURS-9100, NURS-9200, NURS-9300, one Graduate Level course).

NURS-9980. Dissertation