NURS 3100 Issues/Trends in Nursing

SYLLABUS

• 6 quarter hours

COURSE PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course provides an overview of the evolution of the nursing profession and introduces students to their new role as scholar-practitioners. The course examines changes in the U.S. health care 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.

Weekly discussions and assignments explore contemporary nursing issues, such as nursing shortages, workforce challenges, health care financing, professional organizations, and diversity. In this context, nurses share their personal experiences, examine and propose solutions to nursing issues generally and in their workplace, and formulate solutions that further the nursing profession using evidence-based practices. Students reflect on Walden’s mission of social change and its impact on their future nursing practice as a scholar practitioner.

Since this is the first nursing course within the RN/BSN program, students learn to use Walden University’s resources to enhance writing skills.

COURSE OUTCOMES

1. Analyze factors affecting the current, and future, supply of nurses in the United States.
2. Examine national initiatives to transform clinical practice and improve care.
3. Summarize current issues associated with diversity in the workforce.
4. Evaluate ways in which professional nursing organizations have affected the development of nursing as a profession.
5. Explain legal, regulatory, economic, and ethical issues that influence professional nursing practice.
6. Reflect on Walden’s mission of social change and its impact on future nursing practice as a scholar practitioner.
7. Identify academic resources to enhance writing skills.
8. Demonstrate information literacy skills.

There is no textbook to purchase for this course. All readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each week.

MEDIA

Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more weeks of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.

DISCUSSION

Online Discussion is an important activity based on the underlying belief that students learn from one another.

All Discussion postings need to be made in each week’s Discussion area of the course. Please do not e-mail postings to the Instructor or other students.

Discussions will be graded according to the Discussion Posting Grading Rubric found in the Course Information area.

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments are written and submitted to the Instructor for evaluation. Complete directions are in the Assignment area, including how and where to submit the assignment and the due date. Please note that you should keep a copy of your assignments on your computer in case of any technical difficulties.

Walden University expects you to act with integrity and honesty in your academic courses. Information on scholarly writing may be found at the Walden Writing Center.

See the Guidelines and Policies and Academic Integrity areas for more details.

Check the Course Information area for any rubrics relating to the assignments.

GRADING

GRADING SCALE

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

90%–100% = A

80%–89% = B

70%–79% = C

<70% = F

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The Instructor will log on to the course Discussion areas 4–5 days a week. Unless there is a specific question, your Instructor will not respond to every posting from each student. However, the expectation is that the Instructor will respond individually to at least two-thirds of the students each week. The Instructor will read every posting and expects all students to read every posting, including the Instructor’s postings and classmates’ postings. Frequently, the Instructor will choose to respond to a particular posting because that posting covers important issues.

The Instructor will respond to any specific course-related questions or concerns within 48 hours of receiving them in an e-mail or in the Contact the Instructor area.

Assignments will be returned by Day 7 of the following week, allowing you to incorporate feedback into the assignments for subsequent weeks.

If needed, you may e-mail the Instructor to set up a time for a telephone conference at any time during the course. You are responsible for routinely checking the Announcements for any changes to the aforementioned feedback schedule.

You are expected to read the Syllabus and all Resources, Discussions, and Applications for each week. Complete all assignments by the specified due date. It is in your best interest to complete work for the current week, and not jump ahead to future weeks.

PREFERRED METHODS FOR DELIVERING ASSIGNMENTS

SUBMITTING COURSE POSTINGS TO THE WEEKLY DISCUSSION AREAS

Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to other postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads Response. These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS

Please save your Assignment using the following naming convention: WKXAssgn+last name+first initial. In addition, use this naming convention for the title of your submission.

To submit your Assignment, click the View/Complete link and follow the on-screen instructions to submit your file(s). After you have completed all necessary steps, you will receive a digital receipt indicating your file was submitted successfully. Do not submit PDFS or .odt documents.

E-MAILING YOUR INSTRUCTOR

All e-mail correspondence must be sent from a Walden e-mail and contain in the subject line your course number, section number, and your name followed by a brief description of the subject. For example, NURS 3100-XX-Your Name (XX is the section number). This subject line convention ensures that your e-mail will be easily identified and responded to in a timely manner.

Timeliness and good time management are critical skills for success both in school and in life. Should you encounter an unanticipated and uncontrollable life event that may prevent you from meeting an assignment deadline, contact the Instructor immediately. Please see the Late Policy posted in the classroom for further information.

Examples of unanticipated and uncontrollable life events include a health crisis for you or an immediate family member for whom you are a caregiver; extended and extraordinarily severe weather events that disrupt communications; or being called to military duty. Poor time management, other work commitments, vacations, not reading or following the Course Syllabus, or failure to obtain the appropriate books or computer equipment are not events that warrant special consideration.