Nurse Anesthetist DNP

This course focuses on the theoretical foundation needed to provide leadership in the management of health care systems and personnel in various settings including in-patient facilities, clinics, long-term care facilities and community health settings. Contemporary and emerging approaches to leadership and management are critiqued. Selected leadership approaches are applied to organizational development and design, planning and marketing, changing roles of workers in organizations, and population health improvement.

Full course description for Leadership in Health Care Systems

The course focus is on scientific principles found in chemistry and physics upon which mechanical, pharmacological and physiologic systems are explained. Students examine physics and general, organic and biochemistry concepts for clinical correlation in nurse anesthesia practice. Specific content areas include measurement, chemical and physical properties of matter, atomic and molecular structures, chemical equations and stoichiometry, reactions, energy relationships, periodicity, bonding, gas laws and solutions. Competence Statement Knows the scientific principles found in chemistry and physics as they apply to mechanical, pharmacological and physiologic systems in nurse anesthesia well enough to apply these principles in nurse anesthesia practice.

Full course description for Science Principles of Anesthesia

The course focus is a comprehensive study of pharmacologic principles of non-anesthesia prescription and non-prescription medications encountered by the nurse anesthetist during provision of care. Emphasis is placed on physiologic actions, therapeutic decision making, and medication management for application in clinical practice. Biotransformation, elimination and molecular mechanisms knowledge will be used to build a scientific foundation for clinical decision-making across the lifespan. Competence Statement: Knows the pharmacologic principles of non-anesthesia medications well enough to apply to nurse anesthesia practice.

Full course description for Advanced Pharmacology for DNP Anesthesia I

The course focuses on the study of applied science, biomedical equipment, and foundational principles for safe, evidence-based quality perioperative care. Focus areas will include decision-making and problem solving in perioperative preparation, management and evaluation of anesthesia delivery equipment, monitoring, basic airway management, pharmacological selection, patient risk stratification, and patient care transitions. Competence Statement: Knows and applies the science related to biomedical equipment, anesthesia delivery systems and foundational principles well enough to apply these principles to nurse anesthesia practice.

Full course description for Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice I

This course focuses on clinical and operational excellence and continuous improvement of quality and safety from the leadership perspective. Process improvement philosophies, approaches, models, and methods are reviewed and applied to health care delivery. Critical communication, collaboration, and leadership skills are incorporated and evaluated throughout the course.

Full course description for Designing for Quality in Health Care

This course focuses on the use of health care informatics in advanced nursing practice. The development of the science of informatics and information systems are reviewed. Clinical decision making support tools in advanced practice nursing are analyzed. The use of information systems to assist in coding and billing is reviewed. Information systems are used to analyze practice outcomes at the individual and practice group levels compared to national standards. Challenges and opportunities to improve health through the use of information systems are explored. Competence Statement: Knows information systems and technology well enough to be utilized to improve patient care outcomes and health care systems.

Full course description for Informatics for Advanced Nursing Practice

This course examines the application of evidence to practice issues in nursing. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches, methodologies, and techniques of data analysis are addressed. Research critique skills are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the application of analytic methods to critically appraise scientific literature in the delivery of evidenced-based nursing practice. Competence Statement: Knows evidenced-based practice concepts well enough to synthesize and apply a body of evidence to practice.

Full course description for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

The course focus is a comprehensive study of pharmacologic principles of anesthetic medications used by the nurse anesthetist during provision of care. Emphasis is placed on physiologic actions, therapeutic decision making, and medication management for application in clinical practice. Biotransformation, elimination and molecular mechanisms knowledge will be used to build a scientific foundation for clinical decision-making across the lifespan. Competence Statement: Knows the pharmacologic principles of anesthetic medications well enough to apply to nurse anesthesia practice.

Full course description for Advanced Pharmacology for DNP Anesthesia II

The course focuses on the study of safe, evidence-based nurse anesthesia care management in normal human physiologic and pathophysiologic states including hematologic, immune, and psychiatric disorders and associated medical and surgical procedures for selected human anatomical systems. The course also focuses on pre-operative evaluation, deep sedation and post-anesthesia care, as well as basic regional techniques, ambulatory, office-based, non-operating room anesthesia care and anesthetic complications. Students will formulate care management strategies based on ethical, scientific and pharmacologic principles, safety, quality and evidence-based guidelines and cost effectiveness. Competence Statement: Knows safe, evidence-based nurse anesthesia care management well enough to apply to nurse anesthesia practice for patients with various pathophysiologic disorders.

Full course description for Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice II

This course focuses on skills needed to evaluate and critique research and analytical methods for a body of evidence applied in advanced nursing practice. Content also includes translational research approaches and evidence-based practice concepts. Students synthesize a body of health-related literature relative to application in an evidence-based practice model. Competence Statement: Knows research methodology and evidence-based practice principles well enough to evaluate the quality and synthesize the evidence from literature, and apply to advanced nursing practice.

Full course description for Research Methodology and Advanced Evidence-Based Practice

This course focuses on analyzing epidemiological, biostatistical, environmental, and other appropriate scientific data related to population health. The student applies this knowledge to develop a plan to improve population health status. The intervention plan addresses health promotion and disease prevention efforts related to health inequity for diverse populations. A global perspective of population health is incorporated into advanced nursing practice roles. This course includes 50 practicum hours in population health assessment and intervention planning. Competence Statement: Knows the concepts and principles of epidemiology, prevention, and population health well enough to develop a evidence based intervention for a vulnerable population related health issue.

Full course description for Epidemiology and Population Health

The course focuses on the study of safe, evidence-based nurse anesthesia care management in normal human physiologic and pathophysiologic states, including cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, renal, genitourinary, hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal, and associated medical and surgical procedures for selected human anatomical systems. Students will formulate care management strategies based on ethical, scientific and pharmacologic principles, safety, quality and evidence-based guidelines and cost effectiveness. Competence Statement: Knows safe, evidence-based nurse anesthesia care management well enough to apply to nurse anesthesia practice for patients with various pathophysiologic disease states.

Full course description for Principles of DNP Nurse Anesthesia Practice III

This course focuses on the advanced, comprehensive assessment of individuals across the lifespan. A holistic, nursing theoretical framework provides the structure for the course. The course builds on the students' knowledge and skills of basic physical assessment, anatomy and physiology, and provides a foundation for the advance practice nurse to evaluate the health of individuals across the life span. The course emphasizes documentation, and practice skills necessary for advanced communication, biopsychosocial and physical assessment, critical diagnostic reasoning, and clinical decision-making. Students acquire advanced knowledge and skills through a case based, problem focused learning framework that integrates theoretical, empirical, and experience-based practical knowledge. Competence Statement: Knows the principles of holistic health assessment well enough to apply these skills and techniques in a simulated setting.

Full course description for Health Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice

This laboratory experience focuses on the application of skills taught in N616. Students will practice interview skills, physical exam techniques and assessments across the lifespan. Demonstration of complete physical exam is required for course completion. Competence Statement: Knows the skills and techniques of a holistic assessment well enough to obtain a complete health history perform an age appropriate complete physical exam and problem focused physical exam, and provide age appropriate health promotion and anticipatory guidance across the lifespan.

Full course description for Health Assessment for Advanced Nursing Practice Lab

This course focuses on the knowledge needed to interpret common laboratory and diagnostic tests encountered in advanced practice nursing. Content includes recognizing, analyzing and interpreting normal and abnormal laboratory and diagnostic findings within the context of patient care. Attributes, strengths and limitations of common diagnostics are reviewed to guide clinical decision-making. Competence Statement: Knows interpretation of common laboratory and diagnostics tests well enough to apply to the provision of care as an advanced practice nurse.

Full course description for Labs and Diagnostics for Advanced Practice Nursing

This course focuses on the philosophy of science in nursing and its application to practice inquiry and practice knowledge development. Theories, models, and concepts that inform advanced nursing practice are systematically examined and evaluated. Students analyze the foundations of middle-range theories and explore application of theory to doctoral advanced nursing practice.

Full course description for Advanced Nursing Science

This course focuses on mastering the knowledge and strategies essential for financial and human resource development and oversight within the health care delivery environment. The relationships between health care economics, human resource management, and health policy within organizations are analyzed. Strategic and business planning principles and approaches are presented and applied. Competence Statement: Knows the principles of financial management and human resource development well enough to critically appraise a health care issue and analyze the personnel impacts, costs and benefits, and cost effectiveness of a proposed solution.

Full course description for Resource Management and Finance for Health Care

This course focuses on the analysis of regulations and policies that impact health and health care. Students analyze health issues and the social, economic, and political implications of current and proposed policies. Students compare health policies and health outcomes within a global context to evaluate alternative approaches to advancing health equity. Students learn to develop and implement appropriate strategies to influence policy makers and educate others. Students will complete a minimum of 25 hours on a public policy advocacy project. Competence Statement: Knows the principles and concepts of health policy well enough to provide leadership to design, implement, and advocate for policies that advance health.

Full course description for Health Policy and Advocacy

This course focuses on establishing a community site that serves as the location for the DNP scholarship project. This course applies prior program content in application to a DNP scholarship project. Students may accrue up to 10 scholarship hours. Competence Statement: Know concepts from previous DNP program courses well enough to initiate a DNP scholarship project.

Full course description for Pre-Scholarship

This course focuses on conducting a needs assessment and defining the scope of a problem at a community site that will serve as the location for the DNP scholarship project. Students accrue 40 - 50 required hours for their scholarship projects. Competence Statement: Know concepts of needs assessment well enough to identify a practice problem and the scope of a scholarship project.

Full course description for DNP Scholarship Project Assessment

This course focuses on developing a proposal for a scholarship project designed to positively influence processes or systems impacting health. Students will identify theoretical underpinnings, analyze scientific evidence, and evaluate the literature applicable to the scholarship project. Students must successfully present the scholarship proposal. Students accrue 100 clinical hours related to the scholarship project. Competence Statement: Knows concepts of project design well enough to develop and successfully present a scholarship project proposal.

Full course description for DNP Scholarship I

This course focuses on implementing a scholarship project designed to positively influence processes or systems impacting health. Students will lead the scholarship project while collaborating with stakeholders, the scholarship project mentor, and the scholarship project faculty adviser. Students accrue 100 clinical hours related to the scholarship project. Competence Statement: Knows concepts of project management well enough to implement the scholarship project.

Full course description for DNP Scholarship II

This course focuses on the evaluation of a scholarship project designed to positively influence processes or systems impacting health and the dissemination of the results. Students will evaluate the entire project process, present a plan for sustainability, reflect on his/her role leading the project, and demonstrate accomplishment of program objectives. Students must successfully present the final scholarship project. Students will accrue 100 clinical hours related to the scholarship project. Competence Statement: Knows concepts of project management well enough to evaluate the scholarship project and disseminate the results.

Full course description for DNP Scholarship III