Syllabus: Walden University

Syllabus 8/25/17, 6*37 AM
Walden University
NURS 5050/NURS 6050: Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health
Syllabus
Student Support and Calendar Information
So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print
the following items for your reference:
This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF
Course Calendar
Student Support
Walden
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NURS 5050/NURS 6050: Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health
Credit Hours
5 credits in 11 weeks
Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that
enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit
equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of
total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate
work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities
estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by
student familiarity with the delivery method and course content.
Course Description
In today’s rapidly changing health care delivery system, decisions made within the political arena
impact the future of health care systems and the population health care professionals serve. In
this course, students examine health care reform and its impact on health care delivery,
population health, and nursing practice. They evaluate policies that influence the structure,
financing, and quality in health care and examine health care delivery from a global perspective.
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Through discussions, case studies, and other activities, students examine the effect of legal and
regulatory processes on nursing practice, health care delivery, and population health outcomes
and ways to advocate for promotion and preservation of population health. The graduate will
gain skills needed to influence policy and to support the changes effected by the passing of
health care reform laws.
Course Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
Evaluate the socioeconomic, political, legal, regulatory, ethical, and global factors, that affect
nursing practice, health care delivery systems, and population health
Analyze the influence of policy and politics on structure and financing of health care delivery
systems and nursing practice
Analyze changes in health care delivery, financing, and inter-professional collaboration
brought about by current health care reform efforts
Analyze principles of genetics and genomics and epidemiologic data to improve population
health outcomes, inform health policy, and promote and preserve health in diverse
populations
Assess tradeoffs between cost, quality, and access inherent in a complex health care delivery
system
Course Outcomes and Objectives Alignment Table

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
Evaluate the socioeconomic, political, legal, regulatory, ethical, and global factors, that affect
nursing practice, health care delivery systems, and population health
Analyze the influence of policy and politics on structure and financing of health care delivery
systems and nursing practice
Analyze changes in health care delivery, financing, and inter-professional collaboration
brought about by current health care reform efforts
Analyze principles of genetics and genomics and epidemiologic data to improve population
health outcomes, inform health policy, and promote and preserve health in diverse
populations
Assess tradeoffs between cost, quality, and access inherent in a complex health care delivery
system
Document: NURS 5050 Alignment Chart (PDF)
Course Materials
Please visit the university bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining
the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you
receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.
Course Texts
Knickman, J. R., & Kovner, A. R. (Eds.). (2015). Health care delivery in the united
states (11th ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Milstead, J. A. (2016). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (5th ed.). Burlington, MA:
Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Note: If the print editions of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may
be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If electronic versions are listed,
no print versions are available.
Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the
course and may be found within each week.
Media
Assigned course media elements are found within the weekly Learning Resources pages and are
available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.
Course Reading List
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The Course Reading List contains all of the required Walden Library Resources for this course.
Please click on the following link to access the list:
NURS 5050 Course Reading List
NURS 6050 Course Reading List
Optional Resources
Each week offers suggested Optional Resources that are aligned to that week’s course content.
Knowledge that you gain from these can inform your weekly Discussions, as well as help with
the Assignments.
Dedicated Support for Course Media

You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns
you have about media in the course.
E-mail: mediasupport@waldenu.edu
Phone: 1-877-238-2963
Primary and Secondary Sources

Review the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments.
Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A
research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods
demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry,
novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an
evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-
reviewed journals.
Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors

and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before
publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and
other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular
media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually noted
as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also
be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces.
Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are
referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past five years.
Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work
interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets,
and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary
work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an
additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic
and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that
should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual
information.
Course Assignments
1. Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in
scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are
expected to participate each week by posting a response to a prompt or question in the
weekly Discussion area. Discussion topics/questions are provided in the Discussion area
under each weekly button. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’
postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer
to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources,
and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or
offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and
spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the
required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and
Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day
3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in
the Discussion on at least three different days. It is important to adhere to the weekly
time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are
expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely
manner.
2. Application Assignments: The Application Assignments provide you with the opportunity to
apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources. See the Assignment
area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the assignments. In grading the required
Application Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course
Information area. Each Application Assignment has its own rubric.
3. Portfolio Assignment: Each course in the MSN program includes a Portfolio assignment.
The Portfolio assignment is designed to measure specific professional knowledge and skills
as outlined in the AACN Master’s Essentials. Students submit the Portfolio assignment in the
online classroom and a criterion-based scoring rubric is used to grade the assignment. The
rubric is aligned with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s
Essentials and provides specific and informative feedback on your performance. The
Portfolio assignment is evaluated by the Course Instructor.
Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade

Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed
below.
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
90%–100% = A
80%–89% = B
70%–79% = C
< 70% = F
Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades
Assignment Total Points Percentage

Discussions
Participation in Discussions*
(10 @ 100 pts. each)
1,000 30%
Note: The Week 1 Discussion is ungraded; however,
you are required to participate in the Discussion
Application Assignments
Week 4 Assignment Paper (100 pts.)
200 40%
Week 7 Assignment Paper (100 pts.)
Application Assignments
Week 10 Assignment Paper (100 pts.) 100 30%
Total 1,300 100%

* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings
to colleagues. See the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric for posting details.
Incomplete Grade Policy

Per University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met
the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in
online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other coursework. Incompletes can be
awarded when, because of extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional course
requirements, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research
papers, as applicable. All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course faculty.
(Reproduced from Student Catalog)
Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the course faculty to request the grade
as soon as possible. Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be allowed to
earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the Faculty Member will work with the
student to outline the due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the new due
dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the term. Faculty will then have 10 days to
assess the work and post the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete time
limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not resolved within the time allotted will convert
to permanent grades of F.
Instructor Feedback Schedule

The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area.
Feedback will be provided via the comments in the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or
the Announcements page.
You can expect your weekly assignment grades to be posted within 10 calendar days of a due
date. Instructor feedback and explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved.
Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion
area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and
learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every
individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on
a particular assignment posting or any time you have any questions regarding your assignments
or your grade.
Course Procedures
1. All class Discussions take place in the weekly Discussion areas.
2. You are encouraged to post course-related questions to the Contact the Instructor area, as
they may be of interest to all; however, if your question is urgent, it is often best to e-mail the
Instructor. If your e-mailed question is thought to be of benefit to all, it may be responded to
by the Instructor via e-mail to all or posted as an announcement.
3. Instructor feedback on content and writing issues that is thought to be of benefit to the entire
class may be posted to the Contact the Instructor area; however, most personal critique will
be done privately in My Grades. Be sure to check the My Grades area for comments every
week, even if you received full credit.
4. Please feel free to use the Class Café to initiate and participate in conversations not directly
related to the course. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know other students better.
The Instructor will browse the Class Café occasionally, but generally will not respond to
conversations posted there unless students have specific questions for him or her.
5. Check the e-mail account you use for official Walden University business on a regular basis.
The expectation is that you are checking this e-mail account daily during the week. If you
experience difficulty sending or receiving Walden e-mail, please contact the Student Support
Team right away. Contact information for the Student Support Team is located in the Student
Support area.
6. Review all materials in the Course Information area, as well as the materials contained under
each of the weekly buttons. Please note: Optional Readings are located within the Learning
Resources section of each week in the course. You are encouraged to explore these readings
as needed in order to enhance your understanding of the course content.
Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

1. 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 others’ response 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.
2. Application Assignments are submitted to the SafeAssign link and named according to the
week in which the Assignment is submitted. Directions for naming each Application
Assignment are included in each week’s Assignment area. Please be sure that all written
Application Assignments are saved and submitted as a “.doc” file.
3. All e-mail correspondence must contain in the subject line “NURS 6050-XX-NAME” (XX is the
section number) followed by a brief description of the subject. This subject line convention
ensures that your e-mail will be easily identified and responded to in a timely manner. It is
required that the e-mail contain a signature that matches the official name used in the course.
Late Assignment Policy
Students are expected to submit assignments by the due dates noted in the course. In
extenuating circumstances, such as illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as
possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, faculty will determine the appropriate
course of action for the student. Depending on the situation, these actions may include
recommendations to drop the course (if within the University drop/withdrawal period),
acceptance of some or all of the overdue assignments with or without penalties, or failure to
accept assignments.
Assignments submitted late without prior agreement of the Instructor, outside of an emergency
absence, or in violation of agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction for the
assignment amounting up to 20%. After 5 days, the assignment will not be graded. Students
should be aware that late assignments may not receive the same level of written feedback as do
assignments submitted on time.
Keeping Your Coursework

You will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days
after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related
materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your
completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The University is not
responsible for lost or missing coursework.
Course Evaluation
At or near the end of the course, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to submit an online
evaluation of the course and instruction. All submitted course evaluations are confidential, and
only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the Instructor and Program Director. Your
feedback is vitally important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously improve
programs.
Students With Disabilities

Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating
their abilities should contact the director of disability services at disability@waldenu.edu or at 1-
800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or https://www.waldenu.edu/contact for
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international toll-free numbers as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss
accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion
of course requirements.
Classroom Participation
In accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding class participation,
Walden University requires that all students submit at least one of their required Week 1
assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board) within each course(s) during the
first 7 calendar days of class. For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion Board
by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the
course as posted on your myWalden academic page.
Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your
participation.
Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.
Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not submit at least one of their
required Week 1 assignments (or at least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be
administratively withdrawn from the university.
Students who have already taken and successfully completed at least one or more class(es)
with Walden, and who do not participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that class.
If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your
assignments, please contact your Faculty Member.
Checklist
The weekly course checklist below outlines the assignments due for the course.
For full assignment details and directions, refer to each week of the course. All assignments are
due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time
(ET) the next day). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time (ET), regardless of
your time zone. As long as your submission time stamp is no later than 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time
(ET), you have submitted on time.
To View the Calendar
To view the Course Calendar:
Course Calendar
To View a Printable Course Schedule

For full assignment details and directions, refer to each week of the course.
Click on the NURS 5050/NURS 6050 Course Schedule (PDF) link to access the Course
Schedule.
Document: NURS 5050/NURS 6050 Course Schedule (PDF)
Checklist
Weeks Assignment Title
Week 1 Introduction to Health Care Delivery, Part I
Required Readings
Learning Resources Required Media
Optional Resources
The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care
Discussion
System
Week 2 Introduction to Health Care Delivery, Part II
Required Readings
Optional Resources
Discussion Nurses as Leaders in Health Care Reform
Assignment Application: Part 1 - Developing a Health

Advocacy Campaign
Week 3 Health Care Economics and Financing
Required Readings
Optional Resources
Discussion Financing of Health Care
Week 4 Population Health, Part 1
Required Readings
Learning Resources
Required Media
Discussion Key Health Determinants
Application: Part 1 - Developing an Advocacy
Assignment
Campaign
Week 5 Population Health, Part 2
Learning Resources Required Readings
Discussion Addressing Behavioral Risk Factors
Application Assignment 2: Part 2 - Developing
Assignment
an Advocacy Campaign
Week 6 Quality and Safety
Required Readings
Learning Resources
Required Media
Discussion Improving Quality
Week 7 Health Policy and Politics
Required Readings
Optional Resources
Discussion Health Care Policy
Application Assignment 2: Part 2 - Developing
Assignment
an Advocacy Campaign
Week 8 Advocacy
Required Readings
Learning Resources
Required Media
Discussion Nurses as Health Advocates
Application: Developing a Health Advocacy
Assignment
Campaign
Week 9 Legal & Regulatory Aspects of Health Care Delivery

Required Readings
Learning Resources
Required Media
Discussion Legal and Ethical Conduct
Assignment Week 9 Assignment
Week 10 Ethical Issues in Health Care Delivery
Required Readings
Learning Resources
Required Media
Discussion Ethical Issues With an Aging Population
Application: Developing a Health Advocacy
Assignment
Campaign (continued): Ethical Considerations
Looking Ahead Week 10 Looking Ahead
Week 11 Global Nursing Issues
Learning Resources Required Readings
Discussion What Can Nurses Do?
Bibliography
The bibliography contains the references for all learning materials in the course. For your
convenience, a link has been provided to download and save the bibliography.
To access the Bibliography:
NURS 5050/NURS 6050 Bibliography (PDF)

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Syllabus 8/25/17, 6*37 AM

Course Learning Outcomes

Course Outcomes and Objectives Alignment Table

Document: NURS 5050 Alignment Chart (PDF)

Course Reading List

NURS 5050 Course Reading List

NURS 6050 Course Reading List

Dedicated Support for Course Media

Primary and Secondary Sources

Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors

Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area.

Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades

Assignment Total Points Percentage

Total 1,300 100%

Incomplete Grade Policy

Instructor Feedback Schedule

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

Late Assignment Policy

Keeping Your Coursework

Students With Disabilities

Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.

To View the Calendar

To view the Course Calendar:

To View a Printable Course Schedule

Document: NURS 5050/NURS 6050 Course Schedule (PDF)

Assignment Application: Part 1 - Developing a Health

Week 9 Legal & Regulatory Aspects of Health Care Delivery

To access the Bibliography:

NURS 5050/NURS 6050 Bibliography (PDF)

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