Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

Florida AtlanticUniversity

Master’s Committee Minutes

January 24th 2011

NP Faculty Meeting 12:30 to 1:30 pm

General Meeting 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Members Present: Lynne Palma, Rosario Medina Shepherd, Shirley Gordon, Rhonda Goodman, Deb Hain, Sue Folden, Margarite Purnell, Anne Vital, Rose Sherman, Susan Dyess

By poly-com: Jill Winland-Brown, Josie Weiss, Anne Vital

NP Faculty Meeting
Item / Discussion / Action
OLD BUSINESS
Alumni Survey / Jill and Josie are going forward with IRB and working on getting the surveys completed / Follow-up report in February
Office Note Caring Language / Will send the form to Josie
Pharmacology Competency Exam / Failure rate 18% on the first exam and 13% on the second exam. Concerns where:
1.Delaying start of clinical
2. Taking away from class time
3. Student confidentiality (for those that failed)
4. Test anxiety
5. Decrease in student confidence
The exam analysis showed reliability according to the analysis. / It was agreed to continue giving the pharmacology competency exam prior to NGR, 6200, 6605, 6633, 6634, 6152
Approach the exam with students as educational support strategy.
Students are to be encouraged to re-take the exam no earlier than the following Monday to allow study time.
Content Grid Across Campuses / Not discussed / Tabled until February Meeting
ANP/FNP Update / No report
Dr. Gordon to attend Gero preconference / Tabled until February Meeting
NEW BUSINESS
Electronic Logs / A video was presented from Typhon Group. There were concerns regarding the increase in time required complete the electronic logs for the students. We agreed to ask the students how they feel about it. Each professor will poll their classes. The cost is $250 set up, $250/ year and $75 for each student (one time fee). / Lynne will ask if the students get access after they graduate to the data base.
Dr. Weiss and Winlan-Brown Jill will look at other vendors at NONPF.
Shirley will ask if the fee for clinical can be used. Shirley to ask medical schoolfaculty what they are using
GENERAL MASTER’S MEETING
Minutes / Approved November and December
Student Petitions / None
OLD BUSINESS
New Background Check Process Update / Michelle is the new person taking Melissa’s place. There have been some complaints from students regarding the process. Shirley worked with the Graduate School and added a link that will appear on their admission letter explaining the process. / Dr. Gordon to follow-up creating a CON web link and content to be included in students formal admission letter.
Electronic POS / Beta testing for Nurse Educator will take place this summer for the electronic POS. / Dr. Gordon to supervise
Student Readiness for Advanced Courses: Survey / No survey yet / Tabled until February Meeting
Graduate Student Handbook Change Recommendations / Recommendations from the committee have been forwarded to the Committee on Students / Dr. Gordon to follow-up on the progress.
Master’s Along the Way / Several students in the B-PhD have recently asked to earn a Master’s Along the Way. It is anticipated future BS-DNP students may also request this option given nursing faculty in the state of Florida are required to have a masters degree in nursing. The Master’s Along the Way degree must be complete and meet all current master’s degree requirements. The equivalency of substituting doctoral level course for master’s level core courses was discussed. See attached table for course equivalency discussion and recommendations. / Dr. Gordon to forward recommendations to the Committee on Programs.
Nurse as Advanced Practice Scholar / A new course possibility was presented by Dr. Purnell similar to the UG Nurse as Scholar course that could incorporate informatics as well in response to concerns about the level of student writing. Rose suggested that we offer this as an elective. It was also suggested to add it as part of the core. The concern of not being competitive with too many credit hours was voiced. It will be considered once we have more information on the Master’s Essentials. / To be tabled until we review the whole of the curriculum in light of expected changes in the Master’s Essential.
NEW BUSINESS
Interim Lead Faculty Nurse Educator Program / Dr. Barry will fill in as Lead Faculty for the Nurse Educator program track during Dr. Keller’s sabbatical.
Time limit for completing Master’s Degree change CON Policy / The university time limit for completing the Master’s Degree is 10 years. Changing the time limit to 7 years was discussed in light of the graduate handbook limit for doctoral programs. The group felt we should be consistent with the university guidelines and continue the 10 year time limit. / Dr. Folden to share recommendation with the doctoral program.
Management of Student Files / We are running out of filing space. The University records were reviewed and items were identified as being important. These are the items that have to be scanned. Students have up to 1 year to challenge a grade. It was recommended to keep everything for one year. Many of the items in the files are being achieved by the university.
The list of essential items to scan includes:
Clinical summary forms (included hours and type of patients, etc.)
All Student evaluations
Student photos-(hospitals ask for this to verity credentials)
Electronic portfolio was presented at the University of Iowa. / Dr. Gordon will check with the certifying bodies to see how long we might be required to archive clinical logs for the NP students or if the summary is sufficient.
Admission Process / Review of Admission process introduced. A sub committee will be formed to review our current process and make recommendations. / Dr. Gordon to convene a subcommittee meeting to review admissions policy.
Standard letter of recommendation
Interviews
Writing samples
Rolling admissions
Dismissal Process / Dr. Rosson met with Dr. Gordon to discuss our dismissal process. The University Graduate Council is currently working on a dismissal policy. Dismissals, according to the Handbook, should go through the Committee on Students. For the program committees to continue reviewing dismissals will require a change in Bylaws. / Recommendation to the bylaws will be forwarded to the Committee on Faculty.
NSSE Survey of Student Engagement / Results of the NSSE Survey were sent out to committee members for review. / Tabled until the February meeting to give members an opportunity to review the results.
SACS Assessment Outcomes / SACS 2010-2011 Assessment Outcomes were sent out to committee members for review. All colleges are asked to formulate outcomes that are congruent with the FAU strategic plan. Gail Wisen from FAU’s Institutional Effectiveness will meet with the committee to discuss the process for next year. / Dr. Gordon will convene a subcommittee to work on the 2011-2012 SACS Assessment Outcomes.
NGR 6168 Advanced Nursing Situations: Foundations of Holistic Nursing I Prerequisite Change / Dr. Purnell recommended removing the existing prerequisites for NGR 6168 (Holistic program) to departmental permission for the purpose of facilitating student recruitment into the developing program track and sustaining student interest in the track. Concerns were raised regarding removing health assessment, patho, and pharm as prerequisites to an advanced practice course. Dr. Purnell reviewed the course content with the group in light of the concerns. / Forward the recommendation to remove the existing prerequisites and adding departmental permission to NGR 6168 Advanced Nursing Situations: Foundations of Holistic Nursing I and adding departmental permission to the Committee on Programs.

Master’s Along the Way Core Course Equivalents

Master’s Core Course & Description / Doctoral Course Equivalent & Description / Comments / Decision
Advanced Nursing Practice Grounded in Caring (NGR 6110) 3 credits
Prerequisites: B.S.N. or permission of department
A detailed examination of caring as the essential concept for nursing practice, research, administration, and education. Major contributions to an understanding of caring from nursing as well as from humanities and science are surveyed. Emphasis on conceptualizations in nursing and philosophical literature. Students will examine the implications of caring in relation to the use of multiple ways/patterns of knowing. / Caring: An Essential Domain of Nursing Knowledge (NGR 7116) 3 credits
Prerequisite: NGR 6110 and admission to Ph.D. program
Advanced study of caring as an essential aspect of nursing knowledge, grounding nursing practice, research, administration, and education. Caring is studied from onotological/existential, epistemological, ontical, metaphysical, theoretical, historical, sociocultural, and other perspectives. (PhD) / Prerequisite of NGR 6110 has been changed.
Content is different. Faculty feel students are not ready to take a doctoral caring course without the master’s level course. / All master’s students, including “master’s along the way”, should be required to take NGR 6110.
Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Nursing (NGR 6811) 3 credits
The course focuses on the evolution of nursing theories as an underpinning for nursing research and practice. Emphasis is on mid-range theory and its use in practice as well as the development of a valuation of nursing knowledge. / Theory Development and Application in Nursing (NGR 7121) 3 credits
Prerequisite: Admission to Ph.D. program
Explores patterns of knowing, theory development, and evaluation in the context of nursing knowledge guided by caring philosophy. Nursing theories are studied with emphasis on middle range theory as applied to practice and research. Concept analysis methods are introduced as a foundation for theory building and evaluation. / PhD Students:
Accept 7121 and the Doctoral philosophy course NGR 7115 for NGR 6811
DNP Students:
Accept NGR 7124 Theory Guided Models for advanced Nursing Practice as equivalent
Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice (NGR 6812) 3 credits
Prerequisite: Undergraduate statistics
This course focuses on research as it applies to advanced nursing or nursing education. It begins with identification of a phenomenon of interest, followed by review of the related literature. The state of the art supported by the literature review is discussed in the context of evidence-based practice. / Research for Advanced Practice Nursing (NGR 7850) 3 credits
Prerequisite: STA 6113
Application of research to support advanced nursing practice with aging and diverse populations and to support new models of care delivery using evidence-based practice. [DNP students]
Or
Advanced Nursing Research: Applied Quantitative Design and Method
(NGR 7818) 3 credits
Prerequisites: Ph.D. courses semester one
Application of research to support advanced nursing practice with aging and diverse populations and to support new models of care delivery using evidence-based practice.
And
Qualitative Research Methods 1 (NGR 7815) 3 credits
Prerequisites: Admission to doctoral program or permission of department
Overview of qualitative research methods used in the development of nursing knowledge. Research design, sampling, data collection, data analysis, criteria for rigor, and ethical issues are explored. The philosophical, epistemological, ethical, and aesthetic foundations of qualitative research methods are examined.
[PhD students] / The 2 courses combined do not specifically address evidenced based practice content / PhD Students:
Accept NGR 7818 and NGR 7815 for NGR 6812
DNP Students:
Accept NGR 7850 as equivalent
Advanced Nursing Practice: Roles, Policy and Finance (NGR 6891) 3 credits
This course focuses on advanced practice nursing roles as they pertain to health-related finance, policy, and delivery of care with emphasis on leadership. Fiscal implications of DRGs, managed care, Medicaid, and Medicare in conjunction with issues such as reimbursement, quality management, and the effects on populations’ health. / Healthcare Systems Leadership and Finance (NGR 7793) 3 credits
Prerequisite: Admission to D.N.P. program
Course explores the structure and functions of healthcare delivery systems and healthcare financing with special consideration to the impact of an aging population. The role of the D.N.P. in creating caring environments through both organizational and systems policy changes are addressed throughout the course.
Public Policy in the Context of Nursing and Health (NGR 7738) 3 credits
Prerequisites: Ph.D. courses year one; permission of department
Explores interrelations of nursing, health, and public policy, with emphasis on developing and sustaining collaborative relationships contributing to mutual goals. Diverse health care organizations are studied, along with legislative, governmental, and political agencies and processes. Students explore use of caring philosophies, theories, and research to evaluate, frame, and develop policy. / Limited to the role of the DNP
No Specific mention of roles or finance – course not equivalent / PhD students:
Take NGR 6891
DNP students:
Take NGR 7793 and Practice Management and NGR 7738 [ 3 courses]
Or NGR 6891

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