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PhD Course Descriptions
NURS 808: Special Problems in Nursing Science
1–3 credits
Provides the opportunity to study a topic of interest within nursing science under a faculty member’s guidance. Specific objectives and requirements are determined by contractual agreement prior to registration. Can be repeated up to a maximum of six credits.
NURS 811: Measurement of Nursing Phenomena
3 credits
Presents the theoretical basis of measurement as a foundation for the development and evaluation of measurement tools used in nursing research. Types of measures, techniques of construction, the statistical analysis of reliability and validity, strengths and limitations for use of selected measures in nursing research are presented. Nursing research studies are evaluated relative to measurement theory. Tools and procedures, including those used to measure affective, cognitive, behavioral and physiological aspects of selected concepts, are evaluated. Prerequisite: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 851, NURS 852, NURS 853 and pass preliminary examination and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 816
NURS 812: Seminar in Nursing Measurement
3 credits
The theoretical basis of measurement will be applied in the development of a protocol for the design and testing of an instrument to measure a selected concept of relevance in nursing research. The seminar will provide the opportunity for discussion of problems, issues and strategies involved in tool construction and validation. In addition, individual consultation will be available to students as they develop their measurement protocol. Prerequisites: NURS 811
NURS 815: Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research
2 credits
Provides an overview to promote understanding of the qualitative paradigm and research methodologies as viable alternatives or supplements to quantitative approaches. Emphases include research design; data collection, analysis, interpretation and evaluation; and ethics and cross-cultural issues. Prepares competent consumers of reports of qualitative studies and promotes awareness of opportunities for and contributions to qualitative inquiry.
NURS 816: Multivariate Analysis in Health Care Research
3 credits
Introduces multivariate procedures most useful in health care research, including multiple regression, multivariate analysis of variance, principal components analysis, factor analysis and discriminant analysis. Computer programs are used in data analysis from actual research situations. Prerequisite: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 851, NURS 852, NURS 853 and pass preliminary examination and recommend concurrent enrollment in NURS 816
NURS 817 Longitudinal Designs in Health Care Research
3 credits
Designs in which multiple observations of one or more variables made on a single person or unit (repeated measures designs) or subjects are followed for a long period of time are of particular importance in nursing and health care research. The course will examine several of the more commonly used longitudinal analyses, including ANOVA, linear mixed models, and survival analysis. Designs involving repeated measures on more than one dependent variable, fixed and random effects, and time to event will be considered. Emphasis will be placed on selecting the appropriate design, statistical procedure, and computer program for addressing a given research problem. Small research exercises requiring both computation and interpretation will be assigned in order to promote desired learning. Prerequisites: NURS 816
NURS 818: Special Topics in Nursing Research
1–6 credits
Research Practica are designed as independently arranged research experiences in which the student actively engages in research activities under the mentorship of a faculty member. These activities are negotiated between student and faculty and relate to either an aspect of the faculty member’s research related to the student’s research area, or the student’s research area. Six credits of research practica experiences, again using the 3-hours/credit/week formulas are required with at least three of these being with the student’s Research Advisor. Prerequisite: Completion of 5 credits of NURS 819
NURS 819 Research Rotation
2-5 credits
Introduces the active research programs in the School of Nursing with application of various research methodologies to specific research projects. Applies research principles learned previously in each rotation. In the 2 or 3 credit options, 6 or 9 hours per week are spent in one research program and in the 5-credit option 15 hours per week are spent in each of two successive seven-week sessions in two research programs. During each session, objectives are defined with the faculty researcher and work is completed on a component of the faculty researcher’s project. Activities include literature review, measurement, data collection, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation or proposal development. Prerequisite or Concurrent: NURS 850 or NURS 851 and 852 or NURS 853. Note: Course may be repeated for a total of 10 credits. At the discretion of the Asst. Dean of the PhD Program, one repetition after the first 5 credits may consist of one 14 week session of 15 hours per week. Research rotations in each repetition must be different from those previously taken.
NURS 820: Meta-Analysis
3 credits
Introduces the issues in and methodology for the quantitative synthesis of research literature. Includes a practical overview of meta-analysis methods for synthesizing and exploring variations in quantitative indices of study outcomes.
NURS 826: Structural Modeling in Health Care Research
3 credits
Provides an introduction to the construction and estimation of structural models in the context of health care research. Topics include confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis and causal modeling. Emphasis is on the estimation of models with latent variables, interpretation of causal effects and the application of these models in health care research. Prerequisite: NURS 816 or permission of instructor.
NURS 830: Working with Large Health Care Databases
2 credits
This course is designed to bridge the gap between nurses’ need for information/data and the reality of finding the data, downloading, extracting, and building an effective personal database. Much of the class work will be conducted in the computer lab where students will explore public and private sources of health data that are available via the internet and on CD_ROM. Students will download data to the personal computer, import data into varied software applications, and build a personal database using software of their choice. Prerequisites: A basic knowledge of personal computers including the Windows environment, the use of a mouse, and basic file handling is expected. Knowledge of spreadsheets and databases is a plus. No knowledge of statistical software is needed, although highly desirable for doctoral students.
NURS 832: Health Services Research I
3 credits
This course is designed for doctoral students who are interested in examining outcomes research issues. The class content focuses on the conceptual and technical issues encountered in designing and executing these types of research studies. Assignments allow students to design a study in their area of interest, including the identification of potential problems and approaches to dealing with those problems. Prerequisites: NURS 850, NURS 851 and NURS 840 (Students are required to have had a course in theory development and research design. In addition, a basic knowledge of personal computers, data manipulation, and statistical software is expected.
NURS 836: Judgment and Decision Making in Nursing Info rmatics
3 credits
Reflects the central role of decision science in utilizing nursing informatics to improve patient care. Analyzes selected decision science theories and relevant research that supports and directs the field of nursing informatics. Decision sciences include statistically based models of clinical judgment, information processing theory of clinical judgment and theories for knowledge and skill acquisition. Case simulations, protocol analysis, knowledge engineering, decision analysis models, grounded theory, neural networks and ways of knowing are evaluated for their usefulness to nursing informatics. Prerequisites: NURS 737, NURS 840, NURS 850, and NURS 851
NURS 837: Nursing Info rmatics in Quality of Care
3 credits
Addresses aggregate-level data analysis in the application of nursing informatics in describing, improving, measuring and delivering quality care. Employs a broad definition of systems and analyzes selected systems theories and relevant research, which supports and directs the field of nursing informatics and its use of available and emerging technology. Theories are applied to the study of systems to determine their definitions and boundaries, facilitate the application of quality of care models and enhance the access, quality and cost-effectiveness of care. A multidimensional model provides a framework for studying the direct and indirect effects of nursing informatics technology. Prerequisite: NURS 836.
NURS 840: Philosophy of Science and Development of Theory
3 credits
Reviews the nature of knowledge and theory in the various scientific disciplines. Describe and analyzes the revolutions or paradigm shifts that have occurred in science. The struggle between many world views is discussed including empiricism, positivism, rationalism and the hypodeductive model of science. After considering the ways of knowing (epistemology), selected world views and theories from a variety of disciplines are analyzed. Discusses strategies for developing nursing theories and introduces alternative metatheoretical approaches available for use in theory evaluation in nursing. Recommended: master’s level nursing theory course.
NURS 841-Theory and Conceptualization in Nursing Science
3 credits
Focuses on the nature of theory in scientific disciplines, nursing theory within the context of the philosophy of science and the evolution of nursing science and the application of conceptualization to the process and conduct of nursing research. Interrelationships between components, context and structure of modes of systematic inquiry, the conceptual basis of theory development and a variety of mid-range theories and their paradigms are analyzed. Contribution of these modes, concepts and theories (practice, mid-range, grand) to knowledge generation and theory development in nursing is critically evaluated in relation to nursing science and applied to student’s area of interest.
NURS 850: Experimental Nursing Research Designs
3 credits
This course focuses on the relationship between theory and designs. Threats to validity (internal, external, statistical conclusion and construct) of research designs and ways to minimize them are explored. Addresses issues of bias, representativeness and generalizability in relation to probability and nonprobability sampling. Prerequisite or concurrent: NURS 840. Concurrent: NURS 851.
NURS 851 : Analysis for Experimental Nursing Research Designs
3 credits
This course is designed to be taken concurrently with NURS 850 Experimental Nursing Research Designs and provides the theoretical and practical knowledge to conduct analyses of experimental data. The course focuses on: 1) the identification and uses of appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics; 2) the acquisition of data manipulation skills necessary to conduct experimental and interventional research; and 3) the development of analytical writing and data summary skills. Hypothesis testing with various levels of measurement, and inferential statistics will be examined. The relationships between design and analysis are revealed through the development of an analytical plan. The procedures for compiling data, developing a research file, and documenting the file are specified. Analytic techniques address descriptive statistics, measures of association, ANOVA, and simple regression. Prerequisite or concurrent: NURS 840. Concurrent: NURS 850
NURS 852: Non-experimental Nursing Research Designs
3 credits
Focuses on non-experimental research designs, including descriptive, cross-sectional, survey, prospective, retrospective, exploratory and qualitative. Incorporates similar approaches including consideration of the validity of the designs as well as bias, sampling, rigor and application of non-experimental research design approaches to researchable nursing questions. Prerequisite or concurrent: NURS 840. Concurrent: NURS 853. Recommended: NURS 850, NURS 851.
NURS 853: Analysis for Non-experimental Nursing Research
2 credits
Focuses on analytical approaches used to design and conduct non-experimental research and approaches to data reduction and data summary common to non-experimental studies. Addresses analytical issues related to survey and qualitative research, including coding of open-ended questions, handling of missing data, weighing data and non-parametric testing. Reviews software used for data collection, data reduction and reporting. Prerequisite or concurrent: NURS 840. Concurrent: NURS 852. Recommended: NURS 850, NURS 851.
NURS 898: Special Topics in Nursing Science
1–3 credits
Allows students to study a topic of professional interest within the sphere of indirect nursing with a graduate faculty member who has special competence in the subject area. Specific objectives and requirements are determined by contractual agreement prior to registration. Repeatable up to a maximum of six credits.
NURS 899: Doctoral Dissertation Research
1–12 credits
Variable credit.
NURS 899: Dissertation Proposal Writing Seminar
1 credit
This seminar, based upon a student-centered learning approach, provides peer and faculty support to students planning to undertake individual research studies, usually (but not limited to) doctoral dissertations. Students develop course and individual objectives the first day of class. A topical outline for class sessions during the semester is agreed upon during the second class meeting. Course and individual objectives usually include development of individual research designs, instruments, and data analysis plans, literature reviews and a written research prospectus. Didactic presentations include the components of a dissertation proposal; methods for negotiating the system including selecting and working with committees, selecting and securing agency cooperation, and Institutional Review Board approval. The majority of class sessions are devoted to student presentations of their research plans with group feedback to strengthen these plans. While the written proposal itself is deferred to each student’s committee, most complete a research prospectus. Students may enroll for additional semesters if group support or further group feedback is desired. Once enrolled a commitment to attend all sessions is required. Prerequisites: NURS 840, NURS 841, NURS 850, NURS 851, and NURS 853