Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Health Policy for Nurse Leaders (Online)

NURS 6310-A70

Course: NURS 6310-A70
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: NURS
CRN: 32898

Course Description

This course examines organizational, state, and federal policies which affect healthcare delivery. Students will examine the influence of lay, professional, and special interest groups in relation to advocacy for policy change, state and federal legislation, as well as the allocation of resources and the setting of health priorities. Students will develop skills to advocate for policies in both private and governmental agencies that are important to nursing, improve population health, enhance the care experience, reduce costs, and health equity. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): NURS 6110 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: B- Registration Restriction(s): Admission into MSN in Leadership

Required Texts

American Psychological Association [APA]. (2021). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-
7th-edition

Patton, R. M., Zalon, M. L., & Ludwick, R. (2023). Nurses making policy - From bedside to
boardroom (3rd ed.). American Nurses Association & Springer Publishing.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Develop an understanding of how healthcare delivery systems are organized and
financed (and how this affects patient care) and identify the economic, legal, and
political factors that influence health care (E-II-3)
2. Analyze how policies influence the structure and financing of health care, practice,
and health outcomes (E-VI-1)
3. Participate in the development and implementation of institutional, local, and state
and federal policy (E-VI-2).
4. Examine the effect of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice, healthcare
delivery, and outcomes (E-VI-3).
5. Interpret research, bringing the nursing perspective, for policy makers and
stakeholders (E-VI-4).
6. Advocate for policies that improve the health of the public and the profession of
nursing (E-VI-5).
7. Advocate for the value and role of the professional nurse as member and leader of
interprofessional healthcare teams (E-VII-1).
8. Understand other health professions’ scopes of practice to maximize contributions
within the healthcare team (E-VII-2).
9. Advance equitable and efficient prevention services, and promote effective
population-based health policy through the application of nursing science and other
scientific concepts (E-VIII-4).

Course Requirements

Assignment Outline

Assignment Category
Weekly Discussion 6 @ 50 points = 300 points/30%
Policy Review - Weeks 3 @ 50 points = 150 points/15%
Final Policy Brief Drafts and Final Paper 200 points/20%
Final Presentation 100 points/10%
Online Modules 5 X 50 points = 250points/25%

Course Outline

 Commenced Attendance Quiz due by 11:59pm
  Module 1 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Module 2 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Module 2 Online Assignment due by 11:59pm

 Module 3 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Module 3 Online Assignment due by 11:59pm

 Module 4 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Module 4 Online Assignment due by 11:59pm

 Module 5 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Module 5 Online Assignment due by 11:59pm

  Module 6 Discussion due by 11:59pm

  Module 7 Discussion due by 11:59pm

 Nurses as Policy Influencers Assignment

 Week 1 quiz- Chapters 1 & 2

 Week 2 Quiz- Chapters 3 & 15

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Papers/assignments are due at the time designated. Faculty members retain the option
of not accepting late papers/assignments and may deduct points for late work. Individual

faculty maintains final determination in situations related to late work. As a general rule,
50% will be deducted when the assignment is late for the first 24 hours and then 10% will
be deducted from points earned for every 24 hours the assignment is late. Students should
make every effort to communicate with faculty if they need additional time for
assignments. Extension of assignment due dates will be made on a case-by-case basis,
and multiple extensions are unlikely to be permitted.
MAKE-UP WORK
Make-up work for extra credit or in place of missed assignments for theory classes will not
be provided. Submit assignments on the date they are due unless arrangements have been
made with course faculty prior to assignment due date.

Attendance Policy

Attendance in online courses is evaluated base on completion of assignments,
participation in online discussions, and timely response to instructor’s emails. You should
notify the faculty in advance if you know you are unable to complete assignments, etc. by
the assignment due date. In the case of emergencies, notify the faculty ASAP.

Course Fees

There are no student fees for this course.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.