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.

Patton, R. M., Zalon, M. L., & Ludwick, R. (Eds.). (2023). Nurses making policy: From bedside to boardroom (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0-8261-6645-6

• Analyze how healthcare systems are organized, financed, and influenced by economic, legal, and political factors to impact patient care and health outcomes
• Engage in the development, implementation, and evaluation of institutional, local, state, and federal health policies
• Interpret and communicate research evidence to influence policy decisions and advocate for the nursing profession and public health
• Employ advanced clinical reasoning and systems thinking to assess risk, prioritize quality and safety, and guide diagnostic and policy-related decision-making.

Graded Assignments - 50%

Weekly assignments are designed to encourage critical thinking, application of course concepts, and individual reflection. Each assignment will be evaluated using a specific rubric to ensure consistent and fair grading. The rubric will clearly define expectations, including the quality of content, depth of analysis, integration of course materials, and overall clarity and organization. By focusing on these assignments, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts, apply knowledge to real-world scenarios, and showcase their individual learning and development. All assignments will be completed and graded on an individual basis. Assignments will not be assigned every week.

Quizzes -50%

Quizzes are designed to assess student comprehension, reinforce key concepts, encourage consistent study habits, and provide ongoing feedback to support academic progress throughout the course. Weekly quizzes will be administered to promote regular engagement with the material.

Commenced Attendance Quiz

A short quiz that is required to confirm your attendance in accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations. Failure to complete it within the first three days of the term may affect your financial aid and/or result in being dropped from the course. Please note that this quiz is not graded.

Grade Scheme

Grades will be determined in the graduate programs using the following grading scale. To progress in the graduate program, students must maintain a term grade point average of B- (GPA 2.70 on a 4.0 scale) and no failing courses.

Late Policy:

All coursework must be submitted by the deadline listed in CANVAS. If you anticipate that you will be unable to meet a due date, you are expected to submit your work early and/or communicate with the instructor in advance.

In the case of unforeseen circumstances, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor as soon as possible and request a reasonable alternate due date. Acceptance of late work will be determined by the instructor on a case-by-case basis. Late assignments will incur a penalty of at least 10% per day.

All assignments must be submitted through CANVAS. Assignments sent by email will not be accepted.

Course Reminder: This is a short, 7-week course. Staying on top of assignments is very important, as late or missing work may lead to failing the course. Students are responsible for making sure their assignments are submitted and visible in Canvas before the due date.

In asynchronous learning, students have the flexibility to engage with course content, such as lectures and readings, at any time that suits their schedule within a set timeframe (usually a week). Assignments, however, have specific deadlines. Late work will not be accepted.

At the beginning of each term there is a Commenced Attendance Quiz which must be completed within a few days of the start of the term. If this is not completed a student may be dropped from the course. This "quiz" is merely for attendance purposes.

Prerequisites and Registration Restrictions

Prerequisite(s): NURS 6110 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: B-
Registration Restriction(s): Admission into MSN

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Online classes provide unique challenges for interaction, and I am committed to helping you succeed in this course.  Your messages are important to me!  Please feel free to reach out via text or email at any time and I will respond within 2 calendar days. Responses during office hours times should be quicker. I encourage you to utilize the Bulletin Board as an open forum for questions about assignments, topics, etc.  

Grades will be posted within 5 calendar days from the due date. 

It is my goal to:

• Respond to student messages within 48 hours.
• Provide grades and feedback within 5 calendar days from the due date.
• Facilitate student learning of the course material through open two-way communication.

Supplemental Resources

Click on Nursing Student Handbooks and then MSN

AI Policy

When students use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process for this course, students should only use these technologies to improve readability and language, or to generate a basic skeleton of ideas for assignment content. Applying these technologies
should be done with careful oversight, and students should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate good-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. SUU Policy#6.33 on academic integrity should be followed when using AI. If you are unsure to what extent to use AI as part of an assignment, please reach out to me before the assignment is due. If a student uses AI-assisted technologies, the student should disclose in their assignment the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the assignment by following the instructions below. This declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, references etc. If there is nothing to disclose, there is no need to add a statement. Any assignment which has been determined by the professor (using the tools provided by SUU to monitor academic integrity) to have been created using these technologies which were not disclosed by the student is subject to failure.

Disclosure Instructions:
Students must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding this statement at the end of their assignment:

Statement: During the preparation of this work [THE STUDENT(S)] used [NAME TOOL /SERVICE] in order to [REASON].

SUU Campus Resources and Services

SUU has several resources and services available to support you during your time here at SUU, please review this list of SUU Campus Resources and Services (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and the Student Code of Conduct. For more information on Canvas and other technologies, and their statements on Accessibility and Privacy statements please review our Vendor Resources page.

Canvas Information

Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

• For Passwords or any other computer-related technical support:
  • 435-865-8200
  • support@suu.edu
  • IT Service Desk
• For Canvas help:
  • 435-865-8555
  • canvas@suu.edu
  • Canvas Help Center
  • How to Use Canvas

Financial Security Statement

Finances are an integral part of maintaining your wellbeing. If you are struggling financially or wish to know more about budgeting, please visit the Financial Wellness CenterLinks to an external site. in room 201C in the Sharwan Smith Center, contact Ashleigh Zimmerman at (435) 865-8436, or text the Financial Wellness line at 435-708-1952.  2.