NURS-FPX 6107 Assessment 2 Course Development and Influencing Factors
Curriculum design in nursing is a critical step that must incorporate views and inputs from different stakeholders. Stakeholders in nursing, including internal and external stakeholders, must be actively involved to ensure that their inputs on the curriculum design process are prioritized. The mission, vision, philosophy and framework of the institution and program also influence the design of nursing curriculums. Therefore, this paper examines the proposed course to be included into the curriculum and factors that influence the curriculum design process.
Appropriate Course to Include in the Curriculum
The appropriate course to include in the Master of Science in nursing curriculum is research methods for advanced practice nursing. The course will aim at increasing the knowledge and skills of the master’s students on research-related topics in nursing. The course will also prepare the students to become users of knowledge from research. The course will seek to introduce the students to the different types of research designs in nursing and their application in practice. The students will also be introduced on ways of identifying knowledge gaps to inform their knowledge-based inquiry. The students will further be exposed to ways of determining the quality of research through critical appraisal of studies. Therefore, it is expected that the students will be able to generate knowledge through research at the end of the course.
Rationale for Adding the Course to the Curriculum
A number of factors inform the need to add the course on research methods for advanced practice nursing into the curriculum. Firstly, nurses trained at the master’s level should be able to determine the quality of evidence presented in studies, as a way of informing the practice. The students should be able to determine the credibility, reliability, and validity of the presented information in studies. Students therefore need to be exposed to learning content that aims at strengthening their knowledge and skills in this area of practice.
Evidence-based practice informs nursing practice in the modern world. Nurses are encouraged to utilize best available evidences in making their decisions on the care that patients need. Evidence-based practice in nursing has been shown to contribute to quality, safety, efficiency, and patient-centeredness in care. The ability of the nurses to provide evidence-based care depends largely on their level of knowledge on research skills. Nurses utilize their knowledge and skills in research when appraising the evidence to inform their practice decisions (Counts, 2020). As a result, the increased need and focus on evidence-based practice in nursing informs the need for the inclusion of the course into the curriculum. The last reason that informs the inclusion of the course into the curriculum is the fact that students trained at master’s level play a critical role in issues related to nursing policies. Nurses should have adept knowledge and skills in determining the effectiveness of policies and proposing ways of improving practice. The ability of nurses to play these roles in the policy arena depends on their knowledge in research (Ignatavicius, 2017). Therefore, the course should be incorporated into the curriculum to ensure that the students are trained to address the current and future needs in health through research.
Topical Outline for the Course
The following is the suggested outline for the proposed course to be included in the curriculum:
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