Ph.D. Course Descriptions

NRPHD 708. Advanced Health Policy and Advocacy. This course equips students with the skills necessary to develop, evaluate, and provide leadership in improving the health of the public through health policy development and the education of policy makers regarding nursing and patient outcomes recognizing the critical need for health equity in services and outcomes. Students will evaluate the health policy making processes and the disparities in both the U.S. and international health care delivery systems. Students will use policy theory to critically evaluate the current and historic policies, laws, and financial incentives that affect health care delivery and nursing practice. They will explore how health services research can motivate change in public health and policymaking. They will apply principles of organizational change, cultural effectiveness and evaluate components of leadership necessary for public health improvement. Students will participate in a selected health policy-making process. Prerequisite: NRPHD 801, NRPHD 730, NRPHD 738, NRPHD 750, NURSU 740, NURSU 807, NRPHD 746, NRPHD 752, NRPHD 734. 3 s.h.

NRPHD-726. Transition to Candidacy. Ph.D. candidacy is defined as that period in a doctoral student's studies when she or he is deemed ready to undertake independent and original research resulting in a dissertation. The transition to Ph.D. Candidate is a milestone in the Ph.D. program. The activities in this course are intended to represent the student's: (a) mastery of the content of the doctoral program curriculum, (b) readiness to conduct independent research, and (c) transition the Ph.D. student to a future oriented mindset for career planning. This transitional stage will support planning strategic career development and research activities for implementation during candidacy to prepare for transition to a novice investigator at program completion. Learning and evaluation activities during the transition to candidacy semester will be conducted in collaboration with and evaluated by the student’s dissertation committee. 4 s.h.

NRPHD-736. Research Ethics.This course examines the ethical aspects of the conduct of research, primarily from the Belmont Report, as they apply to diverse vulnerable populations. This course is designed to provide an analysis of ethical aspects of conducting research with vulnerable populations. Students will identify and analyze ethical dilemmas related to equity, inclusion, and bias that may contribute to disparities in human subjects research. Students will propose resolutions to these dilemmas that will facilitate the research while protecting the rights of the subjects/participants. 3 s.h.

NRPHD-738. Statistical Methods for Nursing Research. This course provides a survey of descriptive and inferential statistics commonly used in nursing research and a working knowledge of these statistical methods and their applications. This course is intended for graduate and Ph.D. students in the College of Nursing, but would also be of interest to graduate and Ph.D. students in other clinical areas. Topics include a review of measures of central tendency and variation, frequency distributions, confidence interval estimation, comparison of means and proportions, correlation, and simple linear regression. Topics covered in depth include multiple regression and regression diagnostics, one-way and multi-way analysis of variance, and chi-square tests. 3 s.h.

NRPHD-750. Doctoral Toolbox I: Systematic Searches. This course focuses on the process of performing a systematic search of the extant literature to: determine theoretical models/frameworks related to a concept/construct; analyze a construct/concept of interest; evaluate the rigor of extant studies related to a concept/construct or area of interest; ascertain a “gap” in the existing science that is worthy of further exploration. Students will become familiar with the benefits of partnering with an academic research librarian to perform a systematic search. Knowledge acquired in the course will assist the student during their plan of study to develop various types of ‘review’ papers, research proposals, and manuscripts required in the Ph.D. program and in their career as a scholar. Through asynchronous online discussion and podcasting students will become familiar with the step-wise process of reviewing and analyzing a body of literature. 1 s.h.

NRPHD-801. Advanced Quantitative Research Methods. This course provides an overview of advanced quantitative methods used by nurse scientists along with an in-depth examination of relationships between and among variables central to answering questions and hypothesis through experimental design. Course content includes essential steps in designing quantitative methods for a research proposal. Experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs are covered, along with sampling and data collection in quantitative research. Rigor and validity in quantitative research are emphasized along with an overview of processes of quantitative data analysis, clinical significance, and interpretation of quantitative results. Students will develop a quantitative-focused Specific Aims page and proposal outline by the end of this course. 3 s.h.

NRPHD 807. Advanced Applied Statistical Methods for Nursing Research. This course is designed to provide a conceptual background and applied use of advanced statistics that are appropriate in nursing and health science. The purpose is to interpret the results of research studies that have utilized such methods, and for students to be able to apply these analytical methods to their own data analyses in health care research. The advanced statistical methods covered include: complex analysis of variance, multiple regression, logistic regression, multiple correlation analysis, path analysis, and factor analysis. Students will implement these analyses with SPSS statistical software using research datasets. At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to identify and carry out an appropriate statistical analysis and to interpret results through statements of statistical and clinical conclusions with an emphasis on cultural variations, diverse populations, and potential for describing disparities. 3 s.h.

NRPHD-811. Philosophical and Theoretical Underpinnings of Nursing Science. The course provides students with a historical and contemporary assessment of the central philosophical and theoretical issues concerning the nature of science, the patterns of knowing and knowledge development, and philosophy of science in nursing. Philosophy of science is explored through critical analysis of competing philosophical worldviews/paradigms, the underlying epistemological and ontological assumptions, and implications of diverse approaches to knowledge development in nursing science. The course considers historical and contemporary conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of nursing and related sciences. Students are guided to contemplate the philosophic assumptions upon which specific theories are based and how the nature of the research problem and theory guides the choice of research method. Students are also guided in the process of the identification of key theoretical concepts and relationships for their own planned research.

NRPHD-813. Foundations of Scholarship in Nursing Science.This course provides foundational skills and knowledge on which students will build throughout the program of study to become successful scholars in nursing science. Emphasis is placed on understanding the nursing science field and the role of the nurse scholar in the context of team science, particularly pertaining to endeavors toward addressing health disparities and health equities. Course activities will facilitate development of a formative research trajectory and skill building for scholarly pursuits.

NRPHD-815. Design & Methods of Scientific Inquiry. This introductory course supports development of students’ foundational understanding of research design and methodology prior to enrollment in subsequent advanced scientific methods courses. The course provides students with a comprehensive introduction and overview of research concepts, study design, and methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Course activities will facilitate a broad understanding of the fundamental concepts of research and design approaches.

NRPHD 817. Trends in Symptom Science & Self-Management of Chronic Conditions. This course provides students with an overview of contributions to the fields of symptom and self-management sciences through exploration of key concepts, theoretical underpinnings, and models of care related to the complexity of chronic conditions. Specific to their own areas of discovery students will explore targeted self-management intervention research and programs delivered in various settings, and outcomes on symptoms. Course activities will facilitate an advanced understanding of lifespan and developmental considerations for students’ specific populations.

NRPHD-819. Qualitative Research Methods. This course is designed as a survey of qualitative research methods in the development of nursing and health science. The course includes epistemology, philosophical assumptions, issues in the research planning process related to qualitative research methods, differentiation among types and purposes of qualitative study designs, and methods for data collection and analysis. The course attends to ethical issues unique to qualitative research.

NRPHD-822. Trends in Patient & Community Engagement in Research. This course provides students with an overview of contributions to the fields of patient and community engagement in research through exploration of key concepts, theoretical underpinnings, models, and principles of engagement that promote collaboration throughout the research process in various healthcare delivery settings. Specific to their own areas of discovery students will explore strategies of research and programs delivered in various settings to improve quality of care and clinical outcomes. Course activities will facilitate a better understanding of patient and community engagement considerations in healthcare research settings for students’ specific populations.

NRPHD-823. Analysis & Application of Theories, Frameworks, and Models. This course draws upon an interdisciplinary body of scientific literature to explore and critically analyze theoretical conceptualizations and models of health and health behavior as a basis for nursing research. Course activities facilitate exploration of the application of theory in the iterative process of scientific inquiry from knowledge generation through implementation. The course promotes identification of underlying concepts and theories that will serve as the basis of conducting research in a focused area, including relevant social determinants of health and health disparities and their relationship with health behaviors and health related outcomes. Students conduct a theoretically guided synthesis of the literature related to a selected phenomenon of interest to identify potential gaps in knowledge and directions for future research.

NRPHD-825. Measurement & Instrumentation. This course provides in-depth study of the major techniques of quantitative measurement used in nursing research. Research techniques related to data collection by physiological instrumentation, observation, interview, and questionnaire are explored, as well as how they are adapted for use in different target populations. Reliability, validity and common types of error are also covered in depth. Students will evaluate measurement and instrumentation in published studies. Students will gain practical experience in measurement within their area of interest.

NRPHD-827. Trends in Dissemination & Implementation Science.This course provides students with an overview of contributions to the fields of dissemination and implementation science through exploration of key concepts, theoretical underpinnings, and methods for translating research into practice and dissemination of best practices. Specific to their own areas of discovery students will explore evaluation frameworks and research on programs delivered in various settings, reporting implementation and clinical outcomes. Course activities will facilitate a better understanding of specific research considerations for conducting studies which evaluate both implementation and clinical outcomes.

NRPHD-829. Mixed Methods Research. This course provides an introduction to mixed methods research, integrating concepts and approaches in the design, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of clinical and health related research. Course content focuses on pragmatic considerations and foundational issues of integrating mixed methods throughout the development and assessment of interventions, variations in definitions associated with multi-method and mixed methodological designs, and strategies for integrating mixed methods throughout various stages of the research process. Course activities will facilitate an understanding of mixed methodological design approaches and use in health research and provide opportunities for applying integration and analytical skills.

NRPHD-833. Scholarly Synthesis of Scientific Literature. This course builds upon foundations constructed in the previous theory courses to further explore and develop the theoretical foundation of a research question and problem. Course activities facilitate students’ identification and understanding of theoretical perspectives appropriately aligned with a specific research problem, resulting in a synthesis document that shapes their area of inquiry. Emphasis is placed on developing a theoretical approach that takes into consideration the social and cultural variations and needs of diverse populations. Successful completion of the course requires students to produce a publishable review manuscript that provides a synthesis of the research literature on the selected research topic.

NRPHD-837. Intervention Research. This course provides students with an introduction to methodological, ethical and practical approaches to design, implement, evaluate and disseminate evidence- and theory-based interventions. The importance of development of intervention protocols will be taught with reference to social determinants and cultural tailoring for diverse individuals/populations. Course activities will facilitate a better understanding of a selected intervention model specific to the student’s focal area of research interest.

NRPHD-839. Applied Study Design & Methods. This course is designed to teach students to apply appropriate study design and associated methods to fit their research interest. Students are expected to begin this course with a defined dissertation research topic, a research question, a supporting literature review, and proposed methods. This course will explore the next steps of the research process, to further develop methods for conducting the research. This will include refining the research question, specific methods, study implementation, and human subjects protections.

NRPHD-845. Trends in Technology Science.This course provides students with an overview of contributions to the fields of technology science through exploration of key concepts, theoretical underpinnings, and application of various technologies to improve access to care, consumer adoption and satisfaction, and health-related outcomes. Specific to their own areas of discovery students will explore various technologies used to promote health care, theoretical models and frameworks for the application and evaluation of technologies, practical considerations in the use of technology with different populations, and health-care related outcomes. Course activities will facilitate a better understanding of technologies used to promote healthcare and processes for improving reach, adoption and sustained use of technologies by providers and patients.

NRPHD-990. Dissertation. The dissertation course provides students, who have entered Candidacy and passed their Dissertation Proposal Defense, the structure to complete the dissertation research requirements. Students will work with their dissertation chair and dissertation committee members to conduct the dissertation study, develop the dissertation compendium, and finally defend the doctoral dissertation, while maintaining the rigor of their proposed research and acting responsibly in the conduct of research. Meetings of the entire committee are required at least once per semester. Students should facilitate communication with their committee through the dissertation chair. While a total of nine (9) credit hours of NRPHD 990 are required, credits above that amount can be added at 3 credits per semester until the dissertation work is completed and the student remains in good academic standing. Variable s.h. All.