The University of Texas at Tyler



The University of Texas at Tyler College of Nursing

NURS 5327 Nursing Education Curriculum Development

TEMPLATE: Critique of Course Description and Learning Outcomes:

Student: (Type In name) Tracy J. Nash

Instructions:

1. Download and analyze the assigned nursing course description.

2. Complete this template without changing it except to enter with your conclusions in practical wording.

3. Use at least ONE NURS 5327 course reference to support of your information. This can be from Dr. McVey’s lecture, or a text (Oremann or others you may have) or literature you find. Paraphrase text references directly from text chapters, citing chapter authors, and go beyond lecture citations.

4. Save the entire template with your name in the title and submit in the Assignment link.

I. Nursing course specifications: (10%) (4-6 lines total)

See Texas Common Course Numbering System

Standard course numbering and title: The title specifies the major theme of the course (McVey, 2009) and is identified by a four-character upper-case alphabetic abbreviation for the discipline and a four-digit number (Texas Common Course Numbering System [TCCNS], 2010; Keating, 2015)

Course Credit: Appropriateness of format for credit distribution: The format follows the TCCNS (2010) naming rubric guidelines, since the course is a total of three credit hours and the second digit of its four-digit number is the number three. Total credit hours are displayed, including lecture and clinical (McVey, 2009). The syllabus states credit hours as “1 theory/2 Laboratory: 3 Credit Hours.” If laboratory is assumed to be clinical hours, it is slightly less than the 3:1 ratio suggested by McVey (2009).

Prerequisites (How clearly specified): According to the syllabus, the prerequisite courses are specified by admission to the nursing program and prior completion or concurrent enrollment of three nursing courses listed by category (discipline) and level (four digit identifying number), not the recommended course name (McVey, 2009).

(FYI: There is a discrepancy comparing the syllabus to the 2012-2014 UT Tyler Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog (2012). According to the syllabus, prerequisites include admission to the nursing program, NURS 3205, NURS 3303, NURS 3307, or concurrent enrollment. The UT Tyler Catalog specifies prerequisites as admission to the nursing program and completion of NURS 3205 and NURS 3303).

References

Keating, S. B. (2015). The context in which teaching takes place: The curriculum. In

M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 257-274). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

McVey, J. (2009). Planning and implementing curricular designs (Lecture notes).

Texas Common Course Numbering System. (2010). Naming rubric. Retrieved from

The University of Texas at Tyler. (2012). 2012-2014 Undergraduate and graduate catalog, 28(1), Retrieved from

II. Course Description: (20%) (4-6 lines EACH area separately)

My critique on how well the course meets these criteria for effective nursing program elements to give reassurance to key stakeholders that the emphasis is on these components.

1. Nursing emphasis (Level of nursing judgment. Stage and acuity of care from preventive to critical. Care settings):

According to The University of Texas at Tyler (2014) website, baccalaureate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, 2013), which require programs to follow The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. The Essentials identify that nursing judgment should include interpreting evidence, which is appropriately described in this course. Action terms for competency in holistic care are clearly delineated as “assessments, health history, and comprehensive physical examination,” however, specific stages of care such as health promotion, illness care, disease prevention, and palliative care are not specified in the course description as suggested by McVey (2009). Care settings of this course do meet the CCNE (2013) guidelines of a “various types of settings” (p. 34).

2. Target population (Age or developmental stage. Health care status):

“Patients across the lifespan” identifies the target population to include people of all ages and developmental stages, as suggested by McVey (2009). Heath care status, such as healthy versus illness (including acute, chronic, critical, and terminal) are not specifically identified as proposed by McVey (2009), but may be inferred by the words “patients across the lifespan.” Although caring for these patients will likely provide ample opportunity for the nurse to encounter all health care statuses, the course could more clearly define the target population.

3. Health challenges (Physical, Developmental, Sociocultural, Spiritual needs):

The course description does not elaborate on types of life challenges or health problems, and does not incorporate the holistic needs of developmental and spiritual care (McVey, 2009). The course description does appropriately mention that holistic health assessments are included and that levels of physical, cognitive, and social functioning are analyzed and interpreted. Care settings are not clearly defined, but generalized as “selected settings.” The care setting description would benefit from being more specific, such as home, hospital, etc. (McVey, 2009).

4. Learning experiences: (Lecture with testing. Other assignments):

Satisfactory attainment of didactic and clinical criteria is well defined as suggested by McVey (2009) in the course description. Learning activities and methods to analyze students’ levels of achievements are carefully scripted in the curriculum framework as suggested by Keating (2015), and include examinations, a health history assignment, a grand rounds presentation, and a daily grade. Moreover, clinical assignments clearly describe learner autonomy expectations (McVey, 2009), citing seven mandatory clinical skills.

References

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (2013). Standards for accreditation of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. Retrieved from

Keating, S. B. (2015). The context in which teaching takes place: The curriculum. In

M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 257-274). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

McVey, J. (2009). Planning and implementing curricular designs (Lecture notes).

The University of Texas at Tyler. (2014). College of nursing. Retrieved from

III. Learning Outcomes: (30%) (4-6 lines each *area) My critique how well the learning outcomes assure stakeholders that the emphasis is on these components.

1. Nursing emphasis (Level of nursing judgment. Stage and acuity of care from preventive to critical. Care settings):

In the syllabus, nursing judgment is described as maintaining the ability to “integrate” principles from the sciences in health history and physical assessments. Keating (2015) identifies “integrates” as an appropriate term for intermediate learner objectives (p. 268), which would be appropriate for a third year student. Competencies for holistic care in the syllabus are identified as integrating skills, knowledge, and attitudes, which are actions terms as proposed by McVey (2009). Stages of care are delineated in terms of patient education, with the exception of palliative care which should be included (McVey. 2009). The care setting also needs to be identified.

2. Target population (Age or developmental stage. Health care status):

The target population is clearly identified as adult patients. The health care status such as healthy versus ill (including acute, chronic, critical, or terminally ill patients) needs to be included in the learning outcomes (McVey, 2009). According to The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nurses [AACN], 2008) students need to be able to conduct comprehensive assessments of health and illness. Moreover, the “College of Nursing Guide for Baccalaureate Students” (The University of Texas at Tyler, 2011) also supports that students need to be able to apply the nursing process to diverse populations, which would include varying health care statuses. This should be further explicated in the syllabus.

3. Health challenges (Physical, Developmental, Sociocultural, Spiritual needs):

As suggested by McVey (2009), life or health challenges are not specifically delineated in the learning outcomes on the syllabus. Holistic care needs, such as meeting physical demands through patient assessments, health promotion, maintenance, restoration, and disease prevention are integrated into the outcomes, however, developmental, sociocultural, and spiritual needs are not explicitly addressed (McVey, 2009). As suggested by McVey (2009), care settings are not outlined and should be included in the learning outcomes.

4. Learning Domains (Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor):

All three categories of learning outcomes are well defined. The cognitive domain is represented by requiring students to demonstrate growing intellectual skills or behaviors (Hagler & Morris, 2015; Vinson, n.d.; Woodley, 2015), such as knowledge in physical and behavioral sciences, technology and information systems, regulatory requirements, etc. The affective domain is incorporated by requiring the demonstration of caring and professional values or attitudes (Woodley, 2015). Finally, the psychomotor domain, “which involves skilled movement” (Hagler & Morris, 2015, p. 36) is included by the requirement of physical actions, such as holistic assessment skills and providing patient education.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nurses. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from resources/baccessentials08.pdf

Hagler, D., & Morris, B. (2015). Teaching methods. In M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 35-59). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Keating, S. B. (2015). The context in which teaching takes place: The curriculum. In

M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 257-274). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

McVey, J. (2009). Planning and implementing curricular designs (Lecture notes).

The University of Texas at Tyler. (2011). College of nursing guide for baccalaureate students. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from content-rid-1770155_1/courses/2014-SUMMERI-NURS-5327.060/13-14%20baccalaureate- Student-Guide.pdf

Vinson, C. (n.d.) Learning domains and delivery of instruction. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from

Woodley, L. K. (2015). Clinical teaching in nursing. In M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 141-161). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

IV. Teaching/ Learning Strategies and Assignments (20%) (5-6 lines each area)

Congruency of strategies and assignments with course description:

Strategies and assignments include written examinations, written lab assignments, case studies, a health history, grand rounds, and mastery of seven clinical and laboratory skills, which are congruent with the course description. According to the syllabus, mastery of skills are clearly defined as mandatory competencies in the course description. The course description also describes completion of a health history, with clear emphasis on the development of nursing assessment skills. As outlined in the syllabus, Woodley (2015) also supports teaching strategies such as the use of case studies, short written assignments, and student presentations, as they help develop the nursing skills.

Congruency of strategies and assignments with course objectives:

The primary objective listed in the course outcomes is clearly assessment focused. Students are required to demonstrate assessment skills in a variety of foci, such as health history taking, use of regulatory requirements, professional collaboration, etc., to ultimately provide holistic patient-centered assessments as recommended by The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008). Strategies and assignments, such as written examinations and lab assignments, a health history, grand rounds, mastery of seven mandatory clinical and laboratory skills, etc. are congruent with the development of keen assessment skills. Moreover, as suggested by Woodley (2015), these learning objectives are clearly defined, providing organization which is identified as a key teaching strategy.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nurses. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from resources/baccessentials08.pdf

Woodley, L. K. (2015). Clinical teaching in nursing. In M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 141-161). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

V. Grading Procedures: (20%) (2-4 lines each area)

Critique of Grading Criteria (Specificity and appropriateness)

1. Specific grade weights for assignments listed to total 100% and assigned grade categories in decimal terms (ending in zero or 5 for easy calculation):

Specific grade weights listed for assignments are clearly explicated, as suggested by McVey (2009). Assigned grade categories are described, clearly stating the numbers required to achieve letter grades and that grades ending in decimals will not be rounded up when calculating the averages. These criteria are congruent to the grading policies outlined in the “College of Nursing Guide for Baccalaureate Students” (The University of Texas at Tyler, 2011).

2. Comparison of grade weighting between written tests and other graded assignments:

According to Oermann (2015), weighting should be based on the emphasis of the outcomes and the course content. For example, unit examinations should be weighted more heavily than short assignments (Oermann, 2015). Weighting between written tests and other graded assignments are well defined and evenly distributed. The comprehensive final exam is worth the most points, followed by examinations, the grand rounds, health history assignment, etc. Mastery of seven clinical skills is an expectation and not calculated in the written or graded assignments, but clearly identified in a two-dimensional system, “pass/fail,” as supported by Oermann (2015).

Critique of EQUALITY of Grading Scale categories A through F (comparison of % points in each for grades A, B, C, and D):

The grading scale is not equally distributed for letter categories A through F. The grade “A” spans 11 possible percentage points (90% to 100%); the letter “B,” 10 possible percentage points (80% to 89%); “C,” only 5 possible percentage points (75-79); and “D,” 15 possible percentage points (60% to 74%). According to Oermann (2015), criterion-referenced standards can be used, which may explain the difference in percentage points for each grade.

3. Overall clarity, effectiveness, and fairness of grading Criteria:

Overall, the grading criteria is clear, as it provides an excellent description of what is expected from students and specifically dictates that didactic and clinical competencies are mandatory to pass the class and progress in the program. The criteria are illustrated effectively and fairly, especially in the clinical component where students are given the opportunity for remediation if they present incompetency in a skill. Since students are given clear indication of what they need to learn and the clinical competencies they must master over the course of the semester, and the course outcomes align with these competencies, the grading criteria is fair (Oermann, 2015).

References

McVey, J. (2009). Planning and implementing curricular designs (Lecture notes).

Oermann, M. H. (2015). Assessment methods. In M. H. Oermann (Ed.), Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide to best practice in teaching, evaluation, and curriculum development (4th ed., pp. 191-215). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

The University of Texas at Tyler. (2011). College of nursing guide for baccalaureate students. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from content-rid-1770155_1/courses/2014-SUMMERI-NURS-5327.060/13-14%20baccalaureate- Student-Guide.pdf

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download