NUR 813 Nursing Leadership Seminar: Applying Data to Practice (2 cr.)

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

School of Nursing

Graduate Nursing Program

Course Syllabus 

Spring 2025

COURSE:  NUR 813 Nursing Leadership Seminar: Applying Data to Practice (2 cr.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This online seminar develops students' skills in identifying, critiquing and applying data in health care. Students investigate evidence-based research and how that data is used to improve health system outcomes. In addition, they examine electronic data transfer methods and displays that illustrate performance. Finally, students debate the ethical aspects of data access, security and use

Offered: Spring semester, online

CLASS SCHEDULE: Online, asynchronous 

The online course begins on Tuesday January 21, 2025, and runs through Friday, May 9, 2025. 

Notice of school closing due to inclement weather conditions: (203) 582-8989.  

FACULTY INFORMATION:

Linda Merritt, PhD, RNC-NIC, CNE, FAWHONN  

Associate Professor                                    

Office Location: MNH 470F                         

Office Hours: By appointment

Phone: (203) 582-7532

Sheila Kempf PhD, RN, NEA-BC

Part time faculty, Quinnipiac University

Office Hours: By appointment

Phone: (203) 494-5805 cell

CONTACTING FACULTY: Students may contact the faculty via email or phone. The faculty are available Mon-Fri 8a to 4p. All emails will be responded to within 24 hours M-Th. Emails received on Fri/Sat/Sun will be responded to on Mon. If this time frame has passed, we welcome a gentle reminder email. Please note will be out of the country from February 2nd to February 9th and will not have access to email during that time.

LIBRARY CONSULTANT INFORMATION:

Rachel Lerner MSLS, AHIP

Nursing Librarian

Office Location: Netter Library, North Haven Campus

Please Note: Reference interactions may be virtual 

Work Phone: (203) 582-8549 to schedule a virtual appointment

Zoom Chat (if available, Rachel will answer)

WRITING CONSULTANT INFORMATION:

Jaime Flores MA

Academic Specialist

Office Location: SLE 340C North Haven Campus

Work Phone: (203) 582-5291

Make an Appointment: https://qu.elluciancrmadvise.com/StudentSelfService/

Virtual Office: https://quinnipiac.zoom.us/my/jaime.flore

COURSE OUTCOMES:

The graduate nursing DNP curriculum is consistent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. The Essentials’ Domains and Concepts are consistent with this nursing course and are identified with the appropriate course outcome.  The graduate nursing curriculum is also consistent with the graduate Program Outcomes (PO). The program outcomes consistent with this course are identified with the appropriate course outcome. The School of Nursing is a Holistic Endorsed School and integrates the Holistic Core Values into this course. Please see the Curriculum Standards in in Blackboard for a description of The Essentials (AACN), the Program Outcomes (PO), and Holistic Core Values (HCV). The Standards consistent with this nursing course are identified with the appropriate course outcome.  

Course Objectives

By completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Discuss government initiatives for data security and PHI. (AACN 5 (5.1j), 8 (8.4e, 8.5g8.5k), Concept 7; PO 4, 5, 8; HCV 5).
2. Discuss access and securing protected health information. (AACN 5 (5.j), 8 (8.1g, 8.1j, 8.5i), Concept 2; PO 4, 8; HCV 1, 5).
3. Identify data systems in healthcare and electronic medical records. (AACN 2 (2.5k), 4 (4.2f), 8 (8.1i,8.1k), 9(9.2i, 9.2l), Concept 2; PO 4,8; HCV 1, 3, 4, 5).
4. Analyze health information data and data displays. (AACN 2 (2.3h, 2.4f, 2.5j, 2.7d&f) 4 (4.1j, 4.1k), 8 (8.2f &g, 8.2i&j) 9 (9.3l), 10 (10.2g), Concept 2; PO 2, 3; HCV 3, 4).
5. Recognize ethical implications surrounding the use of data. (AACN 2 (2.2j) 3 (3.5i, 3.6g), 4 (4.1m, 4.3e, 4.3g-i) 8 (8.1h, 8.3g, 8.3i, 8.5h) 9 (9.1h, 9.2j, 9.6g, 9.6i), Concept 3, 5; PO 8; HCV 1)
6. Design a personal plan for professional development that integrates exploration of issues within healthcare organizational systems and delivery channels (AACN 1 (1.1e&f, 1.2f-j. 1.3d-f), 2 (2.6e) 10 (10.2i, 10.3k), Concept 1, 6; PO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8; HCV 2, 5).

LEARNING STRATEGIES:

Assigned Readings

Multimedia

Written/Data Assignments

Library Research

METHODS OF EVALUATION:  

Course Information Module	Complete/Incomplete
Discussion Boards	20%
Excel Certification	Complete/Incomplete
Dataset of Interest Assignment	10%
Tableau Public Software Assignment	10%
Data Science Assessment	20%
Safety & Legal Concepts in Healthcare Paper	25%
Virtual Oral Presentation & Peer Feedback	15%

NOTE: Late Assignments: Assignments that are submitted late will receive a penalty of minus 10 points per day. After 3 days, the grade reverts to a “zero (0).” Students are responsible for notifying their assigned faculty in advance if an extenuating situation arises that affects their ability to submit an  assignment on time.

Course Grade: 

Guidelines for course completion, continuation, or failure include:

• Pass/Fail assignment requires a Pass to successfully complete this course. 

Graduate Progression Policy: The minimum passing grade in nursing courses is a B minus (B-). A student who earns less than the minimum passing grade in one nursing course, but who has a semester GPA of at least 3.0, will be required to retake the course when it is offered again at Quinnipiac University. The student may not proceed into courses for which the deficient course is a prerequisite. Thus, the student will be placed in another student cohort and the student’s program completion date will be delayed.  Please refer to the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook and Policy Manual for more detail regarding student policies.

ZOOM RECORDINGS:

Faculty may record class meetings and sessions. Individual student recording of classes or meetings is prohibited unless outlined in a student's learning accommodations. This includes photographs, screen capture, or other copying or sharing methods of all video (pre-recorded or live) or Zoom Chat exchanges during classes or meetings. Circulating such recordings via the internet, email, and social media is also prohibited. All students' privacy, and instructor copyright, must be appropriately protected in the online learning environment. Instructors and staff may not grant individual student requests to record class sessions or meetings. It violates the Academic Integrity Policy to make unauthorized recordings without approved accommodations from the Office of Student Accessibility (OSA), and doing so may result in sanctions against the student. 

ZOOM ETIQUETTE:

There is a “camera on” approach in this course. All synchronous classes and the DNP Defense will take place via Zoom video conferencing. When attending class meetings and sessions, the student's camera must be turned on and microphones muted unless speaking to the class.  Students will attend using a computer (not a phone).  The background should not have anything disruptive/distracting while the student is on camera. This includes, but is not limited to driving, or riding in a vehicle, riding a bike, exercising, or any activity that would take your attention away from the class. Feel free to set settings for a virtual background if preferred.  Students should be dressed professionally, sitting up or standing, and paying attention and engaged throughout. If a student must leave, please leave the zoom session and sign back into the meeting as soon as able.  The faculty reserve the right to remove the student from the classroom zoom meeting if the student does not meet professional expectations.   

NETIQUETTE:

Netiquette Policy – In any online communication, students will communicate academically and respectfully. Students will refrain from using inappropriate language and disrespectful tones when communicating with other students and the professor. Students will observe common rules of grammar and punctuation, communicate in a clear and succinct manner, and maintain the level of academic integrity expected in a traditional face-to-face course.  The Core Rules of Netiquett

USE OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE: 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is only used with faculty permission per the syllabus guidelines. AI is not permitted in this doctoral course, or for any assignments requiring clinical judgment, critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, reflection, or discussion posts. Since writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills are part of developing clinical judgment and of the learning outcomes of this course, all writing assignments should be prepared by the student, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools. Developing strong competencies in these areas will prepare you for a competitive workplace. The use of an AI Generator such as ChatGPT, iA Writer, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc. is explicitly prohibited unless otherwise noted by course faculty and will be treated as plagiarism. Additionally, the information derived from these tools is based on previously published materials and using these tools without proper citation constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty is required in all work you submit to be graded. If used for another reason with faculty approval only, the proper APA 7th edition citation is required stating that AI was used for purpose.

ADA AND ACCOMMODATIONS:

Quinnipiac University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is committed to creating a learning environment that meets the needs of its diverse student body. If you anticipate or experience any barriers to learning in this course, please discuss your concerns with me to devise a plan. If you have a disability or think you may have a disability, you should meet with the Office of Student Accessibility to begin this conversation or request reasonable accommodations. Please get in touch with the Office of Student Accessibility. They may also be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 203-582-7600

If you have already been approved for accommodations through the Office of Student Accessibility, please share this information with your course faculty at the beginning of the semester. It is your responsibility to request accommodations and follow all policies established by the Learning Commons.

Should you find yourself falling behind, please reach out immediately to your faculty. We want to provide you with any/all resources that might be helpful in ensuring your success in the course. It is easier for us to address your needs if we know about them as soon as they arise.  

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The University Academic Integrity Policy is on the university web site and in the University Student Handbook. The School of Nursing adheres strictly to this policy. The Academic Integrity Policy can be viewed in detail at: MyQ > Academics > Academic Integrity > Academic Integrity Policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN BLACKBOARD:

Course Information Module Content: 

• Guidelines for Graduate Education 

Holistic Core Values 

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

• University Policy and Student Support

QU Statement on Inclusive Values

QU Policy on Academic Integrity

Academic and Student Support Services

• Quinnipiac Technology Support

Technology Help Request

Blackboard Guides and Resources

Technology Center

• Library Orientation and APA Guidelines

Edward and Barbara Netter Library Website

Nursing Resource Guide

Style and Grammar Guidelines from APA

Netter Library APA Citation Help Guide

Netter Library Frequently Asked Questions

• Next Steps

Review Course Material

Navigate the Course Interface

Check for Announcements

Participate in Introductions

Utilize Communication Tools

Review Technical Requirements

Review and Seek Help

ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES: 

American Psychological Association Style (APA Style), 7th Edition is required for all citations used in written nursing assignments.  Students must cite all facts, thoughts, and ideas, which are not original. For information on APA resources see BB > Course Information Module> Library Orientation and APA Guidelines or see the QU library website at MyQ > IT & Libraries> Library- Edward and Barbara Netter > Research Guides> APA Citation Help.  Plagiarism is a violation of the QU academic integrity policy.  

Students are responsible for attending to additional course documents posted in Blackboard.  These postings are considered part of the course syllabus.  Faculty will direct students to the BB menu and folder locations.

SYLLABUS CHANGES:

Faculty reserve the right to revise the syllabus and/or assignment guidelines at any point during the semester when deemed necessary. Students will be informed of any changes to syllabus via BB, email and during class. Revised syllabus will be posted on BB. It is the responsibility of the student to keep up with any such modifications and be aware of current policies, deadlines, etc. 

PERMISSION FOR FACULTY TO USE STUDENT WORK:

Faculty may wish to use student assignments for exemplars as an aid for future students or for accreditation purposes. Faculty may also wish to analyze student assignments, papers, or other learning activities for the purposes of informing faculty evaluation, curricular revision, innovation, and/or future course planning. Your confidentiality will be preserved.  If you have any concerns, or do not wish that your work would be used for these purposes, please speak to the course faculty.

MODULES AND DUE DATES:                                                                                                                         Modules are two weeks in length unless otherwise noted in the course schedule. Each module begins on Monday and ends on Sunday at 11:59pm. Due dates for all module assignments are specified on the topical outline and Blackboard. 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: 

McBride, S. & Tietze, M. (2023). Nursing Informatics for the Advanced Practice Nurse (3rd ed). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

Sylvia, M. L., & Terhaar, M. F. (2024). Clinical Analytics and Data Management for the DNP (3rd ed). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS:

Topical Outline 

Dates	Topic	Assignments  (all due “no later than” by 11:59 pm)
Module 1:  1/21 – 2/2/25	History of Data Then and Now *Add/drop registration period ends on Monday 1/27/25.	Attend class intro meeting either Jan 21st @ 7 pm or  Jan 23rd @ 10am (or review recorded session posted to BB). Blackboard   Review resources   Read/watch History of Data Then & Now Lecture Complete Introduction and Data Discussion boards by Jan 31st 11:59pm
Module 2: 2/3 – 2/16/25	Informatics, EHRs, & Data Analytics	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Complete Dataset of Interest by Feb 15th 11:59 PM Read/watch Nursing Informatics & EHRs and Introduction to Healthcare Data Analytics Lectures Class Meeting February 12th @7:30 pm (will be recorded if cannot make it)
Module 3:  2/17 – 3/2/25	Security & Ethical Implications with Patient Data	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Complete Discussion Board on Healthcare Security Breaches Discussion Board by March 1st 11:59pm Read/watch Security and Ethical Implications for Patient Data
Module 4: 3/3-3/9/25; 3/17- 3/23/25	Analyzing Health Information Data Happy Spring Break! (please take a break😊)	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Complete the Excel Basics for Data Analysis Certification and post certificate of completion by March 24th at 11:59 pm Attend Lecture via Zoom on March 4th @7pm (will be recorded if cannot make it)
Module 5: 3/24 – 4/6/25	Displaying Health Information Data *Last day to withdraw from course with a grade of “W” is Friday, March 28th.	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Attend mid-semester class meeting March 27th @ 10am (will be recorded if cannot make it) Tableau Public Software Assignment due April 5, 2025 @ 11:59 pm
Module 6: 4/7 – 4/20/25	Creating a Story with Data *QU is closed on Friday, April 18th	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Attend class meeting April 9th @7pm (will be recorded if cannot make it) Data Science Assessment Assignment due April 19, 2025 @ 11:59 pm
Module 7: 4/21– 5/4/25	Putting it All Together	Readings: See Blackboard for reading assignments Safety & Legal Concepts in Health Care Paper due May 5th @11:59 pm
Final Exam Week 5/5-5/9/25	University Final Exam Week	Virtual Oral Presentation & Peer Feedback due 5/6/25 @12 Noon

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ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment: Class Discussion on Data Now (10%)

Purpose: Discuss a system currently used in your facility and the role of the APN and nurse leader in using this system for quality improvement.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 3, 4

Assignment Guidelines: Students will answer questions about a system currently in use, its pros and cons, the role of the APN and nursing leader in using this system, and why understanding history is so important. 

 Modules are two weeks in length and begin on Monday of the first week and end on the Sunday of the second week at 11:59 PM. 

The initial post must answer the module’s question(s) 250 - 500 words (one to two paragraphs) by Sunday of the first week. Respond to at least one initial post (someone else’s) AND respond to at least one comment on your own post by Sunday of the second week. If no one commented on your post, please respond to another initial post. 

Cite all materials using APA format at the end of each post. Initial posts require at least two citations (one from a scholarly peer-reviewed source; one can be used from the module readings). Response posts require at least one citation. 

Late postings are not beneficial and do not contribute to discussions, and points are deducted per the syllabus guidelines for late assignments. Due dates are posted in the syllabus and on Blackboard. 

Method of Assessment: Rubric posted on Blackboard

Assignment: Data Set of Interest (20%)

Purpose: To start to analyze data sets to provide an understanding of how to accomplish analyzing big data.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 4

Assignment Guidelines: Students will choose a big data set in nursing that they are interested in. They will explore the data and summarize findings (including if the data is historical, cross-sectional, reliable and valid and will identify if it is quantitative or qualitative data and where this was located.

Method of Assessment: rubric posted on Blackboard

Assignment: Healthcare Security Breaches Discussion Board (10%)

Purpose: Discuss a recent healthcare security breach and identify the lessons learned from this breach to provide the student with an understanding of how data breaches impact healthcare and big data.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 1, 2, 5

Assignment Guidelines: Students will answer questions about a system currently in use, its pros and cons, the role of the APN and nursing leader in using this system, and why understanding history is so important. 

Modules are two weeks in length and begin on Monday of the first week and end on the Sunday of the second week at 11:59 PM. 

The initial post must answer the module’s question(s) 250 - 500 words (one to two paragraphs) by Sunday of the first week. Respond to at least one initial post (someone else’s) AND respond to at least one comment on your own post by Sunday of the second week. If no one commented on your post, please respond to another initial post. Cite all materials using APA format at the end of each post. Initial posts require at least two citations (one from a scholarly peer-reviewed source; one can be used from the module readings). Response posts require at least one citation. Late postings are not beneficial and do not contribute to discussions, and points are deducted per the syllabus guidelines for late assignments. Due dates are posted in the syllabus and on Blackboard. 

Method of Assessment: Rubric posted on Blackboard Method of Assessment: 

Assignment: Excel Basics for Data Analysis (Complete/Incomplete) 

Purpose: To help students develop the skills necessary in Excel to perform data analysis.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 4, 6

Assignment Guidelines: Students will complete the Excel Basics for Data Analysis course through Coursera available at https://www.coursera.org/learn/excel-basics-data-analysis-ibm. Students will post certification of completion on Blackboard by March 24th at 11:59 pm

Method of Assessment: Complete/Incomplete.

Assignment: Tableau Public Software Assignment (10%) 

Purpose: To help students develop the skills necessary to plan and analyze big data.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 4, 5

Assignment Guidelines: Students will follow directions at end of Chap 21 in Data Analytics textbook to do and view the introductory tutorials and materials. On the basis of one of the data sets in the supplemental materials, students write out the triage process for creating a visualization answering these questions: what clear and concise story needs to be shown, what is happening in the story, is this a single moment in time or multiple time periods, and what is the number of data points to display? Students will then create a visualization based on the triage assessment.

Method of Assessment: rubric posted on Blackboard.

Assignment: Data Science Assessment (20%) 

Purpose: To explore how data is used in nursing practice and leadership. 

Relevant Course Outcomes: 3,4,5,6

Assignment Guidelines: Students will select a nursing database or nursing relevant EHR aggregate data and discuss practice applications to improve patient, operational or process outcomes.  Examples of topics can be specific to one quality indicator (falls, CAUTI etc) or a disease entity (such as congestive heart failure or diabetes readmissions), staffing data to justify budget, or a process failure (such as Emergency Dept patient flow). Students will write a 2–3-page paper (not including title and reference pages) describing the data set selected, how the data is captured and displayed, the significance of the data set, how to use the data to create a story or action plan to improve a patient, process or operational outcome.  This is NOT a paper on quality improvement but a synopsis of the use of data in your practice as a leader. Use publicly-available deidentified data (i.e., CMS and Hospital Compare). The paper should adhere to all components of APA 7th edition.

Method of Assessment: Rubric posted on Blackboard

Assignment: Safety & Legal Concepts in Healthcare Paper (25%)

Purpose: To identify a safety/ legal/regulatory issue or concept in healthcare affecting a local setting, synthesize evidence about this concept in the local setting and plan for experiential activities during clinical practice hours in NUR 815 appropriate to this concept, facilitating a comparison of this this concept at the national level and facilitate the understanding of the legal aspects of healthcare. Examples could include data breaches, emergency management planning, collective bargaining, providing telemedicine, use of wearable devices. 

Relevant Course Outcomes: 2,4,5,6

Assignment Guidelines: The Proposal Paper is an integrated paper that involves reviewing relevant literature, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the evidence related to a selected legal/regulatory issue or concept in healthcare. It integrates original thoughts and ideas based on evidence to uncover what is known about the legal/regulatory aspects of the healthcare concept. The paper should include, but is not limited to, definition, strengths/risks, and resources of the legal/regulatory issues or concepts. In addition, the plan includes experiential activities and proposals for the following semester (during clinical practice hours in NUR 815) to situate the safety/legal/regulatory issue or concept in a national context. The proposal must include short- and long-term goals to meet the clinical practice hours. The paper adheres to all components of APA 7th edition. The due date is posted in the syllabus and on Blackboard. 

Method of Assessment: Rubric posted on Blackboard

Assignment: Virtual Oral Presentation and Peer Feedback (15%)

Purpose: To present details safety/legal/regulatory issue or concept in healthcare affecting a local setting, share different perspectives on safety/ legal/regulatory issue or concept in healthcare affecting a local setting, and provide holistic peer feedback.

Relevant Course Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5,6

Assignment Guidelines: Students will present sections of their safety/legal/regulatory paper and clearly articulate the strengths and challenges for their selected concept, as well as proposed activities in NUR 815. The presentation is 10-12 min long and may include PowerPoint slides or any other visuals to enhance the work. The recorded presentation is posted to the discussion board. Students will view respond with holistic and meaningful feedback to at least one virtual oral presentation (someone else’s) AND respond to at least one comment on your own post. If no one commented on your post, respond to another initial post. Due dates are posted in the syllabus and on Blackboard.

Method of Assessment: Rubric posted on Blackboard

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