YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY

Centofanti School of Nursing

NURS 6900 Healthcare Issues and Trends

CRN 34689

Summer 2 –July 5-August 20, 2022

Course Title:
Healthcare Issues & Trends

This course is comprised of the following hours/week:

3-hour class twice per week over 7 weeks

Class Time:
Asynchronous

Location:
Web-Based

Faculty:
Sheila Blank, DNP, RN, LSN
Assistant Professor
Office: Cushwa, 2841
E-mail: smblank@ysu.edu
Phone: (330) 941–2174 (please contact via email as initial point of contact)

Office Hours
Online Office Hours available by appointment via Webex or telephone.
Email instructor for appointments. All emails will be answered within 1 business day.

Catalog Description:
Exploration of healthcare issues including changing roles and scope of practice, with
emphasis on healthcare policy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and social, cultural,
political, economic, legal, regulatory, and ethical practice considerations.
Pre-requisites: Graduate nursing program status

Last Day for Withdrawing with a Grade of “W”: August 1st , 2022

Course Objectives / MSN Student Learning Outcomes (SLO):

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Analyze advanced practice nursing roles in relation to scope and standards of
practice including ethical principles and professional accountability.(SLO-2)

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 2. Analyze inter-professional collaboration and interdisciplinary communication with
competencies needed to establish and lead inter-disciplinary teams.(SLO-2)
3. Analyze the historical, social, cultural, political, legal, regulatory, and ethical factors
that affect development of advanced practice nursing practice roles. (SLO-2)
4. Analyze the relationships among social inequity, health disparities, and access to
health care. (SLO-2)
5. Evaluate policy implications of health care legislation in the United States and
worldwide. (SLO-2)

Required Texts & Materials

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000 ISBN:
978-1-4338-3216-1
Grossman, S.C. & Valiga, T.M. (2021). The new leadership challenge: Creating the
future of nursing (6th ed.). F.A. Davis. ISBN: 978-1-7196-4041-1
Huston, C. (2020). Professional issues in nursing: Challenges and opportunities (5th
ed.). Wolters Kluwer. ISBN: 978-1-4963-9818-5

Recommended Resource
American Psychological Association. (2020). Concise guide to APA style (7th ed.).
https://doi.org/10.1037/0000173-000 ISBN: 978-1-4338-3273-4

Up-to-Date is free and available through MAAG library.

Teaching Strategies
Lecture postings, readings, Discussion Board assignments, PowerPoint presentations,
podcasts, audiovisual and written assignments, Internet searches, library resources and
Blackboard assignments.

Evaluation:
Course grades will be based on the YSU College of Graduate Studies grading policy as
follows:
A = 90 – 100
B = 80 – 89
C = 70– 79
D = 60 – 69 *
F = below 60*

*Requires repetition of the course.

*Review grading rubric criteria on Blackboard for each course assignment prior to submission.
*Comments and feedback will be available in the grade center for each submitted assignment.

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Weighting of Required Components for Course Grade:
Table 1

Requirements Points
Issues Paper 30%
PowerPoint Presentation of Issues 30%
Blackboard Activities 20%
Class Assignments 20%
Completion of Orientation content S/U
*must be completed in order to progress
TOTAL 100%

Course Policies:
1. Class attendance in accordance with University regulations. Class online attendance is
considered crucial for successful completion of this course. Students are expected to
attend class by participating in discussions and assignments posted on Blackboard.
Students should admit themselves (if not auto enrolled) to the course on Blackboard
and check at least two days per week for any updates and assigned modules to
complete. Check your YSU email frequently for instructor communications.

2. All course materials, reading assignments, Blackboard discussions, weekly assignments

and class notes will be included in the material considered for theory examination.

3. Students are expected to take exams on the scheduled dates and times. A “make up”
on an exam may consist of essay type questions, and arrangements must be made with
the course instructor within 24 hours of testing time.

4. All presentations, assignments, and participation in online discussion is mandatory.

Failure to participate, submit and/or complete required course work will result in course
failure. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm on the due date will be considered late.
Work that is submitted late will result in a 10% grade deduction each day.

5. All students are responsible for downloading and/or printing needed course documents
and reading faculty communications from Blackboard and their YSU email.

6. Notice for class cancellation will be sent via student YSU e-mail address as soon as
possible. Online assignments will not be affected by YSU cancellations.

7. Online Student Expectations: Students should ask questions directly and immediately to
the faculty if they do not understand the instructions or due dates for any assignment.
Online classes require students to organize their time and be responsible for keeping up
with readings and assignment due dates as listed in the course schedule and/or syllabus.
Online assignments and participation in discussions is a requirement of the course and

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 must be completed for course success. Students should respond respectfully using
proper Netiquette when responding to peer students or faculty (see guidelines online
under Students Role in the Class).

8. Technology: Students should first contact the help desk with any technical problems
with the course at 330-941-1595. Blackboard student help videos are also available for
troubleshooting with frequently asked questions. Technical problems related to
computer equipment, software or the Internet cannot be used as an excuse for failure
to complete assignments or to participate as required online. Please allow adequate
time to complete and submit assignments by the listed due date. Software
requirements for online classes are listed online under “Common Plug-Ins Needed for
Online Courses”. The YSU campus computer labs or public library equipment may be
utilized as alternate resources as needed.

9. Students are encouraged to participate in faculty evaluation at the end of the semester.

Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is expected. A student may receive a failing grade for an exam,
written assignment, or the course, and/or be referred for disciplinary action for
participating in acts of academic dishonesty as defined in The Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities and Conduct. This action may affect the student’s ability to progress in
the nursing program. Refer to the Graduate Academic Policies and The Code of Student
Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Students and faculty share a joint responsibility to
prevent cheating and plagiarizing by reporting any act of academic dishonesty.

Students with Disabilities

In accordance with University procedures, if you have a documented disability and
require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course; please contact me
privately to discuss your specific needs. You must be registered with the Center for
Student Progress Disability Services, located at 2082 Kilcawley, and provide a letter of
accommodation to coordinate reasonable accommodations. You can reach CSP
Disability Services at 330-941-1372.

Statement of Non-Discrimination
Youngstown State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, age, religion
or veteran/military status in its programs or activities. Please visit www.ysu.edu/ada-
accessibility for contact information for persons designated to handle questions about
this policy.

Center for Student Progress

Youngstown State University is committed to your academic success. As a student, you
have access to these learning support programs at no charge:
What: Academic Coaching, Supplemental Instruction, and Tutoring in a variety of
courses
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 When: By appointment. Monday thru Thursday 8 am – 6 pm, and Friday 8 am – 4 pm
Where: Kilcawley Center West (near Dunkin Donut entrance)
Email: blvarian@ysu.edu

Writing Center
What: Writing consultations for any discipline, Linguistics tutoring, basic computer
literacy
When: Monday thru Thursday 9 am – 5 pm, Friday 10 am – 1 pm, and Sunday 4 – 7 pm
(appointments or walk-ins)
Where: Maag Library, Lower Level, room 171
Email: wcenter@ysu.edu

The Penguin Service Center

The Penguin Service Center is an enrollment resource on campus established to help
students access and manage their academic record and student accounts. Please visit the
Penguin Service Center or call (330)941-6000 for assistance with financial aid, records,
registration, and tuition charges/billing. The Penguin Service Center is located on the
second floor of Meshel Hall.

Course Concepts
1. Defining nursing roles
2. Workforce and workplace Issues
3. Legal & Ethical Issues
4. Diversity in the Nursing Workforce
5. Health disparities and access to health care
6. Health Care Policy Issues

MSN Student Learning Outcomes/Objectives

Graduates of the MSN program and post-master’s certificates will demonstrate the following
behaviors:
1. Synthesize theory and research from nursing and related disciplines for advanced
nursing roles.
2. Utilize leadership strategies to influence health and health care and to promote the
nursing profession in the advanced nursing role.
3. Expand the knowledge of nursing practice by identifying nursing research problems
and contributing to research investigations.
4. Integrate assessment of own learning in developing a lifelong pattern of scholarly
inquiry

INFORMATION ABOUT COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Class Participation
All students will automatically be registered on Blackboard for participation in this class.

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2. Issues Paper
Select a nursing/health care practice issue that you find interesting enough to formulate a
paper that relates to your role (or future role) in your practice area. The text of this paper
should be approximately 6-8 pages in length. The paper should include an introduction
which states why this issue is of concern to nursing, historical aspects of the issue
should be addressed, significance/implications to nursing as it may relate to practice,
power, politics, or leadership. Describe in detail your proposal to resolve this issue and
your analysis of the solution. APA format for headings, bibliography, etc. will be used
throughout the paper. Each section of the text is to be headed using APA format. Papers
are to be clear and concise, neat, grammatically correct, and free of punctuation and
spelling errors. This paper is to be submitted in electronic format.

3. Power Point Presentation of Issues Paper

On Blackboard, you will submit a power point presentation (approximately 10 slides) to
the class on your issues paper. The purpose is to provide you with an opportunity to
present information regarding your topic and to receive input from your colleagues. This
should be a creative and informative presentation. Under ‘Discussions’, each student is
required to respond with a thoughtful, insightful comment to at least one other student’s
ppt presentation.

4. Blackboard discussions.
From the table below, each student will be assigned a topic to discuss related to
Workforce Issues and Workplace Issues as noted in your textbook. You will choose a
research article related to your topic and reflect on changing practice concerns and issues,
including the pros and cons. Under ‘Discussions’, each student is required to respond to
with a thoughtful, insightful comment to at least one other student’s presentation.

Workforce/Workplace and Legal/Ethical Issues Topics

Table 2

Topic Topic
Nursing Shortage Mandatory Overtime in Nursing
Importing Foreign Nurses Work Environments and Civility
Unlicensed Assistive Personnel & the Use of Social media in Nursing
Registered Nurse
Diversity in the Nursing Workforce Medical Errors
Mandatory Minimum Staffing Ratios Collective Bargaining & the Professional
Nurse

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5. Health Care Policy Issues
On Blackboard, you will discuss and summarize an article related to a Health Care Policy
in the United States. Under ‘Discussions’, each student is required to respond to with a
thoughtful, insightful comment to at least one other student’s article discussion.

6. Virtual YSU ID Picture

After you have obtained your picture for your Virtual YSU ID, you will receive an email
from the University stating that your picture has been accepted. You will then forward
that email to me for verification. Due Module 3.

7.Orientation PPTs and Assignments

Orientation PPTs and accompanying assignments will be posted on the Graduate
Nursing BB site for the MSN Nurse Practitioner students. These will need to be reviewed
by Module 5 due date.

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

Note: This class schedule is tentative and may be altered by the instructor as necessary
throughout the term to meet the needs of the class.
Table 3

Date Topics Assignments Due Date

Module 1 Introduction to Course
Defining Nursing Roles - PPT Huston, Ch 4
The Nature of Leadership Grossman & Valiga,
Ch 2 – Critical Sun. 7/10 by
Thinking Questions 11:59 AM

Module 2 Workforce and Workplace Issues – Huston, Ch 6-15 Weds. 7/13 by

BB discussion 23:59 PM
Module 3 VIRTUAL YSU ID PICTURE EMAIL Weds. 7/20 by
DUE Huston, Ch 16-21 23:59 PM
Library Search /APA format -PPT
Legal & Ethical Issues Weds 7/20 by
23:59PM
BB discussion
Module 4 Professional Identity & Image Huston, Ch 23 Discussion:
Weds. 7/27 by
Health Care Policy Issues – Health Huston, Ch 24 23:59 PM
Disparities & Access to Health Care Health Care Policy Case Study:
BB discussion Issues article Sun. 7/31 by
11:59 AM
Module 5 Issues Paper Due PAPER DUE
Diversity in the Nursing Workforce Huston, Ch 9 Weds. 8/3 by
- PPT Grossman & Valiga, 23:59 PM

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 Date Topics Assignments Due Date
Gender Perspectives in Leadership Ch 8 – CT Questions
Critical Thinking Sun. 8/7 by 11:59
Questions AM

Orientation PPTs Sun 8/7 by

Orientation PPTs
11:59am
Module 6 Leadership and the nursing role – Huston, Ch 3
PPT Leadership throughout Grossman & Valiga,
nursing career Ch 6 & 10 – Critical Sun. 8/14 by
Thinking Questions 11:59 AM

Module 7 PPT Presentations on BB Review your answers PPT:

Discussion of BB assignments from the BB Mon. 8/15 by
Grossman & Valiga - Leadership assignments for BB 11:59 AM
exercises Discussion:
class discussion
Weds. 8/17 by
11:59 AM

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