Unit: Nursing
Program: Nursing (MS)
Degree: Master's
Date: Tue Sep 29, 2009 - 2:49:38 pm

1) List your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs).

In the table below, the Student Learning Outcomes are listed for the BS in Nursing, the MS in Nursing and the PhD in Nursing. These outcomes build upon each other.

Department of Nursing Program OutcomesNOTE:  All program outcomes are cumulative expectations

BSMSPhD
A.    Provider of CareDefinition:  Advocate and provide high quality care to improve and maintain the health of a diverse society.
1.     Engage in professional nursing practice as a generalist for individuals, families, groups and community in a variety of settings.1.     Engage in professional advanced nursing specialty practice for individuals, groups, and communities in a variety of settings1.      Assume a leadership role in the development of clinical practice models to improve outcomes to meet health care needs of culturally diverse populations.
2.     Use critical thinking skills as a basis for making judgments for generalist nursing practice.2.     Integrate concepts, theories, and research from nursing and related disciplines as a basis for expert judgments within a specialized area of practice. 2.      Systematically investigate a clinically focused area of nursing to advanced health care in culturally diverse populations.
3.     Provide culturally competent nursing care.3.     Deliver an advanced practice level of nursing care or service appropriate for diverse cultures.
B.   Coordinator of CareDefinition:  Direct, supervise and collaborate with others to organize care.
1.     Identify leadership and management concepts involved in professional nursing practice.1.    Collaborate with individuals, groups, communities, colleagues, and interdisciplinary member to direct the delivery of quality, culturally competent advanced nursing specialty practice.1.      Assume a leadership role in conducting and using research findings and other health information to design and evaluate systems of care for culturally diverse populations.
2.     Use beginning leadership and management skills to coordinate the delivery of quality nursing care.
3.     Collaborate with individuals, groups, communities, colleagues and interdisciplinary health members to coordinate the delivery of care.
C.   Member of a ProfessionDefinition:  Advancing the profession through lifelong learning, participating in professional organizations and practicing in a confident, competent, compassionate and accountable manner.
1.     Demonstrate accountability for generalist legal scope of practice, professional standards of practice and professional code of ethics.1.     Demonstrate accountability for advanced nursing specialty’s legal scope of professional standards of practice and code of ethics. 1.      Develop educational programs that are accountable to the community of interest in preparation of professional nurses.
2.     Identify professional organizations that improve nursing practice.2.     Participate in professional organizations to establish policy and standards to refine advanced nursing specialty practice.2.      Lead efforts in professional organizations to develop policy and standards for nursing practice.
3.     Accept responsibility for lifelong learning.3.     Participate in the political process to improve quality of care3.      Assume a leadership role in the political process to improve the quality of health care and nursing education.
D.   Knowledge DeveloperDefinition:  Develop culturally appropriate clinical knowledge by examining, processing and disseminating knowledge to improve and maintain the health of a diverse society.
1.     Use  information technologies to manage and process data, information and knowledge.1.     Use information technologies for the management and processing of data, information, and knowledge to guide advanced nursing specialty practice.1.      Use information technologies to further nursing knowledge.
2.     Critically examine evidence-based sources and individual experience to make professional practice decisions.2.     Critically examine data-based sources and individual experience to make professional advanced nursing specialty decisions.2.      Critically examine data-based sources and individual experience to analyze and develop leadership strategies for dealing with social, ethical, cultural, economic and political issues related to nursing, health care and research.
3.     Identify generalist nursing practice problems amenable to research.3.     Identify advanced nursing specialty practice problems relevant to Research.3.      Develop and use existing and evolving knowledge to improve nursing education and practice.
4.     Critically analyze research findings to determine advanced nursing specialty practice implications.4.      Conduct research to improve and maintain the health of a diverse society.
Baccalaureate outcomes approved Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (1/13/00)Masters and PhD outcomes approved Graduate Curriculum Committee (1/21/00)Approved Evaluation Committee (1/31/00)Reviewed Department of Nursinsg (3/30/00)

2) Where are your program's SLOs published?

Department Website URL:
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: All course objectives are on course syllabi and are directly linked to the overall SLO's listed on Q#1
Other: Accreditation documents
Other:

3) Upload your program's current curriculum map(s) as a PDF.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2009:

4) What percentage of courses have the course SLOs explicitly stated on the course syllabus, department website, or other publicly available document? (Check one)

0%
1-50%
51-80%
81-99%
100%

5) State the SLO(s) that was Assessed, Targeted, or Studied

Several SLO's were assessed this year when we undertook a curricular mapping project. The MS programs assessed the curriculum for the Essentials for MS programs content (AACN 1996). This assessment addressed the following MS SLO's.

A. Provider of Care 1. Engage in professional advanced nursing specialty practice for individuals, groups, and communities in a variety of settings & 2. Integrate concepts, theories, and research from nursing and related disciplines as a basis for expert judgments within a specialized area of practice.)

C. Member of the Profession3. Participate in the political process to improve quality of care.

D. Knowledge developer3. Identify advanced nursing specialty practice problems relevant to Research & 4.Critically analyze research findings to determine advanced nursing specialty practice implications.

6) State the Assessment Question(s) and/or Goal(s) of Assessment Activity

The goal of this activity was to evaluate the current MS curriculum for alignment with SLO's and standards of MS nursing education.

7) State the Type(s) of Evidence Gathered

To assess the outcome of this goal, it was important to identify if the core concepts (graduate core curriculum) of the Graduate Programs meet with the current and future trends of nursing education, research, and practice. To accomplish this task, in March 2008, Program Directors for each of the MS areas (nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nursing administration, nursing education, and advanced public health) and faculty teaching in their respective program specialty areas were asked to compare the AACN MS Essential graduate core content outcome criteria to each of their courses based on the course objectives.  A matrix was created with this data to identify and content overlap or gaps. The results of this analysis indicated that the graduate core content AACN outcome criteria were not easily identifiable based on the course objectives of the current graduate nursing courses (data table available on request, too large to fit in this text box). These core areas relate directly to the SLO's mentioned earlier in this report.

8) State How the Evidence was Interpreted, Evaluated, or Analyzed

The process, timeline and people involved are detailed in the table below.
TasksDateSequence of Events
Graduate Core Content Review March 2008     Program Directors (PD) and faculty teaching in their respective specialty areas compared the AACN MS Essential graduate core content outcome criteria to each of their courses based on the course objectives.  Graduate Chair (GC) recommendation for additional graduate core content courses was – Research, Theory, Roles, and Health Policy. GC recommended that all graduate faculty teaching graduate courses analyze the AACN MS Essential graduate and APN core content outcome criteria with each of their courses based on the course objectives. GC also sought consultation with Dr. Victoria Niederhauser, Associate Dean for Academics and the Accreditation Consultant, Dr. Arlene Spherhac. Informational session were held with Program Directors and graduate faculty on the AACN MS Essential graduate and APN core content requirements.  The GC met with each graduate faculty to provide guidelines on how to fill out the graduate and APN core content template. The analysis took approximately 6 weeks. Graduate faculty who taught in the Graduate Program in summer 2008, fall 2008, spring 2009 reviewed their course objectives against the AACN graduate and APN core content outcome criteria. 
Graduate Core Content  and  APN Core Content  Review March 2009Initial analysis results of the theory, research, health policy, roles, and health promotion and disease prevention courses was shared with the PDs. Program Directors agreed and recommended to have research combined with theory and become a graduate core content course. The PDs also elected to have health policy as a graduate core content course. 
Graduate Core Content  and APN Core Content – Review and Recommendations April 2009PDs approved the following required graduate core content courses – Research and Theory (N620) (3 credits), Roles (N625), Health Policy (N609), and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (605). N733 (Care of Populations) eliminated and integrated into N605. N609 AACN outcome criteria integrated into N625. Students will be required to develop a formal portfolio system as a general core requirement of the MS in nursing program.  
Graduate Core Content and APN Core Content – Recommendations to GCMay 2009GC approved the PD recommendations. GC to communicate to faculty teaching N620, N609, N625, N605, N612, N613, and N629 to revise courses, complete UHM-2 forms, and revise pathway changes (if needed) 
Revision of Graduate and APN Core Content Courses to GC September 2009Faculty teaching N620, N609, N625, N605, N612, N613, and N629 will bring revised courses, completed UHM-2 forms, and revised pathway changes (if needed) to GRADUATE CHAIREC for approval  
Revised Graduate and APN Core Content Courses to Graduate Division  Early November 2009GC will send to Graduate Division.
Specialty Competencies Review  September and October 2009Graduate Faculty and PDs will complete a review of all specialty courses against national specialty competencies.
Specialty Competencies Review and Recommendations of Program Directors and Graduate Faculty November 2009Graduate Faculty and PDs will analyze and summarize the review and make recommendations. Program Directors will make recommendations to GC.
Specialty Competencies Review – Recommendations to GC November,  2009GC to communicate to PD recommendations to GC for approval
Revision of Specialty Courses to GC Spring 2010Faculty teaching specialty courses will bring revised courses, completed UHM-2 forms, and pathway changes (if needed) to GC for approval 
Revised Specialty Courses to Graduate Division April 2010GC will send to Graduate Division   
 

9) State How Many Pieces of Evidence Were Collected

To create the mapping, evidence was used from course objectives, end of course reports, UHM 1 forms, and American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) standards documents.

10) Summarize the Actual Results

The final recommendations were approved by Graduate Curriculum & Evaluation committee (GCEC) on May 11, 2009. GCEC approved graduate core content courses are Research and Theory (N620), Health Policy (N609), Roles (N625), and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (605). The current N620 and N639 will be combined into N620 (Research and Theory) and will remain 3 credits. The content in N620 will be threaded and applied in the specialty and APN graduate courses. The course objectives for the above four graduate core content courses will be aligned with the AACN outcome criteria. N733 (Care of Populations) will be eliminated and integrated into N605. Nursing 609 AACN outcome criteria will be integrated into N625. Students will be required to develop a formal portfolio system as a general core requirement of MS students. The course objectives for N629, N613, N612/L will be aligned with the AACN outcome criteria.

11) Briefly Describe the Distribution and Discussion of Results

On May 15, Graduate Chair communicated with the faculty teaching N620, N609, N625, N605, N612, N613, and N629 the need to revise their courses, complete UHM-2 forms, revise the specialty area pathways (if needed) and bring their revised courses to GCEC for approval before November 2009.

12) Describe Conclusions and Discoveries

Although the MS curriculums may have had most of the essential content for students to achieve the SLO's, some areas were lacking. The new changes clearly demonstrate how these SLO's are being addressed throughout the MS in nursing curriculum.

13) Use of Results/Program Modifications: State How the Program Used the Results --or-- Explain Planned Use of Results

This fall 2009, each MS in nursing area is making changes to the pathway to incorporate these 4 new core courses into the curriculum pathways. All programs will have pathways approved by December 2009 and will implement the changes in fall 2010.

14) Reflect on the Assessment Process

Involving all Program Directors in this mapping project provided them with an in-depth knowledge of the standards for MS nursing education. This was a good way to prepare faculty members for the CCNE National Accreditation scheduled for fall 2010.

15) Other Important Information

NA

16) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Explain how your program/department has adapted its assessment of student learning in the on-campus program to assess student learning in the distance education program.

All evaluations are online and sent directly to sstudnet's email.

17) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Summarize the actual student learning assessment results that compare the achievement of students in the on-campus program to students in the distance education program.

Student learning in the distance program is comparable to the on-campus program but provides students with the opportunity to take courses offered via distance and communicate with instructors and classmates via email/list serve or other web-based technology. Faculty members in the Advanced Nursing MS programs conduct site visits to all students in the programs including neighbor islands. There is no differentiation between the programs; all students (Oahu-based and neighbor island-based) participate in the same learning assessments and activities.