Syllabus for NUR-529

Health Policy

COURSE DESCRIPTION

During this course, students examine a comprehensive model of policy-making. Course emphasis is on the healthcare trends, forces, and issues that shape health policy. Students, focusing on the core elements of health policy analysis, examine how politics, ethics, economics, and social and cultural variables influence policy development and impact healthcare outcomes. Students also explore the leadership role of nursing in policy-making.

COURSE TOPICS

1. Agenda Setting
2. Analyzing Policy Environments
3. Building Political Communication Skills
4. Collective Action and Collective Bargaining
5. Continuum of Policy Evaluation
6. Demanders and Suppliers of Policy
7. Economics and Financing Health Policy
8. Environmental Policy
9. Financing Health Care
10. Health and Health Policy Defined
11. Healthcare Workforce Capacity and Development
12. Impact of Health Policy Locally, Regionally, State and Federal
13. Incrementalism and Health Care Reform
14. Influencing Community and Professional Change
15. Influencing Policy Environments
16. International Health Policy
17. Legislation Development
18. Legislative Players
19. Mechanics of Policy Analysis
20. Medical Malpractice and Liability
21. Medical Technology
22. Medicare and Medicaid
23. Models of Policy Making and Analysis
24. Modification
25. Normative Values and Ethical Choices
26. Nursing and Nurses’ Role in Health Care Policy
27. Overview of US Healthcare System and its Relationship to Policy Making
28. Perspectives in Health Policy Formulation
29. Pharmaceutical Industry/Issues
30. Policy Forms and Categories
31. Policy Objectives and Rulemaking
32. Policy Solutions and Recommendations
33. Policy Stakeholders
34. Political and Cultural Circumstances
35. Political Campaigns, Lobbying, Giving Testimony
36. Political Competence
37. Political Theories and Influences
38. Politics of Nursing and Nurses
39. Professional Organizations as Policy Stakeholders
40. Public Health/Bioterrosim
41. Stages and Cycles of Policy
42. State and Federal Agencies and their Roles in Health Policy
43. Transplantation

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. analyze current health policies at the national, state and local levels; (CO1)
2. interpret the role of key stakeholders in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of health policies; (CO2)
3. discuss political theories and the policy development process; (CO3)
4. analyze the impact of politics, culture, finance, health care technology, population demographics, and ethics on the formulation of health policy; (CO4)
5. evaluate the effect of health policy on healthcare quality, safety and outcomes; (CO5)
6. examine the impact of health policy on the nursing profession and the health care delivery system; and (CO6) 
7. discuss the leadership role of nurses in health policy formation. (CO7)

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbooks

1. American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (ISBN-10: 1433805618, ISBN-13: 978-1433805615)
2. Longest, B.B. (2010). Health policy in the United States (5th ed.). Chicago: Health Administration Press.
3. Mason, D.J., Leavitt, J.K., Chaffee, M.W. (2011). Policy and politics in nursing and health care. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

1. Please see the additional resource section of the course website for a list of additional course resources.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Health Policy (NUR-529) is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include topics, learning objectives, study materials, and assignments. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: Introduction to Health Policy and Political Action in Nursing and Health Care
   
2. Module 2: The Policy-Making Process and Stakeholders Influence

1. Module 3: Advocacy and Activism in Nursing and Health Care
   
2. Module 4: The Economics of Health Care and Health Care Reform
   
3. Module 5: Health Status and Access to Health Care
   
4. Module 6: Nursing Leadership and Building a Global Health Care Workforce

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums and complete written assignments. See below for details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in 12 graded discussion forums. The forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. There is also an ungraded but required introduction forum in module 1 and an ungraded but required Course Reflection forum in week 12.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course website is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussion assignments.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete eight written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

1. The first written assignment, WA #1, is a pre-assessment of your grammar and APA skills using the ARC services called Writing Assessment - Pre Assessment.  This assignment is required, but is not graded separately. Evaluation of this assignment will be included in the grade of WA #8 .
2. The second written assignment, WA #2, is a paper called Health Policy Legislation Paper that is worth 10% of your final grade.
3. The third written assignment, WA #3, is a paper called Letter To Legislator & Policy Brief that is worth 20% of your final grade.
4. The fourth written assignment, WA #4, is a brief paper called Policy Analysis - Topic Selection. The paper will be evaluated as part of the grading for WA #6.
5. The fifth written assignment, WA #5, is a paper called Case Study that is worth 10% of your final grade.
6. The sixth written assignment, WA #6, is a paper called Policy Analysis that is worth 20% of your final grade.
7. The seventh written assignment, WA #7, is a paper called Writing Assessment - Study Plan that will be evaluated as part of the grading for WA #8.
8. The eight written assignment, WA #8, is a paper called Writing Assessment  that is worth 10% of your final grade.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course website are the written assignment rubrics used to aid in the grading of each written assignment.

See course Calendar for due dates.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows.

1. Online Discussions (12) — 30%
2. WA #1 - Writing Assessment - Pre Assessment - graded as part of WA #8
3. WA #2 - Health Policy Legislation Paper — 10%
4. WA #3 - Letter To Legislator & Policy Brief — 20%
5. WA #4 - Policy Analysis - Topic Selection -  graded as part of WA #6
6. WA #5 - Case Study - 10%
7. Wa #6 - Policy Analysis — 20%
8. WA #7 - Writing Assessment - Study Plan - graded as part of WA #8
9. Wa #8 - Writing Assessment — 10%

All assignments will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

Students enrolled in the MSN degree program must earn a grade of C (73) or better in the nursing courses for the credit to be accepted toward the degree. Students enrolled in the Nurse Educator Certificate program must earn a grade of B (83) or better for the course to be applied to program requirements.

NOTE

All website addresses (URLs) in this course were accurate and reflected the stated content at the onset of the course. However URLs change and great resources may disappear. If you encounter a problem accessing a web site, post a message in the HELP discussion area of this course.

LATENESS POLICY

Written assignments should be submitted no later than the due date unless prior arrangements are made with the mentor and a new due date is established.  If a student submits an assignment after the due date without having made arrangements with the mentor, a minimum of five points, (based on an assignment grading scale of 100 points), or 5% of the total points, will be deducted for each week, or part thereof, that the assignment is late.  Discussion board assignments must be completed in a timely manner or points will be deducted.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
   
2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook and the School of Nursing Student Handbook. These handbooks, which can be found under "Student Support" within the General Information course section, answer many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

3. All assignments, including the Online Discussion Forums, are graded using a rubric. Be sure to consult the appropriate rubric in the Evaluation Rubrics section of each course for the specific requirements of each assignment.

4. Utilize the writing resources for APA, listed in the "Educational Resources - Writing Style Guides" within the General Information course section, to help you use this format correctly.

5. Online tutoring assistance is available through Smarthinking.com located in the "Educational Resources - Online Tutoring Resources" within the General Information course section.
   
6. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
   
7. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Note to MSN Students Only. A Synthesis Paper is required for all students in the MSN program. Information on the paper's requirements is available under the MSN Information section of the course. Please read and familiarize yourself with the synthesis paper requirements early in the program.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.
   

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or the College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of the intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.