Course Syllabus

NGR 6874 Nursing Environment Management

Department of Nursing System: College of Nursing

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor Information 

• Instructor: Vivian Schutz
  
• Office Location: 12201 Research Pkwy, Suite 432, Orlando, FL 32826
• Phone: 407-823-5468
  
• Office Hours: By Appointment
• Digital Contact: vivian.schutz@ucf.edu

Course Information

• Term: Summer 2022
  
• Course Number & Section: NGR 6874: All Sections
  
• Course Name: Nursing Environment Management
• Credit Hours: 3
  
• Class Meeting Days: Asynchronous
• Class Meeting Time: N/A
  
• Class Location: Virtual/ Online
  
• Course Modality: W

Enrollment Requirements 

Prerequisites: Admission to the M.S. in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice track.

Course Description

In-depth analysis of the use of informatics, quality management, risk reduction and patient safety concepts and tools to promote improved patient outcomes for nursing care.  3 credit hours

The course discusses systematic approaches and tools that can be used to analyze organization performance, problems, and improvement strategies introduced to measurement and evaluation of organizational performance.  For the past 20 years, since the 1999 IOM report To Err is Human was published, healthcare leaders have been challenged to improve patient safety. Today's healthcare leaders have very high expectations placed upon them to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes, but sadly their efforts often fail because their organization lacks a systems-based approach to improvement. The past 20 years has taught us that we can't sustain quality improvement without a foundation of a person-centered culture of safety, a holistic framework for continuous improvement that is led by senior leadership, and a model for sustainment that includes effective education and communication.

Course Purpose

1. Describe the steps of risk assessment in the areas of patient safety, quality outcomes, regulatory compliance and infection control.
2. Evaluate the use of internal and external benchmarking and data mining for identification of quality improvement opportunities and to track quality structure, process and outcomes.
3. Discuss ethical/legal factors affecting healthcare quality management.
4. Demonstrate competence in the selection and use of tools to collect, analyze data, create reports and presentations on quality issues, patient safety and/or risk reduction initiatives.
5. Integrate quality improvement concepts and tools into an interdisciplinary performance improvement project plan.

Course Materials and Resources

Required Materials/Resources

American Psychological Association (APA) (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: APA. ISBN-13: 978-1433832161.

Spath, P. L. (2018). Introduction to healthcare quality management. (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: AUPHA/HAP. Print ISBN: 978156793859.

Optional Materials/Resources

Quality management, informatics, risk reduction and patient safety are dynamic topics in nature and require the acquisition of data and information from a broad variety of sources. Students are encouraged to reference textbooks used in previous courses and those available through the UCF Library. Students will also need to engage in an active review of the literature using professional journals/publications. It is an expectation of this course that students will familiarize themselves with resources available to assist them in the use of the library's services. In addition, students will be expected to independently access a variety of Websites and Internet resources related to course content and the student’s specific area of interest. Another way to obtain current information is to follow professional organizations and healthcare leaders on Twitter. Students who need assistance with the use of library resources and/or conducting research via the internet are encouraged to complete the general library instruction module regarding the use of those resources.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the steps of risk assessment in the areas of patient safety, quality outcomes, regulatory compliance and infection control.
2. Evaluate the use of internal and external benchmarking and data mining for identification of quality improvement opportunities and to track quality structure, process and outcomes.
3. Discuss ethical/legal factors affecting healthcare quality management.
4. Demonstrate competence in the selection and use of tools to collect, analyze data, create reports and presentations on quality issues, patient safety and/or risk reduction initiatives.
5. Integrate quality improvement concepts and tools into an interdisciplinary performance improvement project plan.

Course Activities

Log into the course several times each week to review course content, announcements, conversations, and discussions. Keep up with the weekly readings and assignments. See course expectations under the Modules tab in Canvas.

NGR 6874 is web-based, fully on-line and considered a "W" course. Students are expected to complete and participate in all on-line activities and assignments. Practice effective time management and study skills. This includes completing readings and assignments by the due dates. Contribute regularly to the discussion related to each assignment. Full engagement in the discussions will lead to more rich comprehension of the content. Be courteous and considerate with your postings, following Netiquette  guidelines. Make every effort to be clear. On-line communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face-to-face communication. It is recommended that you log on to the course a minimum of twice a week to keep up with discussions and assignments.

Activity Submissions

• All assignments will be submitted via the appropriate assignment or discussion link within Canvas unless otherwise instructed.
• Methods of evaluation will be based on course assignments and participation in online discussions.
• The due dates and instructions for each assignment will be posted in Webcourses under the Assignments tab.
• Use of APA format is expected throughout the course.

Attendance/Participation

This course will be conducted primarily online (Webcourses).  Faculty members are required to document students’ academic activity at the beginning of each course.  In order to document the fact that you started this course, please provide the introduction requested for this course located in Webcourses by the end of the first week of classes. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid. 

Students are expected to complete and participate in all online discussions, learning activities, and course assignments. It is necessary to practice effective time management and study skills. For graduate study, you should plan to spend a minimum of three hours each week per credit hour. For a three-credit course, expect to spend a minimum of nine or more hours of your time each week engaged in coursework.

• All assignments must be completed by the published due dates in WebCourses.
• Regular contribution to online discussions related to each assignment is expected.
• All discussions should be courteous, considerate, and clear as online communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face-to-face communication.
• It is recommended that you log on to the course a minimum of twice a week to keep up with discussions and assignments.

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

In the event of such an occurrence, which causes power outages and evacuations, do not panic about your online assignments. Your safety and that of your family is your priority. When power is restored, contact your instructor. She/he will work with individual students to determine the best course of action. Remember, your instructor could be experiencing the same or similar problems in the event of a hurricane! Most importantly stay in touch with your instructor. Sometimes "life happens". Let your instructor know as soon as possible so that we can work together to address unexpected circumstances.

Assignments Due Dates and Late Work Policy

Students are expected to participate in all aspects of the course and meet all deadlines.  It is also expected that students will monitor their inbox, email and discussion communication at least twice per week.  Each student must complete and submit all assignments on or before the due dates.  Late assignments will be accepted but carry a minimum 1-point penalty for every day beyond the due date.  Assignments will not be accepted if overdue by more than seven consecutive days.  Exceptions must be discussed with the instructor in advance and approved in writing (Webcourse e-mail).

Rewrite Policy

Rewrites are entirely at the discretion of your instructor.

Extra Credit

There is no extra credit in the course. All assignments are due on the date and time posted. Exceptions must be discussed with your instructor in advance and approved in writing.

Grade Dissemination

Grades will be posted via Webcourses. Assignment and discussion points will be posted by the instructor within 72 hours after the due date.  You can access your scores at any time using the Grade Book function of Webcourses. Please note that scores returned before the end of the semester are unofficial grades.

Grades of "Incomplete"

The current university policy concerning incomplete grades will be followed in this course.  Incomplete grades are given only in situations where unexpected emergencies prevent a student from completing the course and the remaining work can be completed the next semester.  Your instructor is the final authority on whether you qualify for an incomplete.  Incomplete work must be finished by the end of the subsequent semester or the “I” will automatically be recorded as an “F” on your transcript.

Assessment and Grading Procedures

Final Grade Determination

Grading Methods

Discussion participation (20%): Read all postings and actively contribute to discussions. You must include an original post guided by evidence and substantively respond to the required number of postings to receive full credit. You must complete all assignments and certificates as directed. Grades for all assignments and discussion postings will be earned based on associated grading rubrics. 

Performance Improvement Plan (30%): This assignment has two parts: 1) Design a Performance Improvement Plan relevant to your lifestyle behavior. Students are  expected to develop, implement and evaluate the plan. 2) Design a presentation addressing the major points in your Performance Improvement Plan, include speaker notes for each slide. PowerPoint or other presentation software is to be used. Please note that this is not a live presentation, so similar to a poster, the content must be able to “stand on its own”. Include citations in a way that assists the viewer to understand the source of your points without distracting from the presentation. 

Patient Safety Strategic Plan (30%):  Students will be randomly assigned to work in small groups and each group will choose a group leader. Students will work in small groups to analyze and determine improvements in the culture of safety and reliability in a community healthcare system based upon a given case study.  At the end each group will submit a Patient Safety Strategic Plan using the provided template.

Quizzes (20%): Quizzes are to be completed independently. Students are encouraged to use your text to answer each quiz. Students will have from 15 to 30 minutes to complete the quizzes (the time varies accordingly to the number of questions in the quizzes) and have from 1 to 3 attempts to retake each quiz.  The highest score will be retained.

 Graduate Course Grading Scale

To receive a passing grade, graduate students are required to complete coursework with a grade of B or higher.

Important Dates

Course Schedule

Refer to the NGR 6874 Course Schedule for a complete listing of all course assignments and due dates.

UCF Academic Calendar

Please review the UCF Academic Calendar for dates relevant to university policies and procedures as well as recognized holidays. Due dates for all assignments will be provided in the Webcourse associated with enrollment in NRG 5720. It is especially important to note the last day to drop the course or withdraw from the course. Please be in touch with your instructor if you intend to withdraw.

This is a quick reference of important course dates. Be aware that dates and assignments are tentative and can be changed at the discretion of the professor.

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.  

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.  

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Policy Statements

Email

All course-related e-mails need to be sent using the Inbox feature of Webcourses. If you have trouble accessing this course contact your course instructor via the instructor’s university e-mail address. I strongly recommend that you keep all contact information available outside of Webcourses in the event of a system-wide failure. Make sure that you start your subject heading with the course number and then the specific topic of the e-mail. Failing to start your heading with the course name might send your e-mail to the spam folder.

Check your e-mail at least twice per week (more often is better). Be patient. Don't expect an immediate response when you send a message. Generally, two days is considered a reasonable amount of time to receive a reply.

Professional Conduct Policy

It is expected that all students will show respect for faculty, fellow classmates, and those with whom they interact when representing themselves as UCF student. Since your work environment is relevant to your assignments in this course, keep in course comments anonymous to the extent you are able. Do not mention the name of organizations or any person. Feel free to implement peer suggestions, or share what you have learned, but discussion about any identified issues stays within the course. The unauthorized release or transfer of any information or documents will be addressed under University and CON academic conduct policy.

Academic Integrity

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. According to Section 1, "Academic Misconduct," students are prohibited from engaging in:

• Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
• Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
• Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
• Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
• Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
• Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
• Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices”.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating

Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a "Z Designation" on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade.

Course Accessibility Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need disability-related access in this course should contact the professor as soon as possible. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (Ferrell Commons 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone (407) 823-2371). Through Student Accessibility Services, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential access and accommodations that might be reasonable. Determining reasonable access and accommodations requires consideration of the course design, course learning objectives and the individual academic and course barriers experienced by the student.

Campus Safety Statement For Students in Online-Only Courses

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities:

• To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to My UCF and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
• Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Deployed Active Duty Military Students

Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.

Religious Observances  

Students must notify their instructor in advance if they intend to miss class for religious observance. For more information, see the UCF policy at <UCF-5.020 Religious Observances.

LEAP*RN Policy

All College of Nursing students are required to pay a one-time subscription to LEAP*RN before registering for first semester courses.

All courses will be evaluated at the end of the semester via LEAP*RN. All Nursing programs will contain graded assignments and tasks that can only be completed within LEAP*RN. To be successful in your program, you must be able to access and complete assigned items within LEAP*RN.

Directions for accessing LEAP*RN:

• Type https://secure.projectconcert.com/ucf into the URL (search) bar
• Log in using your NID and NID password just as you would for Webcourses or myUCF
• For specific instructions on LEAP*RN requirements for this course, please check {enter course-specific instructions}Please Note: This syllabus is subject to change. All students will be notified of any changes accordingly.

Please Note: This syllabus is subject to change. All students will be notified of any changes accordingly.