NUR 320: Population Health

Course Description

This course explores population focused nursing to enhance individual, family and community well-being by analyzing and incorporating social and cultural characteristics that impact health. Topics include social determinants of health, epidemiology, environmental health and public health science. The practicum provides the opportunity to support health promotion efforts for a selected population and therefore, completion of all practicum assignments and hours is mandatory for successfully passing the course.  (4 credits - 3 credits Classroom, 1 credit Practicum)

Prerequisites

  • ENG 101: English Composition 1
  • ENG 102: English Composition 2
  • NUR 301: Baccalaureate Nursing Role
  • NUR 310: Healthcare Policy, Economics, Regulation and Ethics
  • NUR 315: Nursing Research and Expanded Evidence-Based Practice

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Upon completion of this course, the student will have gained knowledge about:

  1. Detail the current forces contributing to the decline in quality, increasing fragmentation and rising costs of healthcare in United States.
  2. Discuss the political, economic, environmental and cultural factors impacting health and healthcare incorporating a global nursing perspective.
  3. Identify the Triple Aim and the impact on nursing care across the continuum of care.
  4. Describe the components of the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Framework.
  5. Compare and contrast population health and population health management.
  6. Identify population health nursing roles.
  7. Apply county health rankings and other relevant data sources to identify major health issues in county of residence.
  8. Describe how cultural diversity, ethnic, spiritual, and socioeconomic backgrounds function as sources of patient, family, and community values.
  9. Incorporate the appropriate tools needed to promote learning and behavior change that enhance health and meet social and emotional needs.
  10. Develop individualized learning objectives for a community- based practicum (practicum).
  11. Negotiate appropriate practicum site to accomplish individualized learning objectives (practicum)
  12. Describe the perspectives and the contributions of the interprofessional team within the community service organization (practicum).
  13. Describe the workforce diversity, health disparities, and social determinants of health that are being addressed with the community service organization practicum site (practicum).

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsPointsWeight

Journaling and Logging of Hours (Weeks 1-8) @25 pts

200

20%

Case Studies (Weeks 1, 3 & 6) @30 pts

909%

Discussions (Weeks 2-8) @70 pts

210

21%

Windshield Survey (Week 2) @ 50 pts

50

5%

Formative Evaluation (Week 4) @ 50 pts

50

5%

Final Paper (Week 8) @250

250

25%

PowerPoint with Audio Recording (Week 8) @ 100

100

10%

Summative Evaluation (Week 8) @50 pts

50

5%

Completion of Practicum activities and hours (40 hours)

*Mandatory for passing the course.

0

*Pass/Fail

Total

1000

100%

 

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle

  • Nash, D. B., Fabius, R. J., Skoufalos, A., Clarke, J. L., & Horowitz, M. R. (2021). Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness. 3rd. ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. 

 

Course Schedule

Week

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

1,4

Topics: An Introduction to Population Health and Creating a Culture of Wellness

  • Readings:
    • The Preface, The Optimistic Future for Healthcare: Population Health from Philosophy to Practice
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Introductions)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Communication)
  • Submit Case Study: Culture of Health

2

2,5,8

Topic: Population Health in the United States

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 1: The Population Health Promise
    • Nash Chapter 2: Epidemiology
    • Nash Chapter 3: On the Path to Health Equity
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Triple Aim & Healthy People 2030)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours

    (Competency: Patient-Centered Care)

  •  Submit Windshield Survey

3

2,6,13

Topic: The Population Health Ecosystem

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 4: Structures, Systems and Stakeholders
    • Nash Chapter 5: Reimbursement Models to Support Value-Based Care
    • Nash Chapter 6: Population Health Data and Analytics
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Epidemiology & Herd Immunity)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Evidence-Based Practice)
  • Submit Case Study: Primary Care - Chronic Disease Prevention

4

7,8,9,13

Topic: The Population Health Ecosystem (continued)

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 7: Workforce Development to Support Population Health
    • Nash Chapter 9: Consumer Engagement and Technology
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Stakeholders & Collaboration)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Information & Technology)
  • Submit Formative Evaluation

5

8,9,10

Topic: Population Health: Creating Culture Change

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 8: Health Promotion and Health Behavior
    • Nash Chapter 10: Accountability for Outcomes
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Client Readiness for Change)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Teaching & Learning)

6

2,6

Topic: Population Health: Creating Culture Change (continued)

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 11: Changing Organizational Culture
    • Nash Chapter 12: Coordinated Care Delivery Models
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Role of the BSN)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Conflict Resolution)
  • Submit Case study: Palliative Care

7

3

Topic: Population Health: Creating Culture Change (continued)

  • Readings:
    • Nash Chapter 13: Policy and Advocacy
    • Nash Chapter 14: Building Cultures of Health and Wellness Within Organizations
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Discussion board (Population health models vs. medical models)
  • Submit weekly journal and practicum hours(Competency: Professionalism)

8

13

Topic: Where do we go from here?

  • Readings:
    • No assigned reading this week.
  • Participate in Discussions
  • Submit final weekly journal and practicum hours (Competency: Communication)
  • Submit Final Paper
  • Submit PowerPoint with audio Recording
  • Submit Summative Evaluation
  • Complete Course Evaluation

Late Work Policy

  • Refer to COSC Late Assignment Policy
  • Emergencies/Extenuating Circumstances: The Faculty and Program Director appreciate that emergencies come up in life. Emergencies/ Extenuating Circumstances are not planned activities and/or are not normally work-related. Please communicate with your instructor if you are having difficulty with completing the assignments. 

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.