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Answers to Your Questions
The required textbook for this course can be purchased at the University of Kansas Bookstore online. Readings for this course are either at selected Web sites or from the textbook.
This course is divided into four modules. Activities should be completed sequentially through the modules as noted on the course calendar page. On-line Assignments will be available to you on the first day of each month. If you finish assignments for a particular module before the month is over, use your time to work on your paper, readings, and WebBoard assignments. You can gain access to the next module on the first day of the next month.
Directions for completing modules:
Individual Learning Activities
Individual learning activities are those that you do on your own listed under NRSG 748 in the Course Calendar. Individual learning activities include all reading assignments, on-line assignments, concept analysis paper, and theory-research analysis portfolio. The way you submit individual assignments is contained within the form, usually marked with a "submit button" that looks like this: If there is no submit button, I will instruct you about how to submit your work (for example, directly to me by E-mail).Group Learning Activities
Group learning activities are those that you do with a group of other students and listed under NRSG 749 in the Course Calendar. Group learning activities include WebBoard discussions and group reports. Group leaders will be assigned discussion questions for each module and all activities will be reported on the WebBoard. You will discuss work with other group members and generate a final written report in your specified location on the WebBoard. Students in other groups will review your work, as you will review theirs. Use the group as a sounding board for project activities. Group leaders will receive bonus points for initiating and facilitating discussions and completing the written report on the WebBoard.
I LOST ALL MY WORK!?!
DO KEEP COPIES of everything just in case it gets lost! I suggest that you develop most assignments in Word and save them in your own private files separately as a backup (it takes about one time to learn this hard lesson, right?!). After each module, I will be get in touch with you if I do not have all of the required work.
Evaluation criteria for this course is divided into theory portion (NRSG 748) and the clinical portion (NRSG 749). Click on the course number to access the evaluation criteria and percent of total grade. All work that is formally evaluated and given percentage points toward the final grade will have percentage of the total grade noted in parentheses. For example, the first On-Line Assignment is "Introduce Yourself" (1%) worth 1% of your total grade. The Concept Paper is a total of 30% (15% for Part 1 and 15% for Part 2). All percentage points are listed on the Course Calendar.
Course communication with the instructor will be primarily through E-mail, but phone conversations are always OK and personal sessions can be arranged if needed.
E-Mail: spopkess@kumc.edu
Phone: 913-588-3373
Office: 3045 School of Nursing
Interacting with your colleagues is one of the best parts of graduate education. Four to five students per group will be set up for WedBoard discussions and group work. Usually e-mail or phone conferences work best for student group meetings although in-person group meetings are fine if distance will allow it. I will "look in" on your discussions during the weeks of each module. I will not respond formally, however, until the last week of each month. If you need assistance with your group work, please work through your group leaders first; if there are difficulties communicating with your group leaders, please notify me. Group work will be due as indicated under NRSG 749 in the Course Calendar.
How
do I choose a concept to analyze?
Focus your attention to your practice presently or in the recent past. Ask yourself what goes on daily or frequently that triggers your interest or even makes your "blood boil"? Are there patient situations you've been in that you tried to solve or be an advocate but ran into difficulties or brick walls? Does the same question or problem remain unsolved or not handled well? Are there systems/administrative situations that "are not fair" and "should" be done differently? You're looking for your passion that will reveal an topic that you can begin to explore using a concept analysis approach and may be an area of future research. Begin by outlining the paper using the best option you think of and that may trigger more ideas. Once you've settled on a topic you can live with, go to the literature--but not until you find the topic that really grabs your interest!
Should you have any technical difficulty getting connected or accessing your course, please call the Help Desk at (913) 588-7995 or Kim Rock at 1-800-588-1696. They will contact the appropriate individuals to help you out.
Sue Popkess-Vawter, University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Nursing, January, 2002
