Nursing (NURS) 605

Introduction

This course will introduce you to policy analysis and development with a focus on contemporary Canadian health policy. Some of the content areas we will explore include: identifying and defining policy problems, how policy problems get on the agendas of decision-makers, theoretical and methodological approaches to policy analysis, policy development and change, policy communication, and policy evaluation. There will be an emphasis on identifying and analyzing the institutions, interests, and ideas that inform policy development. Specific public, administrative, and clinical policy issues in Canadian healthcare will be explored throughout the course to illustrate the application of these concepts and to demonstrate policy in action.

The activities and assignments for this course are designed to encourage a critical examination of health policy and to help you develop skills in policy analysis and professional policy communication. Activities include preparing for each unit through readings drawn from various disciplines and engaging deeply with course concepts and your peers in online unit learning. You will also focus on a specific health policy topic of interest to you throughout the course by defining the policy problem, preparing a policy brief for a decision-maker, and writing a professional op-ed.

Course Goals

Throughout MHST/NURS 605: Demystifying Policy Analysis and Development, you will:

• Examine contemporary health policy issues in Canada;
• Explain how certain health issues make it onto the policy agenda;
• Analyze policy development and change by identifying key interests, institutions, and ideas;
• Compare various theories and frameworks for policy analysis;
• Critically reflect on the role of values and evidence in Canadian health policy;
• Communicate a written policy recommendation effectively, professionally, and persuasively for a lay audience;
• Distill important concepts from policy literature and effectively communicate these findings;
• Critically reflect on how to engage patients and communities as stakeholders in health policy;
• Frame and analyze the magnitude, severity, and visibility of a specific policy problem;
• Interpret and synthesize evidence about a specific policy problem and potential solutions;
• And Concisely communicate a constructive peer review.

Course Materials

MHST/NURS 605 uses online course materials. There is no print textbook for this course.

Online Materials

• Study Guide
• Online multi-media learning resources

All learning resources are available electronically in the public domain, through the AU library, or posted on our Moodle site. On occasion, your instructor may substitute or add online learning resources.

Technical Requirements

Computer System

To successfully complete this course, you must own or have ready access to certain computer hardware and software programs. For complete and up-to-date information on the minimum computer requirements required to complete the graduate nursing courses, visit the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies technical site.

Course Outline

• Unit 1 (Week 1): Introduction and overview
• Unit 2 (Weeks 2 and 3): Identifying and defining policy problems
• Unit 3 (Week 4): Theoretical and methodological approaches to policy analysis
• Unit 4 (Weeks 5, 6, 7, and 8): Policy development: The 3-i framework
• Unit 5 (Weeks 9 and 10): Policy communication and dialogue
• Unit 6 (Weeks 11 and 12): Policy evaluation
• Unit 7 (Week 13): Reflection and review