Overview
NURS 608 is a core course in the MN-GEN program. In NURS 608, you will develop the foundational skills and perspectives essential for advanced study in nursing. You will build competencies in critical appraisal, evidence synthesis, and argumentation as you explore topics ranging from nursing theories and the nursing metaparadigm to epistemological frameworks, positionality, worldviews, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in academic scholarship.
Outline
NURS 608 is a paced course delivered over 13 weeks using an asynchronous online learning approach.
Course content focuses on the development of foundational competencies required for graduate-level scholarship and practice in nursing. Emphasis is placed on the following:
- Academic and research skills, including critical appraisal, evidence synthesis, and argumentation
- Theoretical frameworks encompassing epistemology, ontology, positionality, and worldviews
- The nursing metaparadigm, nursing theories and models, and critical approaches to health equity and social justice
- Responsible and informed use of artificial intelligence in academic scholarship
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
- Locate recent and relevant nursing literature;
- Engage in critical appraisal of nursing literature;
- Synthesize/integrate nursing evidence to advance understanding;
- Construct logical assertions and well-founded arguments;
- Analyze policy through multiple theoretical and philosophical lenses in the context of epistemology (ways of knowing), ontology (ways of being), positionality, and diverse worldviews.
Evaluation
Assessment in NURS 608 consists of multiple course activities with assigned percentage weightings. Your final grade is based on overall performance across all required assessments. A variety of assessment approaches are used to evaluate achievement of the course learning outcomes.
| Activity | Weight |
| Discussion engagement | 20% |
| Written assessments | 80% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
There is no textbook for this course. All required readings and materials are digital and are located within the course.