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The University of Texas at Tyler College of Nursing

Nurs 5327 Nursing Education Curriculum Development
TEMPLATE: Critique of Course Description and Learning Outcomes:
Student: Uchechi Anyaehie
Instructions:
1. Download and analyze the assigned nursing course description.
2. Complete this template without changing it except to enter with your conclusions in
practical wording.
3. Use at least ONE NURS 5327 course reference to support of your information.
Paraphrase text references directly from text chapters, citing chapter authors, and go
beyond lecture citations. Only one reference is needed for the entire critique.
4. Save the entire template with your name in the title and submit in the Assignment link.
I. Nursing course specifications: (10%) (About 4-6 lines)
See https://tccns.org/about/Texas common Course Numbering System for assistance in
completing this section.
Standard course numbering and title:
The standard course numbering and title need some adjusting. The first number in the
course number represented is 3 meaning this is a Junior level course. As mentioned by
Oermann, Junior level objectives include analyzing evidence-based concepts into the
nursing process and the delivery of therapeutic nursing interventions for patients and
families (Oermann,2015). This statement is similar to the objectives noted for this class.
However, since NURS 3310 is pre-requisite and co-requisite of NURS 3603 these
courses should be closer in number range. The last 2 numbers represent course
sequencing. There is not enough information about NURS 3603 to come to a true
conclusion.
Course Credit: Appropriateness of format for credit distribution:
The second number represented is a 3 meaning this is a 3 hour credited course. This
course has two hours of lab and 1 hour of theory. This is an appropriate format for credit
distribution.
Prerequisites (How clearly specified):
The prerequisite classes are not clearly specified. There were only course numbers
specified. There was no mention of the prerequisites titles or course descriptions.
II. Course Description: (20%) (About 4-6 lines EACH area separately)
How well does the course description assure stakeholders that the emphasis is on these
components? Address all four areas.

1. Nursing emphasis (Level of nursing judgment. Stage and acuity of care from preventive to
critical. Care settings ): The course description does not go into detail about level of nursing

Spring 2016 Adapted and Used with permission from J. McVey, PhD, RN

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judgment. In the course description there is only mention of holistic health assessment including
health history and comprehensive physical examination.

2. Target population (Age or developmental stage. Health care status). The course description
only goes over performing holistic health assessment of the patient across the life span. A life
span is just a general overview of when a person actually lives. There are no specific age or
developmental stage mentioned in the course description.

3. Health challenges (Physical, Developmental, Sociocultural, Spiritual needs): There is no

mention of health challenges. People live longer thanks to advances in understanding of
the causes of diseases, and consequent improvements in diagnostic techniques and
treatments (Healthcare challenges and trends, 2014). However, not only are people living
longer, but increasingly people are living longer with chronic disease (Healthcare
challenges and trends, 2014).

4. Learning experiences: (Lecture with testing. Other assignments):

From the course description the students will learn nursing skills to perform a holistic
health assessment of the patient across the life span, including a health history and
comprehensive physical examination. Students practice health assessment skills in
laboratory and selected settings. There are no mention of any specific assignments.

III. Learning Outcomes: (30%) ( 4-6 lines each area)

How well do the learning outcomes assure stakeholders that the emphasis is on these
components? Address all four areas.
1. Nursing emphasis (Level of nursing judgment. Stage and acuity of care from preventive to
critical. Care settings ):

There is general mention of levels of nursing judgment in the learning outcomes. In the
course learning outcomes, the student will apply evidence based findings to the
assessment of adult patients. Also the course learning outcome mentions integrating
principles from the physical and behavioral sciences in the development of health history
and physical assessment skills. There is also mention of Integrates health promotion,
maintenance, restoration, and disease prevention when educating patients. Clinical
judgment includes clinical reasoning, which includes clinical decision-making, critical
thinking and a global grasp of the situation, coupled with nursing skills acquired through
a process of integrating formal and informal experiential knowledge and evidence-based
guidelines (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2016).

2. Target population (Age or developmental stage. Health care status.

There is only little mention of the targeted population. However, in the course outcomes it does
note, apply evidence based findings to the assessment of adult patients. When referring to health

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care status it notes, integrates health promotion, maintenance, restoration, and disease prevention
when educating patients.

3. Health challenges (Physical, Developmental, Sociocultural, Spiritual needs):

With health challenges there is the mention of using holistic patient assessment. Holistic
nursing is a specialty practice that draws on nursing knowledge, theories, expertise and
intuition to guide nurses in becoming therapeutic partners with people in their care
(American Holistic Nurses Association, 2016). This practice recognizes the totality of the
human being - the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, social/cultural,
relationship, context, and environment (American Holistic Nurses Association, 2016).
4. Learning Domains (Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor):
There is some reference of learning domains. In this statement, integrate principles from
the physical and behavioral sciences in the development of health history and physical
assessment skills. Behavioral science, any of various disciplines dealing with the subject
of human actions, usually including the fields of sociology, social and cultural
anthropology, psychology, and behavioral aspects of biology, economics, geography,
law, psychiatry, and political science (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016).

IV. Teaching/ Learning Strategies and Assignments (20%) (About 5-6 lines each
area)

Congruency of strategies and assignments with course description:

There are many lab assignments that align with the course description health assessment
skills. These assignments include competency with taking vital signs, obtaining and
completing 100 blood pressures, head to toe practicum and lab competency for breath and
heart sounds. In the course description there is also mention of health history. One of the
assignments include obtaining a health history of an acquaintance or family member. It
also notes, levels of physical, cognitive and social functioning are analyzed and
interpreted. The assignment that agrees with this statement is completing the grand
rounds power point presentation.

Congruency of strategies and assignments with course objectives:

In the course objectives it notes, integrate principles from the physical and behavioral
sciences in the development of health history and physical assessment skills. This
statement lines up with the lab skills assignments. They include competency with taking
vital signs, obtaining and completing 100 blood pressures, head to toe practicum and lab
competency for breath and heart. Demonstrate professional values and the concept of
caring in developing nurse/patient relationships. This statement is concurrent with
completion of cultural assessment tool. In the course objectives it states, apply evidence
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based findings to the assessment of adult patients. The nurse logic assignment is a good
representation of this statement.
V. Grading Procedures: (20%) (About 2-4 lines each area)
Critique of Grading Criteria (Specificity and appropriateness)
1. Specific grade weights for assignments listed to total 100% and assigned grade
categories in decimal terms (ending in zero or 5 for easy calculation):
The way the percentages for each assignment and test are broken up is fair.
Exams should weigh more heavily than other assignments. Assigning grades
using zero or five is illogical especially if there is no rounding involved.
2. Comparison of grade weighting between written tests and other graded
assignments:
Exams taken throughout the year is fair to be more than half of the total grade.
Examinations are used to test comprehension of a subject. If the student does not
understand the course content it will be reflect in the exam grade.

3. Critique of EQUALITY of Grading Scale categories A through F (comparison of

% points in each for grades A, B, C, and D):
Again the grading scale is meaningless due to not being able to round. The point
of having decimals is to determine whether to round up or down to the next letter
grade.
4. Overall clarity, effectiveness, and fairness of grading Criteria:
The grading criteria is not very fair. Grades that have .5 added to the grade should
automatically round up, even without having to complete the optional assignment.

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References:
American Association of Critical -Care Nurses. (2016). The aacn synergy model for
patient care. Retrieved from
http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/synmodel.pcms?menu=certificatio
n
American Holistic Nurses Association. (2016). What is holistic nursing. Retrieved from
http://www.ahna.org/About-Us/What-is-Holistic-Nursing
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2016). Behavioral science. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/science/behavioral-science
Healthcare challenges and trend. (2014). Retrieved from
https://www.cgi.com/sites/default/files/white-papers/cgi-health-challenges-whitepaper.pdf
Oermann, M. (2015). Teaching in nursing and role of the educator: The complete guide
to best practice in teaching, evaluation and curriculum development. New York,
NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Spring 2016 Adapted and Used with permission from J. McVey, PhD, RN