9.1. Advanced Graduate Diploma: Advanced Nursing Practice
Athabasca University's Advanced Graduate Diploma: Advanced Nursing Practice will prepare nurse practitioners to assume a broader role in the provision of health care services to clients of all ages in the community. The program provides theoretical and clinical preparation for nurses whose role will focus on advanced community nursing practice and nurse practitioner functions. Students will be prepared to deliver extended health services, including diagnosis and treatment of common health concerns and advanced community health services, and community assessment and development. Courses within the program focus on application of concepts of primary health care, community health, and extended health services with clients throughout the lifespan, from a perspective of promoting the health of individuals and communities.
The Advanced Graduate Program: Advanced Nursing Practice courses are delivered online using asynchronous conferencing. Students should be familiar with using a computer with a Windows 95 (minimum) environment, e-mail, the Internet, and computer conferencing. Learners are expected to connect to an Internet service provider at their own expense.
Applications must consist of a completed Advanced Graduate Diploma: Advanced Nursing Practice application form along with a non-refundable application fee; three letters of reference, one of which should come from someone familiar with the applicant's academic skills; an up-to-date résumé; and official transcripts of university studies.
In addition, applicants must submit proof of a baccalaureate degree in nursing; a minimum of two years of professional nursing experience; nursing registration; certification in BLS (Basic Life Support); and immunization status.
The program begins in September each year. All application materials must be received by the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies by the application deadlines. The application deadline for students planning to begin the program in September is March 1 of the same year. Check with your academic advisor about prior learning assessment in graduate studies programs at Athabasca University.
Some courses have a practicum component. The participating health authority/institution/agency may request a student undertake a criminal record check before he or she is accepted.
The following schedule is as of the date of printing. The curriculum for the program consists of the following six 3-credit courses.
NURS 520 Foundations of Advanced Community Nursing Practice
NURS 522 Advanced Nursing Practice: Women's Health: Pregnancy/Newborn
NURS 524 Advanced Nursing Practice: Children: Infants to School-Age
NURS 526 Advanced Nursing Practice: Adolescents and Adults
NURS 528 Advanced Nursing Practice: Older Adults
NURS 530 Comprehensive Advanced Nursing Practice
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Athabasca University reserves the right to modify the list of available courses at any time.
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The following courses must be taken in sequence.
NURS 520
3—Foundations of Advanced Community Nursing Practice
Precluded course: NURS 500.
This course provides the foundation for subsequent courses in the program. Students are introduced to concepts of primary health care as they relate to community health, and extended health services. Students explore the history and current context of advanced community nursing practice, study various types of health data and planning frameworks useful in advanced community nursing practice, and begin to develop a vision for the future of advanced community nursing practice. Students make initial contact with settings in which they will
complete practica designed to provide experience in extended health service skills and community assessment and development.
NURS 522
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Women's Health: Pregnancy/Newborn
Precluded course: NURS 502.
Selected concepts of primary health care, extended health services, and community health are examined with respect to health concerns of individual and community clients in the pregnancy/newborn lifestage. Practicum experiences provide students the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this lifestage.
NURS 524
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Children: Infants to School-Age
Precluded courses: NURS 504 and NURS 506.
Selected concepts of primary health care, extended health services, and community health are examined with respect to health concerns of individual and community clients in the infant/preschooler/school-age lifestage. Practicum experiences provide students the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this lifestage.
NURS 526
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Adolescents and Adults
Precluded courses: NURS 508 and NURS 510.
Selected concepts of primary health care, extended health services, and community health are examined with respect to health concerns of individual and community clients in the adolescent and adult lifestage. Practicum experiences provide students the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this lifestage.
NURS 528
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Older Adults
Precluded course: NURS 512.
Selected concepts of primary health care, extended health services, and community health are examined with respect to health concerns of individual and community clients in the older adult lifestage. Practicum experiences provide students the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this lifestage.
NURS 530
3—Comprehensive Advanced Nursing Practice
Precluded course: NURS 514.
The final course in the program synthesizes students' learning from previous courses within the context of improving the health of communities. The focus of the course is on community development based on students' understandings of community health concerns acquired through the theoretical content and practicum experiences of NURS 520 through NURS 528. Students also study management of an advanced community nursing practice and complete a comprehensive nurse
practitioner exam.
Continuation Requirements
Students enrolled in the program must complete successfully two courses each year in order to remain in the program. Failures in two courses will result in the automatic removal of the student from the program.
Time Limits
The program must be completed within five calendar years of the program start date.
Course Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from a course up until one month before the end of the session by submitting a Withdrawal Request Form. If a student withdraws from a course within the first month, the record of registration will be deleted from the student's official transcript and the student will receive a refund of course fees less a course withdrawal processing fee. If a student withdraws from the course after the first month of the course and before the last month of the course, the official record and transcript will show that the student has withdrawn without credit and without prejudice or academic penalty.
In order to participate in the program, each student must own or have ready access to the following minimum computer hardware and software. Students are advised that PCs are the primary equipment supported by Athabasca University's Helpdesk. Only limited assistance for other hardware and software platforms is offered. Students are responsible for their own communication costs such as long distance telephone charges and subscriptions to an Internet node, or any other communications service requirements.
Minimum
- Pentium 100 or higher
- 32 MB RAM
- 50 MB free disk space
- 3.5 inch floppy disk device
- Mouse
- 28.8 baud modem
- Windows 95
- Current operational anti-virus software
Optimum
- Pentium 200 MMX or higher
- 64 MB memory
- CD-ROM
- 100 MB free disk space
- Mouse
- 33.6 baud modem or faster
- Laser or inkjet printer
- Backup device
- Access to fax
Software
- The required word processing system is either Microsoft Word (version 6.0 or
higher) or Microsoft Works.
- Netscape or Internet Explorer
- Current operational anti-virus software
Registration Procedures
It is preferable for students to complete the core courses in the prescribed
sequence. Exceptions will be made only after discussion with the program
coordinator.
Grading System
All assignments that contribute towards a final grade are graded on a percentage
basis. Late assignments may be penalized 5% per day and will not be accepted
after five days unless there has been extenuating circumstances that have been
discussed with the instructor before the deadline. Students must present a
minimum average grade of 70% to graduate. A minimum grade of 60% is required to
pass an individual course in the AGD:ANP.
| All fees are quoted in Canadian dollars and are subject to change. |
Program application fee (non-refundable) required with each application: $50
Admission fee (payable upon acceptance into the program): $100
Course Tuition Fee (includes all required materials)
Students living in Canada: $925
Canadians living outside of Canada: $1,025
International students living outside of Canada: $1,125
Other Fees
Course extension fee: $250
Transfer credit evaluation fee: $250
Letter of Permission fee: $20
Non-program application fee (required only once and waived if previously an
Athabasca University student): $50
Transcript request fee: $10
Withdrawal processing fee: $300
Course challenge fee: $300
Comprehensive exam fee: $250
Program extension fee (equal to course registration fees. See above.)
| The withdrawal processing fee includes the cost of course materials and an administrative fee for processing the request. Do not return the course materials as there will be no refund. |
| 2000 |
| May 22 |
Victoria Day. University closed. |
| May 31 |
Last day for students to register in 2000 fall session courses.
Registration fees are due. |
| July 3 |
Canada Day. University closed. |
| Aug. 7 |
Civic Holiday. University closed. |
| Sept. 4 |
Labour Day. University closed. |
| Sept. 5 |
First day of fall session. |
| Oct. 1 |
Last day for students to register in 2001 winter session courses.
Registration fees are due. |
| Oct. 5 |
Last day for early withdrawal from fall session courses. No record of
the course will appear on the transcript. |
| Oct. 9 |
Thanksgiving Day. University closed. |
| Nov. 13 |
University closed in lieu of Remembrance Day. |
| Nov. 15 |
Last day for late withdrawal from fall session courses.
Transcripts will reflect a withdrawal in good standing. |
| Dec. 15 |
Last day of fall session courses. |
Dec. 23/00-
Jan. 2/2001 |
University closed. |
| |
| 2001 |
| Jan. 8 |
First day of winter session courses. |
| Feb. 8 |
Last day for early withdrawal from winter session courses. No record of
the course will appear on the transcript. |
| Feb. 9 |
Last day to register in 2001 spring session courses. Registration fees are due. |
| Feb. 19 |
Family Day. University closed. |
| Mar. 1 |
Last day for receipt of application materials for admission to the
program, starting in September 2001. |
| Mar. 20 |
Last day for late withdrawal from winter session courses.
Transcripts will reflect a withdrawal in good standing. |
| Apr. 13 - 16 (inclusive) |
Easter break. University closed. |
| Apr. 20 |
Last day of winter session courses. |
| May 1 |
First day of spring / summer session. |
Refer to Additional Services in the Master of Health Studies program. For more
information about the program and to request the application package contact:
Centre for Nursing and Health Studies
Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
Phone: (800) 788-9041 (ext. 6300) or (780) 675-6300
Fax: (780) 675-6468
E-mail: mhs@athabascau.ca
http://www.athabascau.ca/cnhs/
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