AGD: ANP courses are delivered online using asynchronous conferencing. Students should be competent in using a computer with a Windows 95 (minimum) environment, e-mail, the Internet, and computer conferencing. Students are expected to connect to an Internet service provider at their own expense.
All courses have a practicum component. The participating health authority, institution, agency may a criminal record check, at the student's expense, before he or she is accepted as a practicum student.
CNHS must receive all application materials by March 1 for consideration for admission to the program starting in September of the same year.
The required word processing system is either Microsoft Word (version 6.0 or
higher) or Microsoft Works. WordPerfect is not supported. Netscape or Internet Explorer is required, as well as current operational anti-virus software.
PCs are the primary equipment supported by Athabasca University's Help Desk. 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.
Course-related Procedures
Course Registration
Complete and submit the Course Registration Form and the course tuition fee by the deadline date to the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies. Course registration forms may be mailed or faxed. Refer to Centre for Nursing and Health Studies for online forms and credit card information. Non-program students must also submit the Non-program Approval Form.
Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from a course up until one month before the end of the semester (refer to Academic Schedule) by submitting a Course Withdrawal Request Form. The date of withdrawal will be the postmark on the request, or if the notice is hand-delivered or faxed, the University date stamp. Students may also request to be withdrawn from a course by e-mail provided the request is later confirmed by submitting the Course Withdrawal Request Form by fax or regular mail. Refer to Centre for Nursing and Health Studies for online forms.
If a student withdraws from a course within the first month, the record of registration will be deleted from his or her official transcript. If a student withdraws from a 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 withdrew without creidt and without prejudice or academic penalty.
Course Reregistration
Students may reregister in a course only if they have received a final grade of 59 percent or less, or have withdrawn from the course in good standing. When reregistering students must complete all course requirements and pay the full course fee. Students are permitted only one reregistration in each course.
Advanced Standing
Some students may have completed work at other post-secondary institutions that is applicable to the AGD: ANP program. Students seeking advanced standing are required to submit official transcripts (if these were not submitted in support of their application for admission), detailed course descriptions for such courses, and appropriate fees to CNHS.
Course Fee Refunds
Students will receive a refund of the course fees less the course withdrawal processing fee (refer to Fees) if they withdraw from the course within 30 days of the course start date. Students should not return their course materials. Students withdrawing after the first month of the course will not receive a refund.
Extensions
In exceptional circumstances, and where the course instructor concurs, a student may be assigned a grade of "Incomplete" (INC). This allows students to take one additional month to complete and submit the course work. Students must submit the required request form and course extension fee. One month after the original course completion date, a mark will be assigned to the course. The mark will reflect assignments submitted, or if no assignments have been submitted, a mark of zero will be assigned.
Grading System
All courses will be graded using a percentage system: 60 percent is required to pass any course, however, students are required to have a 70 percent overall average to graduate. Late assignments may be penalized five percent per day and will not be accepted after five days unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been discussed with the instructor before the deadline.
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 per course
Canadians living outside of Canada: $1,025 per course
International students living outside of Canada: $1,125 per course
Other Fees
Course extension fee: $250 per course
Transfer credit evaluation fee: $250 per course
Letter of Permission fee: $20 per letter
General application fee for non-program students (required only once and waived if previously an Athabasca University student): $50
Transcript request fee: $10 per request
Course withdrawal processing fee*: $300 per course
Program extension fee: equal to course registration fee. (See above.)
*The course 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.
Students who choose to complete the AGD:ANP before applying to the Master of Health Studies (MHS) program, must pay the required MHS application fees when submitting the application.
Schedule
Athabasca University reserves the right to modify the list of available courses at any time.
Fall Session: September 2001
NURS 520 Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 524 Advanced Nursing Practice: Children (3)
NURS 528 Advanced Nursing Practice: Older Adults (3)
Winter Session: January 2002
NURS 522 Advanced Nursing Practice: Women (3)
NURS 526 Advanced Nursing Practice: Adults (3)
NURS 530 Comprehensive Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
At the completion of NURS 530, students write a comprehensive exam that includes content from NURS 520 through NURS 530. Students must complete a minimum of 480 practicum hours as specified in the Practicum Guide.
NURS 520
3—Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice
This course introduces concepts and principles on which advanced nursing practice is founded. These include competencies of advanced nursing practice, principles of primary health care and community development, determinants of health, and evidence-based practice.
Students are introduced to practice frameworks for community health development and apply these frameworks in the assessment of a geopolitical community. NURS 520 also introduces extended health practice frameworks that students will use in later courses to diagnose and treat common health concerns of individual clients of all ages. Students identify an individual (family physician or Masters-prepared health professional) who will serve as their preceptor in the extended health clinical experiences of later courses.
NURS 522
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Women
Prerequisite: NURS 520.
Selected concepts of primary health care, extended health services, and community health are examined with respect to health concerns of women. Clinical experiences provide students with the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to women.
NURS 524
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Children
Prerequisite: NURS 520.
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, pre-school, school-age, and adolescent life stages. Clinical experiences provide students with the opportunity to develop extended health-service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this life stage.
NURS 526
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Adults
Prerequisite: NURS 520.
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 adult life stage. Clinical experiences provide students with the opportunity to develop extended health service skills and to assess a community's health needs and resources with respect to clients in this life stage.
NURS 528
3—Advanced Nursing Practice: Older Adults
Prerequisite: NURS 520.
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 life stage. Clinical experiences provide students with the opportunity to develop extended health needs and resources with respect to clients in this life stage
NURS 530
3—Comprehensive Advanced Nursing Practice
Prerequisites: NURS 520, 522, 524, 526, 528. MHST 603 (For MHST program students only).
The final course in the program reviews the characteristics and competencies of advanced nursing practice and presents issues related to the development of the role of an advanced practice nurse. As well, students develop a funding proposal for health projects related to advanced nursing practice. Students finalize their extended health and community health development clinical experiences.
At the completion of NURS 530, students write a comprehensive exam that includes content from NURS 520 through NURS 530.
Note: Students who complete the AGD: ANP diploma may apply to the MHS program and will be required to complete the three core MHST courses and two approved electives.
Library
Athabasca University Library also serves the needs of graduate students. Refer to Section 10 Student Support Services.
Tuition and Education Tax Credit Receipts Information
Application and tuition fees can be used to reduce income tax. Only fees paid and expended during the calendar year can be reflected in the tax receipt. Canada Customs and Revenue Agency regulations permit the University to issue an education tax credit receipt only for amounts greater than $100. In February, T2202 tax forms for the education tax credit, along with the tuition tax receipts, are mailed to the address on record. Full-time students may be eligible for the education tax credit for each month of full-time registration.
Regulations and Appeals
The same policies and regulations governing academic conduct and appeals bind all Athabasca University students. Refer to Section 12 Student Code of Conduct and Right to Appeal.
Athabasca University's policies, regulations, and procedures governing the release of transcripts and confidential information apply also to graduate students. Refer to Section 5 Undergraduate Admission, Transfer Credit, and Assessments.
Centre for Nursing and Health Studies
Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
800.788.9041 (ext. 6381) or 780.675.6381
Fax: 780.675.6468
mhs@athabascau.ca
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