WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF NURSING GRADUATE PROGRAM Welcome to Nur 508-80 The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse This class will be taught on-line. On-line courses require more self-initiatives and discipline than a traditional course. You need to visit the distance learning web-site, which describes the technology requirements of this on-line course by going to the website bb.wpunj.edu. If you are planning to take the course using the University’s computer lab, you do not have to worry about the technology requirement. We will “meet” through logging on to Blackboard, a course delivery program through the University. This will be accessed through your web browser (e.g. Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc). I will send announcements, give assignments, put you into discussion groups, etc through Blackboard. For instructions on using Blackboard, refer to the on-line help link provided. The course will not be available until the first day of the semester. Orientation You MUST ATTEND the Orientation meeting on Wednesday, September 2,, 2010 from 5- 7:00 -pm in the Atrium building (long red brick building) Room 114. During this meeting I will go over the class structure and requirements and demonstrate how to log on, complete assignments, communicate with your classmates, etc. This is a MANDATORY meeting and counted as a class session. Course Structure Each week you will be placed into a discussion group with 5-7 classmates. I will post these groups in the first “Announcement” of the term. The majority of your assignments for the week are to be done as group assignments. Most of the assignment discussions involve responses to discussion questions or case studies and will be done in your group via COMMUNICATIONS-> GROUP PAGES icon on Blackboard. You will be required to make a comment/response on your groupmates work in addition to completing your own assignments. Working in groups will help you develop close working relationships with your colleagues even though you won’t be meeting in a traditional classroom. Daily Assignments Every week, (preferably on Sunday, for the up-coming week) you should log on and check for new “ANNOUNCEMENTS” regarding class assignments, feedback or follow-up. After checking the announcements, go to ASSIGNMENT section for the week’s coursework. Your assignments will guide you through the chapters assigned/ Internet Web Sites and into discussion groups with your peers (COMMUNICATIONS-à GROUP PAGES-à GROUP DISCUSSION BOARDàADD THREAD). The class content will be broken down into content chapters. Each week will consist of reading the text, responding to the assignment/case study, reporting out to the class in your group’s discussions. The weekly assignments are due on Thursday midnight each week. The required textbook is Lucille Joel (2009) Advanced Practice Nursing: Essentials for Role Development (2nd Edition), FA Davis. This can be obtained from the University Bookstore or on-line. Other readings maybe provided either through the web or on Blackboard. Attendance and Vacation Your grade is based upon your “attendance” and on-time submission of the weekly assignments. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you have planned a vacation for any time during the session, you must bring a lap top computer and work from your destination or lose credit for the missed assignment and lack of attendance. Failure to log on constitutes an Absence and therefore, final grades are automatically dropped one level after two absences. I will check attendance and participation several times/week. In addition to checking your attendance and submission of work, I will monitor the quality of your completed assignments and your contributions to your group. Contact Information Feels free to e-mail me anytime you have a question at louiek@wpunj.edu. I will check my e-mail daily throughout the session. My office number is (973) 720-3215. Please do not contact me to help you work through any technology-related problems. I am not a technology expert and therefore am not the best person to help you with problems related to logging on, working with Blackboard, etc. If you experience difficulties accessing Blackboard, contact the help desk through web based trouble form at http://bb.wpunj.edu.The anticipated response time would be within 24 hours during the week and within 48 hours on weekends. I look forward to seeing you on September 2, 2010. Kem Louie, Ph.D. APN., FAAN
