NURS 215 is Liberty's post-licensure pathophysiology course for RN to BSN students. Its written work is a 10 to 12-page research paper built in three parts, a health education brochure and four discussion forums, alongside four exams.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 215 Post-licensure Pathophysiology, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS215.
What NURS 215 covers
The catalog description: The focus of this course is on physiological changes resulting from imbalances in the man-environment interaction throughout the life span. The emphasis is on application of general concepts of adaptation and homeostasis to each of the body's systems and on relationship of these concepts to the practice of clinical nursing. The course provides the student with a scientific knowledge base applicable to the more advanced clinical practice of nursing.
The course studies the physiological changes that follow imbalances in the interaction between people and their environment across the lifespan, applying adaptation and homeostasis to each body system and to clinical nursing. The textbook is Grossman and Porth, Porth's Pathophysiology.
The research paper runs through the course on one disease you choose from those covered in Modules/Weeks 1 to 8, a topic that affects your current practice. Part 1 (Week 2) is a title page and abstract; Part 2 (Week 5) is the corrected title page and abstract plus a reference page; Part 3 (Week 7) is the 10 to 12-page body. The brochure in Week 4 also needs a disease from the course, and using the same one saves research.
Textbook named in the published guide: Grossman & Porth, Porth's Pathophysiology (2014). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 215 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 40 | Thread at least 300 words |
| 2 | Research Paper Part 1 | 40 | Title page and an abstract of 150 to 250 words |
| 3 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 40 | Thread at least 300 words |
| 4 | Health Education Brochure | 100 | A complete brochure (no page count set in the guide) |
| 5 | Research Paper Part 2 | 100 | Corrected title page and abstract (150 to 250 words) plus a reference page |
| 6 | Discussion Board Forum 3 | 40 | Thread at least 300 words |
| 7 | Research Paper Part 3 | 200 | 10 to 12 pages (body) |
| 8 | Discussion Board Forum 4 | 40 | Thread at least 300 words |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 300-word thread and two 150-word replies. How to write NURS 215 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: Research Paper Part 1
The title page and a 150 to 250-word abstract for your pathophysiology research paper. How to write NURS 215 Week 2 Research Paper Part 1.
Week 3: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum: a 300-word thread and two 150-word replies. How to write NURS 215 Week 3 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 4: Health Education Brochure
A patient education brochure on a disease from the course, with at least 5 peer-reviewed references from the last 10 years. How to write NURS 215 Week 4 Health Education Brochure.
Week 5: Research Paper Part 2
Your corrected title page and abstract plus a reference page of 5 to 7 recent peer-reviewed sources. How to write NURS 215 Week 5 Research Paper Part 2.
Week 6: Discussion Board Forum 3
The third forum: a 300-word thread and two 150-word replies. How to write NURS 215 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 3.
Week 7: Research Paper Part 3
The 10 to 12-page body of your pathophysiology research paper, with title page, abstract and 5 to 7 recent references. How to write NURS 215 Week 7 Research Paper Part 3.
Week 8: Discussion Board Forum 4
The final forum: a 300-word thread and two 150-word replies. How to write NURS 215 Week 8 Discussion Board Forum 4.
How NURS 215 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The research paper is 340 across its parts (Part 1 40, Part 2 100, Part 3 200), the health education brochure 100 and the four forums 40 each (160). Four exams are 100 each (400) and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Research Paper Part 1 | 40 |
| Research Paper Part 2 | 100 |
| Research Paper Part 3 | 200 |
| Health Education Brochure | 100 |
| Discussion Board Forums (4) | 160 |
| Exams (4) | 400 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 900 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach NURS 215
Choose your disease in Week 1 from the course chapters, preferably one you see at work: heart failure, COPD, diabetes, chronic kidney disease. The abstract is due in Week 2, so the choice comes fast.
Note the source window is ten years in this course, not five: the paper and the brochure each need at least five peer-reviewed references published within the last ten years, including the textbook for the paper.
Questions students ask
How long is the NURS 215 research paper?
The body is 10 to 12 pages, with a title page, an abstract of 150 to 250 words and a reference page of 5 to 7 peer-reviewed sources from the last ten years, including the textbook.
What disease can I write about in NURS 215?
One covered in the course, Modules/Weeks 1 to 8, and a topic that affects your current practice.
Working through NURS 215 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.