NURS 225 is Liberty's pre-licensure nursing research course. Its written work is a three-part group evidence-based practice project on a wiki, a two-part research critique, a worldview self-reflection paper and three discussion forums; there are no exams.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 225 Pre-licensure Research in Nursing, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS225.
What NURS 225 covers
The catalog description: This course provides an overview of the nursing process including methodology, design and interpretation of findings. It focuses on acquiring the beginning knowledge and skills essential for critical evaluation of research reports as well as guidance in the production of a poster presentation which incorporates evidence based knowledge related to a specific clinical problem.
The course introduces the research process (methodology, design and interpretation of findings) and the skills to evaluate research reports critically, with guidance toward evidence-based work on a specific clinical problem. The textbook is Boswell and Cannon, Introduction to Nursing Research, and the Iowa Model of evidence-based practice is assigned in Week 2.
The group EBP project uses the wiki tool: Part 1 frames a PICO question with its triggers and an annotated bibliography; Part 2 follows the Iowa Model to decide whether there is enough research to base a practice on; Part 3 is a funding proposal for implementing the change. Each part adds at least five annotated peer-reviewed sources, for fifteen in total.
Textbook named in the published guide: Boswell & Cannon, Introduction to Nursing Research (2017). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 225 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 | 100 | Thread at least 350 words |
| 2 | EBP Project Part 1 | 100 | 1,000 to 1,500 words (4 to 6 pages), group submission |
| 3 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 100 | Thread at least 350 words |
| 4 | Worldview Self-Reflection Paper | 100 | 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 4 pages) |
| 5 | EBP Project Part 2 | 125 | 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 5 pages), group submission |
| 6 | Discussion Board Forum 3 | 100 | Thread at least 350 words |
| 7 | EBP Project Part 3 | 125 | 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 5 pages), group submission |
| 7 | Research Critique Part 1 | 125 | 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 5 pages) |
| 8 | Research Critique Part 2 | 125 | 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 5 pages) |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 350-word thread with a textbook citation and a recent peer-reviewed citation, and two 250-word replies with a textbook citation and biblical integration. How to write NURS 225 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: EBP Project Part 1
The group's wiki page with a PICO question, its triggers, team strengths and weaknesses, and an annotated bibliography of 5 recent sources. How to write NURS 225 Week 2 EBP Project Part 1.
Week 3: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum: a 350-word thread with textbook and peer-reviewed citations, and two 250-word replies with biblical integration. How to write NURS 225 Week 3 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 4: Worldview Self-Reflection Paper
A 750 to 1,000-word paper on how a Christian worldview can influence decisions about research participation, activities and funding. How to write NURS 225 Week 4 Worldview Self-Reflection Paper.
Week 5: EBP Project Part 2
The group's Iowa Model wiki page deciding whether there is enough research to base a practice on, with 5 more annotated sources. How to write NURS 225 Week 5 EBP Project Part 2.
Week 6: Discussion Board Forum 3
The third forum: a 350-word thread with textbook and peer-reviewed citations, and two 250-word replies with biblical integration. How to write NURS 225 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 3.
Week 7: EBP Project Part 3
The group's funding proposal for implementing the practice change and disseminating results, with 5 more annotated sources. How to write NURS 225 Week 7 EBP Project Part 3.
Week 7: Research Critique Part 1
A 750 to 1,000-word critique of a research article you choose, using the first elements of Table 14-1 in Boswell and Cannon. How to write NURS 225 Week 7 Research Critique Part 1.
Week 8: Research Critique Part 2
The second 750 to 1,000-word critique of the same article, covering the remaining elements of Table 14-1. How to write NURS 225 Week 8 Research Critique Part 2.
How NURS 225 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points, all of it written work apart from the checklist. The three forums are 100 each (300); the EBP project is 350 (Part 1 100, Parts 2 and 3 125 each); the research critique is 250 (two parts at 125); and the worldview self-reflection paper is 100.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Board Forums (3) | 300 |
| EBP Project Part 1 | 100 |
| EBP Project Part 2 | 125 |
| EBP Project Part 3 | 125 |
| Research Critique Part 1 | 125 |
| Research Critique Part 2 | 125 |
| Worldview Self-Reflection Paper | 100 |
| 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 225
Choose the article for the research critique early, though it is due in Week 7: a primary quantitative or qualitative study (not a review) gives you the most to analyze against Table 14-1 in Boswell and Cannon.
In the group project, agree early who annotates which sources; each annotation must be at least 150 words, and each part adds at least five new peer-reviewed sources from the last five years.
Questions students ask
What is the NURS 225 EBP project?
A three-part group project on the wiki: a PICO question with triggers and an annotated bibliography (Week 2), an Iowa Model analysis of whether the research supports a practice change (Week 5), and a funding proposal for implementing it (Week 7), with at least 15 annotated peer-reviewed sources in total.
How is the NURS 225 research critique structured?
In two parts on the same article, each 750 to 1,000 words (3 to 5 pages) covering different elements of Table 14-1 in Boswell and Cannon, with 2 to 3 recent peer-reviewed resources.
Working through NURS 225 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.