NURS 503 is Liberty's MSN course on population health. Almost every week has a paper: three 5 to 7-page papers in Weeks 2, 3 and 5, a three-stage Population Health Intervention Project from Week 6 to Week 8, and two discussion forums.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 503 Managing Population Health, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS503.
What NURS 503 covers
The catalog description: This course focuses on health behaviors of diverse populations and critical analysis of various theories of health promotion and clinical prevention. Health behaviors of different cultures and age groups are addressed, relevant nursing research on health promotion and clinical prevention are discussed, and new areas for nursing research are identified. Emphasis is placed on the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and environmental factors that impact health status. The importance of providing appropriate, individualized health care that is sensitive to the ethnic, racial, gender and age differences within and across diverse populations is stressed and the role of the advanced practice nurse is emphasized.
The course looks at health from the level of a population rather than a patient: leading health indicators, the behavior change that prevention depends on, and the quality and safety systems that protect groups of patients. The textbook is Nash et al., Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness.
The papers share a rule worth noticing early: each one asks for 3 to 5 scholarly sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible, and the final project paper asks for 8 to 10. The Population Health Intervention Project (PHIP) moves from an outline to an annotated bibliography to a 10 to 15-page final paper, so the indicator you study in Week 2 can carry through to Week 8.
Textbook named in the published guide: Nash et al., Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness (2016). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 503 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 | 75 | Thread at least 500 words |
| 2 | Health Indicator Overview Paper | 150 | 5 to 7 pages |
| 3 | Behavioral Economics Paper | 150 | 5 to 7 pages |
| 4 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 75 | Thread at least 500 words |
| 5 | Healthcare Quality and Safety Paper | 175 | 5 to 7 pages |
| 6 | PHIP Outline | 75 | 2 to 3 pages |
| 7 | PHIP Annotated Bibliography | 75 | 8 to 10 annotated sources |
| 8 | PHIP Final Paper | 225 | 10 to 15 pages |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 500-word thread and two 250-word replies, each thread and reply with at least 2 APA citations. How to write NURS 503 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: Health Indicator Overview Paper
A 5 to 7-page paper on one leading health indicator, with 3 to 5 scholarly sources plus the course textbooks and the Bible. How to write NURS 503 Week 2 Health Indicator Overview Paper.
Week 3: Behavioral Economics Paper
A 5 to 7-page paper on the supports and barriers for successful behavior change, with 3 to 5 scholarly sources plus the textbooks and the Bible. How to write NURS 503 Week 3 Behavioral Economics Paper.
Week 4: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum, with Nash et al. chapter 14: a 500-word thread and two 250-word replies, two citations each. How to write NURS 503 Week 4 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 5: Healthcare Quality and Safety Paper
A 5 to 7-page paper on the tenets of healthcare quality and safety, with 3 to 5 scholarly sources plus the textbooks and the Bible. How to write NURS 503 Week 5 Healthcare Quality and Safety Paper.
Week 6: PHIP Outline
A 2 to 3-page outline of the elements of a health indicator intervention, with 3 to 5 scholarly sources plus the textbooks and the Bible. How to write NURS 503 Week 6 PHIP Outline.
Week 7: PHIP Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography of 8 to 10 sources selected for the PHIP final paper. How to write NURS 503 Week 7 PHIP Annotated Bibliography.
Week 8: PHIP Final Paper
The largest item in NURS 503: a 10 to 15-page paper on the essential elements of a health intervention, with 8 to 10 scholarly sources plus the textbooks and the Bible. How to write NURS 503 Week 8 PHIP Final Paper.
How NURS 503 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points and nearly all of them are written. The PHIP final paper is the largest item at 225 points; the Healthcare Quality and Safety Paper is 175; the Health Indicator Overview and Behavioral Economics papers are 150 each; the PHIP outline and annotated bibliography are 75 each; and the two forums are 75 each. Only the course requirements checklist (10) has nothing to write.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Healthy People 2020 Health Indicator Overview Paper | 150 |
| Behavioral Economics Paper | 150 |
| Healthcare Quality and Safety Paper | 175 |
| PHIP Outline | 75 |
| PHIP Annotated Bibliography | 75 |
| PHIP Final Paper | 225 |
| Discussion Board Forums (2) | 150 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach NURS 503
Choose one leading health indicator in Week 1 and use it everywhere it fits. The Week 2 paper focuses on one indicator, the Week 3 behavioral economics paper is about the behavior change that indicator depends on, and the project in Weeks 6 to 8 designs an intervention for a health indicator. Tobacco use, obesity, or access to health services each give you a deep evidence base.
Note that the guide names Healthy People 2020; the current federal framework is Healthy People 2030. Ask your instructor which to use, and if allowed, show you know both.
Questions students ask
How many sources do NURS 503 papers need?
The three papers in Weeks 2, 3 and 5 each need 3 to 5 scholarly sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. The PHIP final paper needs 8 to 10 scholarly sources plus the textbooks and the Bible.
What is the PHIP in NURS 503?
The Population Health Intervention Project: a 2 to 3-page outline (Week 6), an annotated bibliography of 8 to 10 sources (Week 7) and a 10 to 15-page final paper on the essential elements of a health intervention (Week 8).
Working through NURS 503 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.