NURS 715 is the DNP theory course at Liberty. Its written work is two forums, a two-part PowerPoint on a middle range nursing theory, a personal philosophy of nursing paper, a theory guided practice paper with its outline, and a closing professional statement on the DNP role.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 715 Theoretical Application for Advanced Practice Nursing, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS715.
What NURS 715 covers
The catalog description: This course will analyze the nature of theory and theory development in nursing. Students will examine nursing theory, apply theory to practice, practice change, and scholarship. Application of advanced levels of clinical judgment and accountability in the design, development, and evaluation of evidence-based care will occur.
The course analyzes the nature of theory and theory development in nursing and asks you to apply theory to practice, practice change and scholarship. The texts are Chism, The Doctor of Nursing Practice; Smith and Liehr, Middle Range Theory for Nursing; Shelly and Miller, Called to Care; and Zaccagnini and White, The Doctor of Nursing Practice Essentials.
The assignments build on one another: the theory you evaluate in the Week 2 and 3 presentation is a natural candidate for the nursing theory in the Week 7 practice paper, and the philosophy paper in Week 4 gives you language for the Week 8 professional statement.
Textbook named in the published guide: Chism, The Doctor of Nursing Practice (2016). Shelly & Miller, Called to Care (2006). Smith & Liehr, Middle Range Theory for Nursing (2014). Zaccagnini & White, The Doctor of Nursing Practice Essentials (2017). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 715 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 | Not set in the guide; a thread and 2 replies, graded on depth and breadth |
| 2 | Theory Presentation Part I | 100 | No more than 9 slides |
| 3 | Theory Presentation Part II | 100 | No more than 12 slides in total |
| 4 | Personal Philosophy of Nursing Paper | 200 | No more than 7 pages (title and reference pages not counted) |
| 5 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 100 | Not set in the guide; a thread and 2 replies, graded on depth and breadth |
| 6 | Theory Guided Practice Paper Outline | 100 | A detailed outline (no page count in the guide) |
| 7 | Theory Guided Practice Paper | 200 | Not set in the guide; check the Canvas instructions |
| 8 | Professional Statement | 100 | Not set in the guide; check the Canvas instructions |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A thread on the provided prompt about theory and the DNP role, with replies to two classmates. How to write NURS 715 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: Theory Presentation Part I
A PowerPoint of no more than 9 slides introducing and analyzing a middle range nursing theory, with at least 5 peer-reviewed sources. How to write NURS 715 Week 2 Theory Presentation Part I.
Week 3: Theory Presentation Part II
Expand the presentation to no more than 12 slides in total, adding the evaluation of the theory and at least 2 more peer-reviewed sources. How to write NURS 715 Week 3 Theory Presentation Part II.
Week 4: Personal Philosophy of Nursing Paper
A paper of no more than 7 pages that states and defends your philosophy of nursing within the nursing metaparadigm and a biblical worldview, with at least 4 peer-reviewed references. How to write NURS 715 Week 4 Personal Philosophy of Nursing Paper.
Week 5: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum: a thread on the provided prompt during the Called to Care week, with replies to two classmates. How to write NURS 715 Week 5 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 6: Theory Guided Practice Paper Outline
A detailed outline of the theory guided practice paper: the practice experience, a nursing theory, a borrowed theory, their evaluation and the implications. How to write NURS 715 Week 6 Theory Guided Practice Paper Outline.
Week 7: Theory Guided Practice Paper
A paper presenting an actual practice experience, applying a nursing and a borrowed middle range theory, evaluating both, and discussing implications within the Christian worldview. How to write NURS 715 Week 7 Theory Guided Practice Paper.
Week 8: Professional Statement
A paper that formulates and articulates the professional role of the DNP-prepared nurse. How to write NURS 715 Week 8 Professional Statement.
How NURS 715 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The philosophy paper and the theory guided practice paper are 200 each. The two forums, both presentation parts, the outline and the professional statement are 100 each, and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Personal Philosophy of Nursing Paper | 200 |
| Theory Guided Practice Paper | 200 |
| Discussion Board Forums (2) | 200 |
| Theory Presentation Part I | 100 |
| Theory Presentation Part II | 100 |
| Theory Guided Practice Paper Outline | 100 |
| Professional Statement | 100 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1000 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 715
Pick your middle range theory in Week 1. Smith and Liehr cover a dozen of them (uncertainty in illness, self-efficacy, comfort, unpleasant symptoms, meaning and others), and choosing one that fits a real practice problem you have seen saves you from changing theories halfway through.
Keep a running list of peer-reviewed sources on that theory. The presentation needs five, Part II two more, and the practice paper draws on the same body of work.
Questions students ask
What theory should I choose for NURS 715?
A middle range nursing theory from Smith and Liehr that fits an actual practice experience you can describe, because the Week 7 paper asks you to apply a nursing theory and a borrowed theory to that experience.
How long is the NURS 715 philosophy paper?
No longer than 7 pages, with at least 4 peer-reviewed scholarly references, framed by the nursing metaparadigm and a biblical worldview.
Working through NURS 715 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.