NURS 409
Spring 2022
PACE UNIVERSITY LIENHARD
SCHOOL OF NURSING COLLEGE OF
HEALTH PROFESSIONS
DEPARTMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
ABSN PROGRAM
COURSE SYLLABUS
I.
COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE NURS 409 Concepts of Evidence Based Practice
CRN # 25038, 25267, 25289
NUMBER OF CREDITS: 3 credits
II.
FACULTY
Course Coordinator
Keiko Iwama, PhD, MSN, RN, CCRN
Assistant Professor
Email: kiwama@pace.edu
Preferred Contact Method: Email
Office Hours: TBD
Office Location: 163 William Street, Room 530, New York, NY 10038
EBP Team Mentors
Dr. Sarit Orlofsky PhD, MSN, CNS-MS, RN, CDP
Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing
Email: sorlofsky@pace.edu
Preferred Contact Method: Email
Office Hours: TBD
Office Location: Lienhard Hall, L307
Dr. Catherine S. Finlayson, PhD, RN, OCN
Associate Professor
Email: cfinlayson@pace.edu
Preferred Contact Method: Email
Office Hours: TBD
Office Location: Wright Cottage, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570
Dr. Noreen Brennan, PhD, RN
Clinical Assistant Professor
Email: nbrennan@pace.edu
Preferred Contact Method: Email
Office Hours: TBD
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Spring 2022
PLACEMENT IN CURRICULUM: Level I ABS Program
PRE-REQUISITES: MAT 134 or equivalent
III.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This accelerated course focuses on understanding and appraising the research evidence that
informs clinical practice. Students are expected to formulate a clinical practice question, find,
synthesize, and evaluate the research evidence related to that question, and determine
implications for practice. Topics will foster a spirit of inquiry that will enable the student to
be a creative and innovative nurse, and contribute to the improvement of quality outcomes for
patient care.
IV.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Within a framework of primary health care and consistent with professional standards the
student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
V.
Identify types of evidence (sources of knowledge) that form the basis of nursing practice.
Formulate focused, searchable clinical questions as a foundation for finding evidence.
Find the best available research evidence related to a clinical question.
Critically read available research evidence.
Synthesize evidence on a clinical problem from several sources for application to practice.
Appraise a systematic review for application to practice.
Differentiate between research and performance improvement objectives and projects.
Assess adherence to legal/ethical principles in nursing research and in performance improvement
projects.
TEACHING STRATEGIES:
Readings, discussion forums, group work, assignments, library work and zoom field experiences.
VI.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
 American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association ISBN:
978-1-4338-3216-1

VII.
Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2022). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal
and application of research. (5th Ed). Jones & Bartlett. ISBN: 978-1-284226324
COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Course Outlines and Syllabus are current as of January 20, 2022, and are subject to
change. Any change will be announced in class and posted on Classes.
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
The minimum passing grade for this course and all other undergraduate nursing courses is
“77%” or “C+”
METHODS OF EVALUATION:
All work must be submitted on or before the due date. Late work will not be accepted and earns 0%
toward your course grade. Students must achieve at least 77% to pass the course.
CITI Training for Human Subjects*
Online /assignments /quizzes **
Practice Improvement Proposal Abstract
Practice Improvement Proposal Poster Drafts
Practice Improvement Proposal Poster Presentation
5%
45%
16%
9%
25%
*CITI Training for Human Subjects must be completed in the assigned time frame (week one) of the
course, and proof of completion submitted to the faculty as directed. Failure to complete at that time will
result in an immediate “F” as student will not be able to proceed in the other course activities. There are
no exceptions to this.
**Exams may be given at any time during the semester and spontaneous quizzes may be used in the
calculation of course grades. Should a student miss a class exam, an alternate format make-up exam may
be given at the discretion of the faculty. Exam questions will be drawn from any and all course material.
All written work, including Classes postings, must be appropriately referenced using the 7th edition of the
APA manual. Points will be deducted for inaccurate use of APA format in all work submitted.
LSN Department of Undergraduate Studies Grading Criteria:
A
AB+
B
BC+
=
=
=
=
=
=
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
(4.0)
(3.7)
(3.3)
(3.0)
(2.7)
(2.3)
C
CD+
D
DF
NURS 409 Spring 2022
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=
=
=
=
=
=
73-76
70-72
67-69
60-66
No such Grade
Below 60
(2.0)
(1.7)
(1.3)
(1.0)
(0.0)
NURS 409
Spring 2022
COURSE GRADE CALCULATION POLICY:
During the course of the semester grades for assignments are normally posted in Classes. When
grades are posted they will be displayed to the hundredth (2 decimal places). Note: Trailing
zeros will be dropped and will not show in Classes. Final grades are expressed as a whole
number, as per university policy. At the completion of the course, all final grades will be
rounded to the whole number and reported as such on PacePortal.
EXAMPLE
Method of
Evaluation
Assignment One:
Exam One:
Exam Two:
Final Exam:
Final Paper:
Case Study
VII.
Percent
Grade
Earned
88.57
76.32
91.45
85.4
90.01
76.66
20%
20%
20%
25%
10%
5%
Points
17.714
15.264
18.29
21.35
9.001
3.833
85.452
Final Grade
85%
TOPICAL OUTLINE
I. Introduction to evidence-based practice (EBP) and the research process
A. Components of EBP
B. Steps of the research process
C. Relationship between EBP and research
D. Levels and quality of evidence
E. Reading a research study
II. Formulate focused, searchable clinical questions (comparison of research questions/problems to
clinical questions.
A. Relationship of question to type of evidence
B. Introduction to quantitative and qualitative designs
III. Find the evidence to answer clinical questions
A. Systematic searching for evidence
B. Hierarchy of databases
IV. Critically read and understand the evidence:
A. Single studies using different research designs
B. Systematic reviews: integrative reviews and meta-analyses
V. Relationship between research evidence and performance improvement
A. Use of research evidence in development of protocols and practice improvement projects
B. Evaluation of practice innovations
VI. Legal and ethical issues
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A. Ethical principles
B. Legal issues
C. Institutional Review Board
VIII. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students must accept the responsibility to be honest and to respect ethical standards in meeting
their academic assignments and requirements. Integrity in the academic life requires that
students demonstrate intellectual and academic achievement independent of all assistance except
that authorized by the instructor.
Plagarism: Please use appropriate citations to denote the work of others. Use ‘turnitin’ to
assure you are not plagarizing the work of others. The use of an outside source, including
electronics sources, in any paper, report or submission for academic credit without the
appropriate acknowledgement is plagiarism. It is unethical to present as one’s own work the
ideas, words or representations of another without the proper indication of the source.
Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to give credit for any quotation, idea or data
borrowed from an outside source. Students who fail to meet the responsibility for academic
integrity subject themselves to sanctions ranging from a reduction in grade or failure in the
assignment or course in which the offense occurred to suspension or dismissal from the
University.
IX.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENT WITH DISABILITIES
The University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities
includes providing reasonable accommodations for the needs of students with disabilities. To
request an accommodation for a qualifying disability, a student must self-identify and register
with Coordinator of Disability Services for his or her campus. No one, including faculty, is
authorized to evaluate the need and arrange for an accommodation except the Coordinator of
Disability Services. Moreover, no one, including faculty, is authorized to contact the
Coordinator of Disability Services on behalf of a student. For further information, please see
Information for Students with Disabilities on the University’s website. You can contact the
Coordinator at 212-346-1526 (New York Campus) or 914-773-3710 (Pleasantville Campus).
X. STATEMENT OF SELF-CARE:
Your academic success in this course and throughout your college career depends heavily on your
personal health and well-being. Stress is a common part of the college experience, and it often
can be compounded by unexpected life changes outside the classroom. The Pace Community
strongly encourages you to take care of yourself throughout the term, before the demands of
midterms and finals reach their peak. Please feel free to talk with me about any difficulty you
may be having that may impact your performance in this course as soon as it occurs and before it
becomes unmanageable. Please know there are a number of other support services on campus that
stand ready to assist you. I strongly encourage you to contact them when needed as well.
The Counseling Center Just In Case information supplies potentially life-saving mental health
information to Pace University students, staff, and faculty, putting vital information and support
options at your fingertips, just in case you or a friend needs help. Go to the Just in Case page on
the Pace website or go to "Counseling Center" on the MyPace or the Pace Safe app.
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During this academic year, the following information on Coping Emotionally with COVID-19
may also be useful for you.
Department
Pleasantville
New York City
Advising Center for Exploring Majors
First-year: (914) 7733756 | (914) 773-3757
(212) 346-1798
Affirmative Action Office
(914) 923-2610
(212) 346-1310
Center for Spiritual Development
(914) 773-3767
College of Health Professions Academic
Advisement
UG (914) 773-3961
UG (914) 773-3347
Grad (914) 773-3114
UG (212) 618-6027
Grad (914) 773-3114
Counseling Center
(914) 773-3710
(212) 346-1526
Dean for Students Office
(914) 773-3351
(212) 346-1306
Dyson College Academic Advisement
(914) 773-3781
(212) 346-1518
International Student/Scholars
(212) 346-1368
Lubin School of Business Academic Advisement
UG (914) 773-3531
UG (212) 618-6550
Grad (212) 618-6440
Office of Multicultural Affairs
(914) 773-3628
(212) 346-1546
Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness
(212) 346-1931
Office of Student Assistance (OSA)
(877) 672-1830
Pace Women’s Justice Center
(914) 287-0739
Pforzheimer Honors College Academic Advisement
(212) 346-1697
Residential Life
(914) 597-8777
(212) 346-1295
SeidenbergInquiry@pace.edu
Seidenberg School Academic Advisement
Sexual Assault Prevention & Education
(212) 346-1931
Study Abroad
(212) 346-1368
Student Accessibility Services
(914) 773-3710
(212) 346-1526
Student Engagement
(914) 773-3767
(212) 346-1590
University Health Care
(914) 773-3760
(212) 346-1600
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XI.
Spring 2022
TECHNOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE:



For a list of Pace Information Technology Services see http://www.pace.edu/its.
For live assistance with a technological concern, contact the Pace Helpdesk at 914-773-3648
or create a work request at https://help.pace.edu/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk.
The Calendar – You can always see the university academic calendar at
http://webevents.pace.edu/?filter=academiccalendar.
XII. COURSE CALENDAR:
The course calendar/weekly schedule is posted separately
XIII.
CLASSROOM CLIMATE:
Our Pace community benefits from the richly unique experiences and individual diversity each of
us bring. Intellectual growth and development happen when we engage in free and open discourse
that challenges our own assumptions and beliefs. Together we all have the responsibility to create
and maintain an environment where differences are respected and valued. To that end, we will
challenge all manifestations of bias and discrimination to maintain a climate of mutual respect
and civility.
Whether you are learning in an online or on campus environment, the same expectations of courtesy
and conduct apply. All classroom interactions should remain civil, respectful, and supportive. If
you disagree with someone, aim to acknowledge your disagreement in a respectful way. Try
responding with a question to open up further discussion (e.g., I’m not sure that I understand your
point of view. Can you say more?). When working online, choose your words carefully. It’s easy
for someone to misinterpret your meaning when they can’t see your expressions or hear the tone of
your voice. Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without face-to-face communication, your
comments may be misinterpreted.
The student can also contact Pace’s Chief Diversity Officer Tiffany Hamilton at (212) 346-1879,
thamilton2@pace.edu or Executive Director of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator Mr.
Bernard Dufresne at (212) 346-1310, bdufresne@pace.edu.
XIV.
SEX-BASED MISCONDUCT POLICY AND PROCEDURE:
Pace University is committed to providing a safe environment for every member of its
community and to ensuring that no student, faculty or staff member is excluded from
participation in or denied the benefits of any University program or activity on the basis of sex.
Accordingly, the University prohibits the following forms of Sex-Based Misconduct: sexual
assault, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual
exploitation and stalking.
Instructors are a non-confidential resource and have an obligation to report any information
about sexual assault with the Executive Director of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator
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– Bernard Dufresne, bdufresne@pace.edu, 163 Williams Street, Room 1017, (212) 346-1310. The
Title IX/Affirmative Action Office is responsible for investigating violations of the sexual
misconduct policy. Go here for more information about the Pace University sexual misconduct
policy.
Members of the University community who believe that they have been subjected to Sex-Based
Misconduct are encouraged to report such incidents to the University and, where applicable, to
local law enforcement. Confidential resources include the University Counseling Centers,
Offices of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness and University Healthcare. Contact information
for those offices may be found in the self-care section below.
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