Course Opportunities
Both of the programs of study in the University of Utah College of Nursing's baccalaureate curriculum now include specialized nursing content related to primary care. You may have heard of this in your orientation before. Each student will have access to modules across the courses, which upon completion, will result in awarding a digital badge on that content.
What is a Digital Badge? A digital badge represents the achievement of a certain skill set and attainment of competency. The badge is an electronic representation of this skill set that can be used by the student in portfolios or resumes to communicate your achievement. Completion of the modules for each badge is not in addition to your course work, it is considered work within your course. We want you to use your badges to communicate your special skills and knowledge to others such as employers. We hope that the badges also help alert you that you have focused skills in a new setting—primary care.
Why Primary Care? Nursing education has traditionally focused on acute care settings. Healthcare reform has brought about a change in nursing education to meet the demands in the workplace to prepare RNs to work to the top of their licensure in primary care settings. Skills of being effective in primary care are not new to nursing; our foundational knowledge of nursing process is the basis of primary care. What is new to nursing curriculum is preparing nurses to work to the top of their licensure. Nurses can bill for services in primary care settings and nurses lead teams in primary care to provide service to population groups. Nurses are bending the curve as we move from fee-for-service to value-driven outcomes payment structures. We have designed the primary care modules to build upon the content of each course through the application of that content to primary care.
How do I get a digital badge? You complete the modules as they come along in your courses. Each module is fully online and will have a quiz following the content. We will track this completion and award your badge when you have completed the requirements. Each badge has two modules. Some of the modules are not completed within the same course, so you may not complete a badge within a course but across your program of study.The table below is where you can expect the modules to be located.
| Topic | Module & Badge Title | RN-BSN Course | Pre-Licensure Courses |
| PC Behavioral Health | Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) | N3106 Advanced Assessment | N4550 CM III |
| Behavioral & Mental Health and Substance Use | N4116 Public Health | N4530 M/B Health | |
| Population Health for Nurses | Population Health for Nurses | N4110 Global Health | N4510 Global Health |
| Data-Driven Quality Improvement (QI) and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) |
N3108 - EBP OR |
N4605 EBP | |
| Chronic Disease in PC | Chronic Disease Prevention | N3107 Health Promotion | N4550 CM III |
| Chronic Disease Management (CDM) | N3107 Health Promotion | N4550 CM III | |
| Patient Engagement in PC | Patient Engagement and Shared Decision Making | N3107 Health Promotion | N3300 PR I |
| Professional Roles in Primary Care | N4140 - Nursing Initiatives | N3400 PR II | |
| Leadership Roles in Primary Care | N4140 - Nursing Initiatives | N4600 Professional roles IV | |
|
Care Management in PC |
Care Coordination | N3113 Systems & Populations | N4500 PR III |
| Care Transitions | N4140 - Nursing Initiatives | N4500 PR III |