Nursing

Description

The Master of Science in Nursing is designed to help meet the significant national and state need for more nurses prepared at the graduate level, with a special focus on education, forensic nursing, leadership/management or population-based care coordination. Graduates will earn a Master of Science degree with a major in nursing.

Designed as a part-time, accelerated, online program, the program is offered to registered nurses who already have a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Graduates gain the theoretical and analytical knowledge required to contribute to the nursing profession as educators, leaders/managers or population-based care coordinators. All students participate in a practicum experience, partnered with experienced nurses in their chosen specialty, to have the opportunity to learn and demonstrate new knowledge and skills.

Program Highlights

• Multiple Starting Points - Students can choose to start their program in the fall, spring, or summer semesters. This gives students the opportunity to begin when they are ready.
• One Course at a Time - Designed for working nurses, the program allows students to focus on one course at a time, building a foundation for future coursework as they progress.
• Flexible Schedule - Students can choose the pace that works best for them, allowing a balance of work, school and life events.
• Accelerated Format - Courses are offered in accelerated 8-week formats. The only exception is the capstone course, which is offered over a full 16-week semester.

Areas of Concentration

Students will choose to focus on one of the following areas of concentration:

• Nursing Education
• Forensic Nursing
• Nursing Leadership/Management
• Population-Based Care Coordination

Nursing Education

This area of concentration is designed to help meet the tremendous need for nurse faculty – a shortage that is limiting enrollment in nursing schools nationwide. Education is practiced by all nurses in formal and informal settings. This concentration recognizes the changing practice of nursing education, whether in the academic or clinical setting. From the increasing use of simulation to online courses, nursing educators in today’s healthcare environment must be able develop, implement, and evaluate courses using multiple teaching strategies, including online course delivery.

Forensic Nursing

This area of concentration is designed to cultivate and prepare registered nurses to address the needs of victims of violent sexual and non-sexual crimes. Forensic nurses are uniquely positioned to care for patients during the post traumatic experience. Using the nursing process and a multi-system approach to administer forensic healthcare, collect evidence, and connect the victim to community resources, the forensic nurse improves the health and wellness for these individuals.    

Nursing Leadership/Management

This area of concentration recognizes that all nurses, regardless of position, can be called on to serve in leadership roles. This area also addresses the key workforce need for more nurse managers, as many existing nurse leaders in hospitals and healthcare organizations will retire in the coming years. In challenging economic times, leadership is critical to the success of healthcare institutions.

Population-Based Care Coordination

This area of concentration is designed to prepare nurses for roles that have increased in demand since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Nursing professionals will gain appropriate skills that enable them to make ongoing changes in the health systems they serve, as well as acquiring the knowledge and abilities to adapt to future challenges in nursing. Graduates of this program may work in a variety of roles, such as case managers with hospital systems, nurse community liaisons with third-party organizations, nurse navigators within hospitals or community coordinators within health departments.

Outcomes

The objective of the program is to prepare registered nurses with a Master of Science degree with a major in nursing who will practice in advanced roles as nurse educators, leaders/managers, or population-based care coordinators. Master's-prepared nurses are professionals with specialized knowledge and skills that are applied within a broad range of patient populations in a variety of practice settings.

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Nursing, graduates will be able to:

1. Advance the scholarship and discipline of nursing through the acquisition and dissemination of new nursing knowledge.
2. Demonstrate advanced mastery of nursing theory, evidence-based practice, service, and research based upon a multidisciplinary theoretical foundation.
3. Analyze advanced roles in nursing as educators, leaders, and managers in a variety of settings: academic environments, health care agencies, political systems, and in the public and private sectors.
4. Advocate for the nursing profession through demonstration of personal accountability, responsibility for advanced nursing practice and professional role modeling and mentoring.
5. Synthesize knowledge of decision-making skills and change theory to promote excellence in nursing practice within a dynamic and global health care system.

Education Concentration Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, a graduate in the education concentration will be able to:

1. Analyze trends in nursing science to promote best educational practices.
2. Apply learning theories and curriculum design models in the development of learning experiences in nursing education.
3. Analyze significant issues arising between clinical nursing practice and nursing education.
4. Design curricula for a variety of educational settings using relevant theories and evidence-based teaching strategies. 
5. Integrate teaching and learning theory with concepts of health protection, promotion, and maintenance to address the needs of individuals from various cultures. 
6. Integrate theories and principles of teaching and learning with knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment in the role of the nurse educator in academic and practice settings. 

Forensic Nursing Concentration Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, a graduate in the forensic nursing concentration will be able to:

1. Critique concepts and theories of nursing, social justice, and health care delivery related to victims of violence.
2. Integrate social, educational, and legal theory, evidence-based practice, and research to address the complex needs of vulnerable populations and victims of violence.
3. Analyze trends in forensic nursing to develop, promote, and implement protocols, policies, and systems that best respond to the complex health needs of victims and violence.
4. Analyze the impact of role of forensic nurse in advancing the relationship between civic, legal, and health care sectors.
5. Evaluate culturally competent strategies to educate individuals in the traditional of forensic nursing and forensic wellness through the examination of inter-professional collaborative relationships, social networks, and organizational systems. 

Leadership/Management Concentration Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, a graduate in the leadership/management concentration will be able to:

1. Analyze trends in healthcare and health administration and promote best business management practices that improve the health of our citizens.
2. Synthesize leadership theories and principles of human resource management to improve and promote nursing care in a variety of environments.
3. Analyze significant issues between clinical nursing practice and health care administration and provide leadership in the pragmatic resolution of conflicts.
4. Synthesize and apply theories, models, and research relating to nursing management and health systems.
5. Analyze managerial problems in healthcare and provide resource solutions.
6. Critique concepts and theories of nursing, health care delivery, financing, and regulatory issues related to health care organizations.

Population-Based Care Coordination Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, a graduate in the population-base care coordination concentration will be able to:

1. Conduct needs assessments within communities and health care systems, engaging multiple stakeholders.
2. Design a plan of care for specific populations incorporating knowledge of community resources, health care law, and regulations.
3. Evaluate quality and safety outcomes within community healthcare systems.
4. Implement care management projects based on target population need assessment and evidence-based standards of care.
5. Evaluate culturally-competent community care management strategies through the examination of inter-professional collaborative relationships, social networks, and organizational systems.

Policies

The grade of "C" is the lowest acceptable grade, and only one can be awarded during the program. A student may repeat one course in a graduate program one time. Once a student has repeated a course, the student will not be permitted to repeat any other courses. If a student repeats a course, only the latter grade is used in computing the grade point average. However, all courses taken become a part of the student's academic record. Further, a student may withdraw from each graduate course one time only. A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average on all graduate work attempted is required for graduation. Only one grade of "C" may be applied toward the GPA requirement. Degree requirements must be completed within seven years after the first course applied to the degree was completed.

Requirements

Core courses give all master's degree-seeking students a strong foundation in nursing research, essential for the implementation of evidence-based practice and to effectively utilize data for problem solving. Additional core courses provide advanced knowledge in the legal, ethical, political, and social forces impacting the global health care environment. The core courses, plus the courses within the areas of concentration, provide a foundation for doctoral education.

All students must successfully complete the following core courses before moving into courses in their area of concentration.

Core Courses

Education Courses

This area of concentration includes courses in pedagogy, curriculum design, educational assessment, and a teaching practicum.

The following courses must be completed sequentially:

Forensic Nursing Courses

This area of concentration includes courses in health assessment, forensic nursing, criminal justice, forensic science, and cultural perspectives in society.

The following courses must be completed sequentially: 

Leadership/Management Courses

This area of concentration includes courses on organizational behavior, health care finance, quality management, and a leadership practicum.

The following courses must be completed sequentially:

Population-Based Care Coordination Courses

This area of concentration includes courses on communication, coordination, vulnerable populations, epidemiology, and a Population-Based Care Coordination practicum.

The following courses must be completed sequentially:

Residency Requirements

The Master of Science in Nursing has a residency requirement at the end of the program. The residency component supports the interactive nature of the profession, which requires students to demonstrate not only knowledge, but the increased ability at the graduate level to articulate and discuss nursing issues and challenges. Further, the residency allows students to demonstrate those skills and competencies they will need in their professional positions. Students unable to come to campus for this component of the program will be able to participate through the use of synchronous online software capabilities already available at the university.

Certificate Option

Nursing Education

Population-Based Care Coordination

Course Descriptions

See NURS-Graduate Nursing Courses