Nurse Practitioner:
Family, Adult/Gerontology

Master of Science in Nursing

About this Program

Program Purpose

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed to prepare professional nurses for roles in advanced practice. The curriculum emphasizes the relationships among advanced nursing practice, theory, and scholarly inquiry. Nurses educated at the graduate level demonstrate competency in the roles of advanced caregiver, leader, teacher, and participant in and/or conductor of research. Nurses prepared at the graduate level also have the opportunity to influence health policy and to practice with a high level of autonomy in a variety of settings.

Goals

The goals of the Master of Science in Nursing program are to prepare graduates:

1. to function effectively in advanced nursing practice,
2. to pursue a course of lifelong learning, and
3. to consider doctoral studies.

Program Competencies

Through completion of the Master of Science in Nursing program, graduates will:

1. Promote the art of nursing by valuing the unique relationships among people, which create meaning and preserve human dignity;
2. Synthesize theoretical, experiential, and research knowledge as the scientific basis for advanced nursing practice;
3. Use the ethical and legal standards recognized by the nursing profession to guide advanced nursing practice;
4. Implement knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research to improve nursing practice by evaluating published research, applying findings to practice, and participating in research activities;
5. Incorporate findings from teaching/learning theories and research to educate individuals and groups;
6. Implement knowledge of health policy, financial aspects of health care, and the organization of health delivery systems to influence continuous improvement in health care;
7. Fulfill a leadership role in advanced nursing practice through effective collaboration, client and peer advocacy, sensitivity to diversity, and ongoing participation in professional organizations;
8. Negotiate an appropriate role for advanced nursing practice in the context of a dynamic health care system;
9. Demonstrate advanced oral and written communication abilities;
10. Demonstrate the ability to access, use, and evaluate information and information technologies.

Prerequisite Course Requirements

All students are required to have prerequisite knowledge of statistics. If the student has not completed a course in statistics with a grade of “C” or better, he or she will be required to complete statistics prior to consideration for degree candidacy (completion of 12 credits). The following course is appropriate:

MAT 308 Fundamentals of Statistics

Nurse Practitioner Concentrations

Program Design

These concentrations emphasize the direct caregiver role while combining nursing and related theory, advanced nursing practice, and scholarly inquiry. Nurses prepared as nurse practitioners have advanced health assessment skills; the ability to determine, implement, and evaluate a plan of health care; and the ability to implement strategies aimed at both health promotion and health restoration. The student’s experience culminates with a capstone/scholarly paper or a primary care experience.

The nurse practitioner concentrations are designed to meet the standards for advanced registered nurse practice established by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. The course of study adheres to criteria for accreditation established by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Several courses contain laboratory and/or clinical experiences in conjunction with the classroom experience. Selected courses have an associated fee. In order to participate in clinical experiences, students will need to show verification of current cardiopulmonary certification and registered nurse licensure for the state in which the clinical experience occurs. The University, under a group policy, carries professional liability insurance coverage for students. Students are encouraged to maintain separate RN professional liability insurance coverage, but this is not required.

The program is to be completed within a five year time frame. However, students who miss more than one year of study are required to repeat select courses due to the nature of the material.