Master of Science in Nursing
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) - On-campus and Online
The MSN FNP program is fully accredited and the graduate is eligible to sit for the national FNP credentialing exam with either the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Planning is underway to transition the curriculum to address the newest version of the AACN The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.
The Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner graduate will achieve the following outcomes:
Advanced Clinical Practice: The MSN FNP graduate will demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skill, and judgment to independently provide direct patient care that incorporates assessment, diagnosis, and treatment across the life span (geriatrics, adult, women’s, and pediatrics) within a variety of settings.
Evidence-Based Practice: The graduate will synthesize the evidence-based practice guidelines, critical thinking, and reflection to provide appropriate care as the foundation to practice.
Transformational Leadership: The graduate will demonstrate transformational leadership in the nursing profession.
Professionalism/Ethics: The graduate will practice as an independent provider ethically bound to operate within the guidelines, standards, and scope of practice.
Quality Improvement and Safety: The graduate will integrate current evidence to improve the quality of clinical practice and promote safe care.
Health Care Informatics: The graduate will incorporate knowledge of clinical decision support tools to assist in charting, decision making, research, and scholarship.
Health Policy and Advocacy: The graduate will appraise the interdependence of health policy to act as an advocate of policy that promotes access to care, equity, and cost efficacy.
Inter-professional Collaboration: The graduate will practice collaboratively with other professionals in the health care system.
Transcultural Care: The graduate will maximize the client’s health and wellbeing within the parameters of the client’s own cultural traditions and beliefs.
Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) - On-campus and Online
The Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) track is an option track of the MSN program that prepares the successful graduate to sit for the national board exam for the AGACNP credential required for licensure. This track focuses on the role, function, and utilization of the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in providing acute care for the adult and gerontologic patient populations.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Planning is underway to transition the curriculum to address the newest version of the AACN The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.
The Master of Science in Nursing Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner graduate will achieve the following outcomes:
1. Advanced Clinical Practice
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skill, and judgment to independently provide direct patient care that incorporates the evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment across the adult life span (adult and geriatrics) within acute care and critical care hospital settings.
Assess the complex acute, critical, and chronically-ill patient for urgent and emergent conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data, to evaluate for physiologic instability and risk for potential life-threatening conditions.
Develop effective collaboration with both formal and informal caregivers and professional staff to achieve optimal care outcomes during complex acute, critical and chronic illness attending to variations across the lifespan.
Serve as a knowledge resource regarding clinical and/or care issues related to the design and development of complex acute, critical, and chronic health services for care of the adult-gerontology population.
2. Evidence-Based Practice
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Promote the delivery of evidence-based care for patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic physical and mental illness.
Participate in the design, implementation, and/or evaluation of evidence-based, age-appropriate professional standards and guidelines for care.
Contribute to knowledge development for improved care of the adult-gerontology acute care population by participation in quality improvement, program evaluation, translation of evidence into practice, and/or dissemination of evidence.
3. Transformational Leadership
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Demonstrate leadership to promote improved health care outcomes for the adult–older adult population in practice, policy, and other venues.
4. Professionalism/Ethics
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Practice as an autonomous and independent provider ethically bound to operate within the guidelines, standards, and scope of practice of the health care institution and state.
Advocate for the patient’s and family’s rights regarding healthcare decision-making such as emancipation, conservatorship, guardianship, durable power of attorney, health care proxy, advance directives, and informed consent, taking into account ethical and legal standards
5. Quality Improvement and Safety
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Integrate current evidence to improve the quality of clinical practice and promote safe care.
6. Health Care Informatics
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Incorporate knowledge of clinical decision support tools to assist in charting, decision-making, and delineation of resources, evidence-based research, and scholarship.
7. Health Policy and Advocacy
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Appraise the interdependence of health policy to act as an advocate of policy that promotes access to care, equity, quality, and cost efficacy.
8. Interprofessional Collaboration
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Work collaboratively with a variety of health professionals to achieve patient care goals and promote stabilization and restoration of health in complex acute, critical, and chronic illness.
Promote collaboration among members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team to facilitate optimal care for patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illnesses considering variations across the adult lifespan.
9. Transcultural Care
The MSN AGACNP graduate will
Collaborate with the individual, family, and caregivers in the development of educational interventions appropriate to the complex acute, critical, and chronically-ill patient’s needs, values, developmental and cognitive level, and health literacy.
Educate individuals, families, caregivers, and groups regarding strategies to manage the interaction among normal development, aging, and mental and physical disorders.
Adapt teaching-learning approaches based on physiological and psychological changes, age, developmental stage, cognitive status, readiness to learn, health literacy, the environment, and available resources.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) - Online Only
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration is an option of the MSN-Online program that prepares the successful graduate to sit for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) exam required for licensure as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Students begin the MSN-Online/PMHNP concentration program by completing six core courses before taking a series of specialized courses that explore the treatment of complex mental health needs with a view toward recovery-focused interventions.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Planning is underway to transition the curriculum to address the newest version of the AACN The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.
The Master of Science in Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate will achieve the following outcomes:
Advanced Clinical Practice: The MSN PMHNP graduate will demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skill, and judgment to independently provide direct patient care that incorporates assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health needs across the life span within a variety of settings.
Provide therapy and prescribe medications for patients with mental health disorders and substance abuse problems
Perform physical and psychosocial assessments, emergency psychiatric care, and treatment effectiveness evaluations
Evidence-Based Practice: The graduate will synthesize the evidence-based practice guidelines, critical thinking, and reflection to provide appropriate care as the foundation to practice.
Transformational Leadership: The graduate will demonstrate transformational leadership in the nursing profession.
Professionalism/Ethics: The graduate will practice as an independent provider ethically bound to operate within the guidelines, standards, and scope of practice.
Quality Improvement and Safety: The graduate will integrate current evidence to improve the quality of clinical practice and promote safe care.
Health Care Informatics: The graduate will incorporate knowledge of clinical decision support tools to assist in charting, decision making, research, and scholarship.
Health Policy and Advocacy: The graduate will appraise the interdependence of health policy to act as an advocate of policy that promotes access to care, equity, and cost efficacy.
Inter-professional Collaboration: The graduate will practice collaboratively with other professionals in the health care system.
Transcultural Care: The graduate will maximize the client’s health and wellbeing within the parameters of the client’s own cultural traditions and beliefs.