Nursing (RN to MSN)
The RN to MSN entry option is being closed. Applications are not being accepted.
Designed for nurses who have completed their associate degree in Nursing (ADN) or diploma in Nursing, the online RN-to-MSN program with a concentration in Nursing and Health Care Administration track provides an accelerated pathway to earning both the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees within a minimum of two and a half to three years. This degree program develops nurse leaders to assume key roles in a variety of health care settings.
Curriculum
Students need 120 credits to receive BSN degree before transitioning to the MSN part of the program. Details of these requirements are found on the RN to BSN pages of the catalog.
Practicum sites are sought out and secured by the School of Nursing at one of over 300 healthcare organization partners including hospitals, outpatient clinics, healthcare accreditation bodies, consulting firms and professional associations.
Students will complete a comprehensive examination project in the last fall and spring semesters of the program. There will be a written component as well as presentation. Students will present their project during Day of Scholarship event held at the health sciences campus
Immersion Learning
The Nursing and Healthcare Administration program includes an on- site immersion weekend. There will be one weekend dedicated for the immersion during spring semesters of the MSN component of the program. Immersion weekends typically begin a Saturday morning and conclude by Sunday afternoon.
BSN Courses
BSN Courses are detailed on the RN to BSN pages of the catalog. In the RN to MSN option, students complete the graduate level courses in theories and concepts for advanced nursing practice, population health informatics, and advanced quality and safety in health care that count toward the BSN degree requirements. Courses include:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CMAN 375 | Community Health Nursing | 3 |
| GNUR 338A | Physical Assessment for R.N.s | 3 |
| GNUR 360 | Nursing Research: For Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| GNUR 361 | Nursing Ethics | 3 |
| GNUR 363 | Healthcare Transitions | 3 |
| GNUR 383 | Leadership for Professional Nursing Practice | 3 |
| GNUR 390 | Integrative Clinical Practicum | 0 |
| GNUR 404 | Theories & Concepts for Advanced Clinical Practice 1 | 3 |
| CMAN 407 | Population Health Informatics 1 | 3 |
| CMAN 425 | Advanced Quality and Safety in Health Care 1 | 3 |
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MSN-level credits
MSN Courses
Students will complete 30 MSN level credits (then 3-credit hour courses) after transitioning from the BSN program completion. The courses are:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GNUR 407 | Social Justice and Ethics in Health Care | 3 |
| GNUR 408 | Research for Advanced Clinical Practice | 3 |
| CMAN 403 | Health Care Delivery and Organization | 3 |
| CMAN 430 | Leadership and Administration in Health Care | 3 |
| CMAN 445 | Health Care Outcomes | 3 |
| CMAN 448 | Program Planning and Marketing in Health Care | 3 |
| CMAN 460 | Health Care Policy | 3 |
| CMAN 533 | Fiscal Management in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| CMAN 417 | Nursing and Health Care Administration Practicum | 6 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
The BSN learning outcomes are detailed on the RN to BSN pages of the catalog.
The goal of the Master of Science in Nursing program is to prepare nurses at the master’s level who use advanced knowledge and skills to assume a leadership role in interprofessional health care delivery to improve health outcomes as the system, population, or individual patient levels.
At the completion of the MSN program, the graduate has the knowledge and skills to:
- Integrate scientific findings from nursing, healthcare, and biopsychosocial fields; public health sciences; and the Jesuit Catholic tradition for the continual improvement of nursing and healthcare across diverse settings.
- Function as a leader emphasizing ethical and critical decision-making, effective working relationships, and application of organizational sciences in a systems perspective, to promote safe and high quality patient-centered care.
- Use translational science to integrate evidence into practice.
- Critically appraise healthcare technologies and information systems and incorporate data to promote optimal communication and healthcare delivery at the system and patient-care levels.
- Understand and appreciate the importance of health policies on health status and employ advocacy strategies to positively influence health care at the population level.
- As a leader or member of an interprofessional team, effectively communicate, collaborate, and consult with other health professionals to improve patient and population health outcomes.
- Working collaboratively with patients, families, and communities, utilize culturally sensitive evidence-based strategies for health promotion and disease prevention locally, nationally, and globally.
- Use expanded knowledge and change-agent skills for professional growth and the provision of indirect and direct care that enhances outcomes for individuals, populations, and systems.
- Evaluate research-based evidence for planning, implementing, and evaluating patient outcomes.
- Apply ethical principles to decision-making.