Master of Science in Nursing

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program is designed for students who have a Bachelor of Science (BSN) in Nursing degree and a current, unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States. The program is built upon The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The MSN program concentrations include Nurse Educator, Nurse Administrator, Advanced Practice Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

Nursing Program Mission

Committed to the mission and values of the University, the mission of the nursing program is to educate students to become, and grow as, professional nurses who value excellence, provide leadership, and show caring attitudes in all endeavors, foster community, and embrace lifelong learning. Graduates are prepared to provide outcome-focused, client-centered, evidence-based, holistic nursing care to individuals, groups, and communities of diverse backgrounds.

MSN Program Mission

Committed to the mission and values of the University and building upon the knowledge, skills, and values of the baccalaureate-prepared nurse, the mission of the MSN program is to prepare students for advanced nursing practice who are leaders, change agents, and innovators in the specialty areas of administration, education, and across all domains of advanced practice.

Accreditation

The Master of Science of Nursing program at the University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Information related to this accreditation may be obtained by contacting CCNE at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington DC 20036 Phone: (202)-887-6791 Fax: (202)-887-8476.

MSN Program Outcomes

Graduates of the MSN program in all concentrations will:

Integrate comprehensive assessment, theory, evidence, clinical judgment, research, patient values, and inter-professional perspectives in advance nursing practice for diverse populations.
Utilize information and technology to communicate, educate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making.
Synthesize ethical, economic, legal, and political factors that influence health care to influence the organization and financing of health care delivery and educational delivery systems.
Collaborate to design, coordinate, and evaluate patient-centered health care as a leader or member of an inter-professional team.
Contribute to nursing practice to improve health care outcomes by translating evidence into practice.
Integrate evidence-based findings for patient-centered and culturally responsive strategies for clinical prevention and health promotion for diverse populations and environments.
Advocate for policies to improve population health, access to quality care and the profession of nursing.
Provide evidence of professional and personal goal development and activities.
Integrate the 5 C’s of caring – commitment, conscience, competence, compassion, and confidence – in advance nursing practice. (Roach, M.S. (1992). The human act of caring: A blueprint for the health professions. Canadian Hospital Association.)

Minimum Admission Requirements for all MSN Students

Admission to the MSN program is competitive and based upon the following criteria. Specific MSN concentrations may have additional requirements:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE or NLNAC/ACEN/CNEA accredited nursing program from an accredited institution of higher learning.
Verification of current unrestricted RN licensure in the United States.
Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale either cumulatively or for the last 60 credit hours of coursework.
Two letters of reference from individuals who can attest to the candidate’s potential ability to practice at an advanced nursing practice level, to engage in scholarly activity, and to fulfill a leadership role.
Official transcripts for all academic work beyond high school.
Application to the University of Saint Mary and payment of applicable fees.
Academic Honesty Statement.
Complete a writing assignment answering the following questions. Maximum 300-word count for each question.
1. Tell us something you are proud of in your academic or professional life.
2. Tell us about a clinical, procedural, or quality issue that required you to research guidelines or articles in nursing literature.
3. Give an example of how you demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion at work or in the community.
Current resume or curriculum vitae.

Achievement of minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. All application data are considered. Background checks, health insurance, and immunizations may be part of a practicum site’s requirements. It is the students’ responsibility to verify and meet these requirements prior to beginning their practicum experience.

Admission to the MSN-FNP and MSN-PMHNP concentrations have the following admission requirements:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from a CCNE or NLNAC/ACEN/CNEA accredited nursing program.
Verification of unencumbered nursing licensure in all states of intended clinical practicum.
Undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 or a GPA of at least 3.00 in the last two years of undergraduate nursing study. Students with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 but less than 3.00 may be considered for admission on probation.
Official transcript(s) from undergraduate/professional school submitted through the NursingCAS system.
Two professional or academic letters of recommendation. The letter should attest to the applicant’s potential to successfully complete a graduate program of study, with emphasis on professional nursing competency, relationship with team members, leadership skills, and personal responsibility/accountability.
Current curriculum vitae.
Complete a writing assignment answering the following questions. Maximum 300-word count for each question.
1. Tell us something you are proud of in your academic or professional life.
2. Tell us about a clinical, procedural, or quality issue that required you to research guidelines or articles in nursing literature.
3. Give an example of how you demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion at work or in the community.
It is highly recommended that students have one year of clinical experience prior to enrollment in the NP practicum courses. Students may seek admission prior to the completion of this requirement but must have completed the full year of RN clinical practice prior to enrollment in NP practicum courses.
Students will be invited for a personal interview with FNP Program Admissions Committee.
Applicants must meet the requirement for USM’s Graduate Programs Admission.

If admitted, NP students are expected to purchase and maintain health insurance during their enrollment in the program.

Progression and Graduation

Maintain cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 on 4.00 scale.
One course grade of “C” is allowed in the MSN Nurse Educator and Nurse Administrator programs if cumulative GPA does not fall below 3.00. A course grade of “F” or a second course grade of “C” will result in dismissal from the program. A student may appeal this dismissal, but readmission is at the discretion of the program director. The course in which an “F” grade was received must be retaken and passed with a grade of “B” or higher. Students reinstated into the program should take the course in question prior to other coursework, but this may be addressed on a case by-case basis.
One course grade of "C" is allowed within the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner and the MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs in the common core courses only and only if the cumulative GPA does not fall below 3.00. A course grade of "F" or a second course grade of "C" will result in dismissal from the program. A student may appeal this dismissal, but readmission is at the discretion of the program director. The course in which an "F" grade was received must be retaken and passed with a grade of "B" or higher. Students reinstated in the program should take the course in question prior to other coursework, but this may be addressed on a case-by-case basis. No "C" grades or below will be allowed in the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner or MSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program for the NP concentration courses. If a "C" is earned in one of these courses, the student will be dismissed from the program.
There is a University policy of no "D" grades for graduate level courses. Probationary status is possible for GPAs less than 3.00, with approval of the program director. This must be removed within 6 credit hours or may result in dismissal from the program.
Students who are dismissed, or withdraw from the program, may apply for readmission one time only. Applications for readmission will be considered on a case by case basis, and all will require a statement by the student explaining the previous difficulties and plan of action to ensure success with the readmission.
Fulfill all graduation requirements.
Students who have already completed one or more concentrations in the USM Master of Science in Nursing can elect to take the FNP, PMHNP, or Nurse Educator concentrations. Core MSN courses taken at USM will count toward these concentration requirements. Students who wish to do this or wish to transition from the MSN program to the FNP, PMHNP, or Nurse Educator programs, must apply for the additional programs through NursingCAS. If the student already has an MSN degree, after completing the additional coursework and clinical experiences, the student will not receive another diploma or degree. The completed concentration will, however, be noted on the official transcript.

Curriculum

The non-practitioner MSN degree requires a total of 34-38 credits. There are seven common core courses (15 credits), seven courses (23 credits) in the nurse educator concentration, and six courses (19-20 credits) in the nurse administrator concentration.

The MSN-FNP degree requires a total of 50 credits. There are seven core courses from the MSN degree (15 credits) and nine courses (35 credits) for the FNP concentration.

The MSN-PMHNP degree requires a total of 53 credits. There are seven core courses from the MSN degree (15 credits) and seven courses (38 credits) for the PMHNP concentration.

Courses are taught year-round.

There is a prerequisite requirement of a 3-credit hour graduate statistics course for all MSN concentrations prior to enrolling in NU 703.

Required Common Core (15 crs):

NU 701	Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice	3
NU 703	Analysis and Utilization of Research	3
NU 706	Healthcare Policy and Ethics Across Populations	3
NU 714	Quality, Safety and Informatics	3
NU 760	Evidence Based Project I	1
NU 761	Evidence Based Project II	1
NU 762	Evidence Based Project III	1

Nurse Educator Concentration (23 crs):

NU 725	Foundations of Learning and Teaching	3
NU 726	Assessment and Evaluation	3
NU 727	Curriculum Design and Evaluation	3
NU 731	Teaching with Technology	3
NU 770	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NU 772	Pharmacotherapeutics for the APRN Prescriber	3
NU 773	Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning	5

Nurse Administrator Concentration (19-20 crs):

HCMGT 720	Healthcare Informatics and Technologies	3
HCMGT 721	Leadership and Business Operations in Healthcare	3
MGT 707	Organizational and Human Resource Management	3
NU 718	Delivery of Care in the Healthcare Environment	3
NU 755	Nurse Administration: Experience in Leadership	4

	Choose one of the following:
MGT 711	Managerial Accounting	3
NU 710	Human Resource and Fiscal Management	4

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration (35 crs):

NU 770	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NU 772	Pharmacotherapeutics for the APRN Prescriber	3
NU 773	Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning	5
NUFP 781	Primary Care 1: Management of Adult and Geriatric Populations	8
NUFP 783	Primary Care 2: Management of Pediatric and Childbearing Families	8
NUFP 785	Primary Care 3: Clinical Practicum and Capstone	8

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration (38 crs):

NU 770	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NU 772	Pharmacotherapeutics for the APRN Prescriber	3
NU 773	Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning	5
NU 790	Psychopharmacology and Neurobiology	3
NU 792	Psychiatric Mental Health I	8
NU 794	Psychiatric Mental Health II	8
NU 796	Psychiatric Mental Health III	8

Elective Courses:

NU 750	Capstone Synthesis Cognate	1
	Or
NUFP 750	Capstone Synthesis Cognate	1

NU 751	Practicum Cognate	1
	Or
NUFP 751	Practicum Cognate	1

Transfer Credits

Up to nine graduate credit hours may be transferred into the MSN program provided the courses with which the credits are associated are substantially equivalent to University of Saint Mary graduate courses. The program director reserves the right to determine if the courses are substantially equivalent. Requests for transfer credit are subject to the requirements described in the Transfer of Credit Guidelines of this catalog and Post-Licensure Program Director approval.