Nursing, M.S.N.

Program Description

The Graduate Nursing Program in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. There are two concentrations included in this degree offering:  one as a Gerontological Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and the second as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP). 

The CNL concentration will prepare graduates for management decision making skills required by healthcare agencies providing care for gerontology patients.   The program focuses on acquisition of management skills including human resource management, fiscal management, and quality management to improve health care outcomes for older patients in a variety of health care settings.

The AGNP concentration will prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice, providing primary health care needs for adults and geriatric patients.  Graduates of this program will be eligible to obtain national certification and advanced practice licensure allowing them to practice in primary health care settings providing health promotion, disease prevention, and care management of adult and geriatric patients. 

Program Admission

In addition to the requirements for regular admission to the Graduate School, all applicants for the MSN degree must meet the following criteria:

• Application to the Kitty Degree School of Nursing Graduate Program
• Baccalaureate degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited school of nursing
• Current, unencumbered registered nurse license
• Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• GRE, taken within 5 years of admission, with a minimum score: Verbal 140; Quantitative 140; Analytical 2.5
• Minimum work experience as a RN of two (2) years
• Submission of a written essay of 500 words describing your professional nursing goals

Program Requirements

The program requires 36 credit hours for completion of the Clinical Nurse Leader Concentration and 40 credit hours for the Adult Gerontology concentration in the MSN degree. Students in both concentrations will take courses listed as MSN Graduate Core and MSN Direct Care Core.  CNL students will complete the courses in the MSN CNL Role Competency while AGNP students will complete those courses in the MSN AGNP Role Competency section.

MSN Graduate Core (all graduate nursing students)

• NURS 5001 Advanced Theoretical Foundations in Nursing  
• NURS 5002 Research I: Evidence Based Practice  
• NURS 5010 Research II: Utilizing Research in Practice  

MSN Direct Care Core (all graduate nursing students)

• NURS 5006 Advanced Pathophysiology  
• NURS 5007 Advanced Physical Assessment  
• NURS 5008 Advanced Pharmacology  

MSN CNL Role Competency

• NURS 5003 Health Policy and Global Health  
• NURS 5004 Personnel and Organizational Management  
• NURS 5005 Health Care Law and Ethical Decision Making  
• NURS 5009 Health Care Economics and Finance  
• NURS 5011 Quality Improvement and Patient Safety  
• GERO 5010 Biology of Aging  
• GERO 5012 Social Gerontology  

MSN AGNP Role Competency

• NURS 5200 Nurse Practitioner Role  
• NURS 5202 AGNP I Primary Care of Acute Illness  
• NURS 5204 AGNP II Special Health Needs of Adults in Primary Care  
• NURS 5206 AGNP III Primary Care of Chronic Diseases  
• NURS 5208 AGNP IV Best Practices in Adult/Geriatrics  
• GERO 5010 Biology of Aging  
• GERO 5012 Social Gerontology  

CLINICAL REQUIREMENTS
Graduate nursing students in the Clinical Nurse Leader concentration will complete a minimum of 400 clinical contact hours throughout this curriculum, under the direct supervision of an approved clinical preceptor.  Students enrolled in the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentration will complete 640 clinical hours under the direct supervision of an approved clinical preceptor.