Nursing, M.S.N. (513801)

Program Description

RN TO BSN TO MSN
The Kitty DeGree School of Nursing offers a seamless approach for the AD prepared nurse to complete the BSN degree and move into the MSN program smoothly. 

The Graduate Nursing Program in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. There are three concentrations included in this degree offering: 

• Gerontological Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
• Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

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. 

The FNP concentration prepares graduates for advanced nursing practices, providing primary health care needs for all ages across the lifespan.  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 for primary health care needs. 
 

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:

• Baccalaureate degree in Nursing from a nationally accredited school of nursing
• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• GRE required if the cumulative GPA is less than 2.75 
     Formula Score:  (GPA x GRE = 712)
   
• Application to the Kitty Degree School of Nursing Graduate Program
  Minimum work experience as a RN of two (2) years
  Current, unencumbered registered nurse license

Program Requirements

The program requires 36 credit hours for completion of the Clinical Nurse Leader Concentration and 40 credit hours for the Adult Gerontology or Family Nurse Practitioner concentration in the MSN degree. Students in all 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 and FNP students will complete those courses in the MSN FNP 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 5005 Health Care Law and Ethical Decision Making  
• NURS 5011 Quality Improvement and Patient Safety  
• NURS 5014 Personnel and Organizational Management I 
• NURS 5019 Economics and Healthcare Finance I 
• NURS 5024 Personnel and Organizational Management II 
• NURS 5029 Economics and Healthcare Finance II  
• GERO 5010 Biology of Aging  
• GERO 5012 Social Gerontology  

MSN AGNP Role Competency

• NURS 5003 Health Policy and Global Health  
• 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  

MSN FNP Role Competency

• NURS 5003 Health Policy and Global Health  
• NURS 5200 Nurse Practitioner Role  
• NURS 5302 FNP I Primary Care of Adults  
• NURS 5304 FNP II Women’s Health in Primary Care  
• NURS 5306 FNP III Primary Care of Pediatrics  
• NURS 5308 FNP IV Primary Care Geriatrics  

Elective (choose two(2))

• NURS 5220 Business Practices for Nurse Practitioners  
• NURS 5222 Educational Concepts for Nursing Education  
• NURS 5226 Genomics and Family Healthcare Across the Lifespan  

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 or the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration will complete 640 clinical hours under the direct supervision of an approved clinical preceptor.