Nursing, MSN
The Department of Nursing at Central offers a graduate MSN program with two tracks: Hospice and Palliative Care and Nursing Education.
Central is fully accredited by the New England Commission on Colleges of Higher Education (NECHE). The Department of Nursing BSN program, RN-BSN program and MSN-HPC program are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Nursing faculty at Central believe that a Master of Science Degree, Nursing (MSN) prepares students for a specialty focus to expand their career options. Students gain an advanced-knowledge base and skill set that is grounded in the scientific discipline and art of professional nursing. This level of professional education is necessary to meet the needs of a complex and changing health care system. Today, the healthcare system is challenged to provide care to complicated clients, with the goal of reaching optimum outcomes by providing quality care.
Outcomes
Program Student Learning Outcomes for the Nursing Education Track:
1. Upon completion of the Master of Science in Nursing Degree in Nursing Education, graduates will be prepared to:
2. Apply nursing theories within the functional roles of the master’s prepared Nurse Educator.
3. Synthesize from general pedogeological, educational, and nursing specific concepts to influence nurse educators’ practice as a teacher.
4. Prepare students to provide leadership within nursing, academia, and health care delivery systems to improve the safe client care provided by BSN graduates.
5. Conduct research which will contribute to the development of the nursing profession and nursing education.
6. Participate in lifelong learning and professional growth through continuing education, specialty certification, and /or doctoral study in nursing.
7. Develop leadership skills and integrate scholarship into nursing practice through participation in praxis courses; and
8. Meet the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Masters Education in Nursing
Program Student Learning Outcomes for the Hospice and Palliative Track:
(1) Utilize appropriate theories from nursing and related fields to respond to emerging health care challenges;
(2) Apply ethical analysis and clinical reasoning to assess, intervene, and evaluate advanced nursing care delivery;
(3) Understand how to influence health care policy for the purpose of advocating for clients and community;
(4) Use quality processes and improvement science to evaluate care and ensure patient safety for individuals and communities;
(5) Synthesize evidence for practice to determine appropriate application of interventions across all populations affected by end-of-life and chronic care;
(6) Incorporate global nursing knowledge, attitudes, and skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating hospice and palliative care practice;
(7) Integrate interprofessional collaboration and informatics to make changes in the hospice and palliative care environment to improve delivery of care;
(8) Develop leadership skills and integrate scholarship into nursing practice through participation in praxis courses; and
(9) Meet the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Masters Education in Nursing
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree (BSN in Nursing preferred) from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and have their RN license. Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.70 on a 4.00 point scale (where A is 4.00), or its equivalent, and be in good standing (3.00 GPA) in all post-baccalaureate course work.
Conditional Admissions:
An applicant for this Masters Program who does not meet regular admissions standards but has an undergraduate GPA between 2.50 and 2.69 may be considered for conditional admission. The conditional admission program is an arrangement allowing a student to demonstrate successful performance during their first semester in the graduate program.
The Application Process:
Applicants must submit a completed application for admission to graduate study as well as official transcripts from all institutions where undergraduate and graduate work has been done to the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Office.
Applicants must submit a narrative statement describing their professional goals as well as any educational or professional experiences that may assist the department's admissions committee in reviewing the application.
Applicants must also submit contact information for two references, one from an academic/professional source and one from nursing employer who can specify length of time and direct responsibilities of the applicant in an RN nursing position.
Major Requirements (40 credits)
Core (30 cr)
| NRSE 501 | Advanced Nursing Theory | 3 |
| NRSE 502 | Global Policy and Ethical Issues | 3 |
| NRSE 500 | Advanced Patho/Pharm and Health Assessment Across the Lifespan | 4 |
| NRSE 503 | Nursing Leadership, Management, and Inter-Professional Collaboration | 3 |
| NRSE 504 | Emerging Best Practices and Research in Nursing Care and Education | 3 |
| NRSE 505 | Comparative Domestic Delivery Systems and Informatics | 3 |
| NRSE 507 | Nursing Practicum I | 6 |
| NRSE 508 | Nursing Capstone | 5 |
Hospice and Palliative Care Track (10 cr)
| NRSE 511 | Integrative Health for Hospice and Palliative Care | 6 |
| NRSE 506 | Current Trends in Palliative and End-of-Life Care | 4 |
Nursing Education Track (10 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 40