Master of Science in Nursing
The University offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in four tracks: Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Leader, and Nursing Education. Students may choose to study on a full- or part-time basis; however, they must complete their plan of study within six years. The MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). For information, contact the CCNE at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120; phone: 202-887-6791; or visit their website: www.aacn.nche.edu.
Tracks
Nursing Management and Executive Leadership
The Nursing Management and Executive Leadership (NMEL) track prepares nurses who hold baccalaureate degrees for positions of administrative responsibility in healthcare organizations. Graduates of this program are prepared to be professional leaders and creatively advance the practice of nursing and facilitate the delivery of cost-effective care through the application and testing of administrative knowledge and skills. Emphasis is placed on the integration of finance, business management, information management, and program evaluation. There is also an accelerated RN to MSN program for registered nurses without a baccalaureate degree.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track is designed to prepare students to successfully pass the American Nurses Association or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner’s National Certification Examination as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In addition, a 30-hour advanced pharmacology course allows students to apply for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license in the state of Connecticut. Graduates of the program possess the necessary educational and experiential background to provide primary care across the lifespan, and to deliver care in numerous healthcare settings. The College of Nursing offers a Post-Master’s Certificate in the Family Nurse Practitioner program. The Post-Master’s Certificate program is for applicants holding a graduate degree in nursing.
Clinical Nurse Leader
The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) track prepares nurses who hold baccalaureate degrees for the newly designed and evolving role of Clinical Nurse Leader. Graduates of this program are prepared to be professional leaders with advanced skills in patient assessment and management along with leadership and health systems skills to promote safe, high-quality, and cost-effective care in any healthcare system. Students will be prepared to pass the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s CNL Certification Examination. The major roles of the CNL are clinical-care coordinators, outcome managers, patient advocates, educators, information managers, and care team leaders. The Clinical Nurse Leader track may be done in an accelerated RN-to-MSN program as well.
Nursing Education
The Nursing Education track prepares nurses to assume leadership roles as vibrant faculty members in baccalaureate and associate degree programs, in staff-development roles, and in continuing- and community-education programs. The role practicum will develop the student’s knowledge and skills to apply to a teaching role in a focal area of expertise.
Program Formats
Many of the courses in all four tracks in the MSN program are offered online. Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Clinical Nurse Leader, and Nursing Education tracks can be taken exclusively online, with the exception of the clinical experience or role practicum in each track. Sacred Heart also offers a contracted MSN Onsite Program at selected hospital/organization sites, which combines online and onsite classes at these sites. For the Family Nurse Practitioner track, students must come to campus for four courses. Campus-based courses may also include online components to foster access to study materials and flexibility for students.
Master of Science in Nursing Program Competencies
Practice Based on the Arts and Sciences
Analyze and integrate scientific evidence across disciplines to influence healthcare needs for diverse individuals, groups, and communities.
Practice Using Leadership and Organization Skills in a Variety of Healthcare Settings within the Healthcare Systems
- Support safe, high-quality, cost-effective healthcare based on the application and evaluation of organizational and systems leadership models.
- Assume a leadership role to effectively implement patient safety and quality-improvement initiatives within the context of the interprofessional team.
Practice Based on Evidence
- Appraise, integrate, and translate current evidence and clinical guidelines to improve practice and associated health outcomes for patient aggregates.
Practice Utilizing Technology and Information
- Analyze and evaluate clinical information management systems, outcome data, and patient-care technology to coordinate safe and effective care to optimize patient safety, cost effectiveness, and health outcomes.
Practice and Policy
- Advocate for, analyze, and integrate knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory factors that influence healthcare delivery and nursing practice.
Practice as a Member of an Inter-professional Team
- Lead interprofessional patient-centered healthcare teams by fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making.
Practice to Prevent Disease and Promote Health
- Analyze and integrate clinical prevention and population health concepts in the development of culturally relevant clinical prevention interventions and strategies to promote health.
Practice Based on Professional Standards and Values
- Advocate for the characteristics of professionalism including altruism, excellence, human dignity, integrity, social justice, autonomy, and respect.
Practice at the Level of Educational Preparation
- Integrate value-based nursing care and skills with knowledge of biopsychosocial, public health, and organizational sciences to practice competently.
Admission Requirements
Students are admitted to the MSN program upon review and recommendation by the admissions committee based on the academic, course prerequisite, and professional requirements listed below.
Admission criteria include:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited college or BA/BS in related field, with a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Current Connecticut RN license (or for online students, RN licensure in the state of professional practice)
- Proof of liability insurance
- Completed application, statement of professional goals, résumé, two letters of recommendation (one from a current supervisor and one from a professional peer), and official copies of transcripts of all prior nursing and academic work
- Interview with graduate nursing faculty (FNP Program)
- Undergraduate statistics course required
- Undergraduate research course recommended
- Undergraduate health assessment course (30 hours or greater required)
Degree Requirements
MSN students are required to design an approved plan of study in collaboration with a faculty advisor that must be satisfactorily completed with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to earn the degree. The plan of study varies depending on the track the student pursues. The Nursing Management and Executive Leadership track requires 36 credits. The Family Nurse Practitioner track requires 42 credits. The Clinical Nurse Leader track requires 39 credits. The Nursing Education track requires 39 credits.
Prerequisite Courses
MSN applicants must have successfully completed an undergraduate statistics course, and a nursing research course is recommended. Applicants for all four tracks must also have successfully completed a basic health assessment course.
Required Graduate Core Courses
All MSN students are required to take the following:
| NU 501 | Healthcare Policy & Ethics for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 530 | Theory & Professional Roles for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 601 | Principles of Healthcare Research for Contemporary Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NU 602 | Evidence-Based Practice for Quality Care | 3 |
| NU 603 | Principles of Healthcare Research for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice | 3 |
NU 603: For FNP students only in lieu of NU 601 and NU 602*
Total: 9–12 credits dependent on track
Graduate Capstone
The graduate capstone project is a culminating experience beyond the specified coursework and represents the student’s ability to formulate a project and implement it using a combination of conceptual, technical, and applied knowledge and skill defined by the MSN program competencies. The capstone is required to demonstrate competence in the scholarship of the student’s selected master’s track and the ability to work independently and to present the results of his or her investigation effectively. The capstone project is incorporated into course requirements for the last role practicum or role immersion course (NU 672, NU 673, NU 680, NU 681, NU 631, NU 690, NU 691 for the NMEL, CNL, FNP, and EDU students.
Nursing Management and Exective Leadership Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Nursing Management and Executive Leadership track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 511 | Role Development for Nursing Management & Executive Leadership | 3 |
| NU 521 | Creating a Professional Work Environment | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 576 | Management of Financial Resources | 3 |
| NU 617 | Healthcare Delivery Systems | 3 |
| NU 665 | Quality & Safety in Practice | 3 |
| NU 672 | Nursing Management & Executive Leadership Practicum | 3 |
| NU 673 | Capstone: Nursing Management & Executive Leadership | 3 |
Practicum Hours: Minimum of 120
Total Specialty Hours: 24 credits
Family Nurse Practitioner Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Family Nurse Practitioner track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 550 | Family & Community Context for Healthcare | 3 |
| NU 551 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 552 | Advanced Health Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 561 | Primary Care I: Comprehensive Primary Care of the Adult | 6 |
| NU 566 | Advanced Pathophysiology for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 621 | Primary Care II: Advanced Primary Care of Families in Complex Systems | 7 |
| NU 631 | Primary Care III: Advanced Primary Care & Health Promotion of Special Populations | 8 |
NU 631: Capstone incorporated into NU 631
Clinical Hours: Minimum of 550
Total Specialty Hours: 33 credits
Clinical Nurse Leader Track
In addition to the core requirements, students in the MSN program in the Clinical Nurse Leader track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 550 | Family & Community Context for Healthcare | 3 |
| NU 553 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NU 554 | Application of Comprehensive Health Assessment Methods | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 605 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Leader | 3 |
| NU 611 | Care Management & Resources Across the Continuum | 3 |
| NU 612 | Disease Management & Outcomes Assessment | 3 |
| NU 680 | Clinical Nurse Leader Role Practicum | 3 |
| NU 681 | Capstone: Clinical Nurse Leader | 3 |
Role Immersion Hours: Total of 400 clinical hours across 6 courses
Total Specialty Hours: 27 credits
Nursing Education Track
In addition to the core requirements and capstone, students in the MSN program in the Nursing Education track are required to complete the following plan of study:
Required Courses
| NU 553 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NU 554 | Application of Comprehensive Health Assessment Methods | 3 |
| NU 575 | Healthcare Information Systems | 3 |
| NU 588 | Theoretical Basis of Teaching & Learning in Nursing Education | 3 |
| NU 589 | Curriculum Development & Evaluation in Nursing Education | 3 |
| NU 605 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Leader | 3 |
| NU 619 | Principles of Patient & Staff Education | 3 |
| NU 690 | Nursing Education Role Practicum | 3 |
| NU 691 | Capstone: Nurse Educator | 3 |
Education Role Practicum Hours: Minimum of 120
Total Specialty Hours: 27 credits