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. An RN license and BSN degree are required for admission to the FNP program track. An RN license and a bachelor's degree are required for admission to all other MSN tracks.
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 of administrative knowledge and skills. Emphasis is placed on the integration of finance, business management, information management, and program evaluation.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track is designed to prepare students to successfully pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) 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.
Sacred Heart University College of Nursing is required to meet state higher education requirements and state board of nursing regulations for all online MSN/FNP students. Students are responsible to verify the status of state authorization and Board of Nursing or equivalent approval in their state of residence.
Due to requirements of the New York Office of the Professions, Sacred Heart University College of Nursing is restricted from offering clinical placements for APRN licensure programs in the state of New York. Students from the state of New York or any other state, including Connecticut, may enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program but MAY NOT complete any clinical practica in the state of New York. If students from the state of New York enroll in the Online MSN/FNP Program, it is with the understanding that all clinical hours MUST be accrued in a practice site in a state other than New York.
Clinical Nurse Leader
The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) track prepares nurses who have a Bachelor's degree in nursing, or registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree in another discipline, to practice across the continuum of care within any healthcare setting as a CNL. The CNL was developed to address the critical need to improve the quality of patient care outcomes. The CNL is a clinical leader at the point of care who focuses on care coordination, outcomes measurement, transitions of care, interprofessional communication and team leadership, risk assessment, implementation of best practices based on evidence and quality improvement. 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-BSN-to-MSN program as well.
Nursing Education
The Nursing Education track prepares nurses who have a Bachelor's degree in nursing, or registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree in another discipline, to assume leadership roles as vibrant faculty members in baccalaureate and associate degree programs, staff-development educators, and 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. The Nursing Education track may be done in the accelerated RN-to-BSN-to-MSN program as well.
Program Formats
Many of the graduate programs are offered online. Nursing Management and Executive Leadership, Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Education tracks can be taken exclusively online, with the exception of the clinical experience or role practicum. The Family Nurse Practitioner online track does require a campus orientation and two onsite competency residencies during the program.
Master of Science in Nursing Essentials
The essentials of Master's Education in Nursing is the framework for the MSN program curricula.
I. Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities
II. Organizational and Systems Leadership
III. Quality Improvement and Safety
IV. Translating and Integrating Scholarship Into Practice
V. Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
VI. Health Policy and Advocacy
VII. Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes
VIII. Clinical Prevention and Population Health for Improving Health
IX. Master's -Level Nursing Practice
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 3.2 for the FNP Track. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for the CNL, NMEL and NE Tracks
- Copy of current unencumbered U.S. RN license in your home state and a copy of license in state of practice
- Copy of individual and professional liability insurance coverage that meets current state requirements
- Completed criminal background check
- Completed application, statement of professional goals, résumé, two letters of recommendation (one from a supervisor from a current or recent position in healthcare and one from a professional nursing peer), and official copies of transcripts of all prior nursing and academic work
- Interview with graduate nursing faculty for the FNP
- Undergraduate statistics course required
- Undergraduate research course recommended
- Undergraduate health assessment course (30 hours or greater required)
Degree Requirements
MSN students must complete a program track-specific plan of study 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 online 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 an undergraduate nursing research course is recommended. Applicants for all four tracks must also have successfully completed an undergraduate health assessment course. (30 hours or greater required)
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 is 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 NE students.
Nursing Management and Executive 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 Health Care | 3 |
| NU 551 | Advanced Pharmacology for the Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NU 552 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NU 561 | Primary Care I: Comprehensive Primary Care of the Adult | 6 |
| NU 566 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners | 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 540
Lab Hours: 10 (completed during residency 1)
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 Health Care | 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 180
Total Specialty Hours: 27 credits