Graduate Program

Program of Study

 

Nurses are called upon to exercise leadership in their role. For this reason, all MSN students at SPU take the Leadership Core Courses whether they will then go on to the Nurse Practitioner pathways or choose a clinical, administrative or educational focus.



Pathway Course Overviews

Administration

Nursing students interested in administrative roles are encouraged to take selected courses in the School of Business that enhance leadership and managerial positions. During the second or third year of the program, students take a series of courses offered to study advanced nursing practice in administration.

 

The core of these courses focus on the American Nurses Association's Standards of Advanced Practice Nursing, the “reflective practitioner” (Schon), and Nursing Design. The Nursing Design basics involve a holistic evaluation of the aggregate or population to be served, a compilation of research about this population, the level of prevention focus for this population, and the environment in which this population is to be served. Based on this data, aid is planned out for this population.

 

This pathway may be partly fulfilled in internship form, some of which are in a clinical setting and some of which are in an organizational setting, depending on the student’s goals. For the advanced practice administrator, the aggregate could be a client population and/or an employee population.



Nurse Educator

Nursing students interested in staff development and nursing education in colleges and universities can take three of the Nurse Educator courses as electives to support the development of the Nurse Educator role, along with practicing teaching during their Advanced Practice internship. They will also be given the Nurse Educator’s certificate if they take an educational technology course of their choice. To be qualified, Nurse Educators need to select and practice in a clinical area in an advanced practice role.

 

In the second or third year of the program, Nurse Educators enroll in the Advanced Practice courses. The core of these courses are the ANA Standards of Advanced Nursing Practice and the "reflective practitioner" (Schon). Also, students develop a Nursing Design that incorporates the population or aggregate they will serve. The Nursing Design basics involve a holistic evaluation of the prevention focus for this population, and the environment in which this aggregate or population to be served. Accordingly, aid is planned out for this population.

 

This design may be partly fulfilled in internship form, some of which are in a clinical setting and some of which are in an educational setting depending on the student’s goals.

 

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Taken during the second or third year of the program, the advanced practice courses give students the opportunity to focus on a specific aggregate or population of clients to be served. During this three quarter sequence, the ANA Standards of Advanced Nursing Practice are one of the core themes, along with the idea of the "reflective practitioner" (Schon).

 

The development of a Nursing Design is the third element in the course and it becomes the link with the internship experiences. The Nursing Design basics involve a holistic evaluation of the aggregate or population to be served, a collection of research about this population, the level of prevention focus for this population, and the environment in which this population is to be served.Based upon this data, interventions are developed for this population.

 

This design may be partially implemented in the internships, all of which are in a clinical setting. The internship series reflects the several aspects of the CNS role, which are education, consultation, liaison work, research, and practice. In addition, the student also is required to take selected support course for this role.

 

Nurse Practioner

All advanced practice nurses must exercise leadership even in their role as a nurse practitioner. For this reason, all Master of Science in Nursing students at SPU take the Leadership Core Courses whether they plan on going on to the Nurse Practitioner pathways, or choose a clinical, administrative or educational focus. The Nurse Practitioner pathways offered are: family nurse practitioner and adult/gerontology nurse practitioner.

 

In addition to the Leadership Core courses, MSN/NP students take Clinical Pathophysiology, Health Promotion and Assessment, the Nurse Practitioner series, Legal and Entrepreneurial Issues, Advanced Pharmacology and at least two 3-credit focused electives. Clinical Pathophysiology is a pre- or co-requisite to Health Promotion Advanced Assessment and fulfills one of the related requirements.