THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (MSN) and POST-APRN CERTIFICATE GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Post-APRN -FNP Certificate program is designed to prepare professional Nurses to fulfill an advanced practice role. The mission feeds into the SON philosophy of the graduate Nursing program which is to provide students with the ability to analyze and utilize theoretical and evidence-based modalities with various patient populations to improve in patient care healthcare delivery and outcomes, and always keeping the AUHS’s Christian values at the heart of our approach to education.
The MSN Nurse Administration, Leadership and Management (MSN-NALM) track requires 65 quarter credits. The MSNNALM track prepares students for a variety of Nurse executive positions in both hospital healthcare systems and community-based systems. Students are prepared to analyze and implement change in policies and procedures that are designed to improve health care outcomes in safety and quality patient care. Students analyze financial forecasting and system functions, develop, and interpret policies, and prepare programs designed to produce system change. Health policy, human resources, information technologies, legal and ethical issues in system management are examined on how these are developed and implemented at the local, state, and national level. The Nursing skills competencies in the American Nurses Credentialing Center Nurse Executive (NE) and Nurse Executive Advance (NEA) certification program and eligibility; and the American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL) competencies are used to develop this concentration for the MSN-NALM. Graduates will be prepared to take the Certification in Executive Nursing Practice (CNP) and Certified Nurse Manager and Leader. The ANCC offers Nurse executive board certification examination upon completion of the ANCC eligibility requirements to take this board certification examination. The following credentials are awarded upon passing the ANCC board certification examination: Nurse Executive-Board Certified (NE-BC) or Nurse Executive Advanced- Board Certified (NEA- BC).
The MSN Nurse Education (NE) track requires 65 quarter credits. The MSN Nurse Educator curriculum prepares graduates to teach in schools of Nursing, health systems-based patient, and family education, as well as continuing education. Course work focuses on the professional role of the Nurse educator, as well as on the provision of instruction in an area of specialization teaching and evaluation strategies, curriculum design, and evaluation and the use of information technologies enabling graduates to acquire skills necessary for the education of clients. The competencies in the Essentials of Master’s Education and Nursing program (AACN, 2011), and National League for Nursing Core Competencies (NLN, 2010), and Outcomes and Competencies for Graduate Academic Nurse Educator Preparation (NLN, 2018) were used to develop the curriculum content for the MSN-NE track. Graduates of this program will be prepared to take both or one of the examinations for Certification for Nurse Educator (CNE) and Certification for Academic Clinical Nurse Educator from the National League for Nursing (NLN).
The MSN APRN- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track requires the completion of 85 quarter credits. This program’s curriculum is based on the 2017 Core Competencies with curriculum content of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF). Students are prepared in both theoretical and evidence-based clinical knowledge essential to comprehensive primary care in a variety of settings to clients across the lifespan. The Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (2016) along with the Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (2011) are used as the basis for developing this concentration of the program. Graduates from this program will be prepared and eligible to take the following certification board examinations for Family Nurse Practitioner: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANPCB) to earn the NP-C or FNP-C credential; American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification Program (FNP-BC). Graduates are prepared in both theoretical and evidence-based clinical knowledge consisting of the graduate core, advanced practice registered Nursing core, and Nurse practitioner role and population-focused courses, essentials to comprehensive primary care in a variety of settings to family/individual across the lifespan. The MSN APRN-FNP Program curriculum is designed to comply with the learning objectives to meet requirements for the Family/Individual across the lifespan category, and appropriate professional Nursing standards and competencies.
The MSN APRN – FNP graduate competencies is congruent with the 2017 NONPF Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies that include the following areas:
- Scientific Foundations
- Leadership
- Quality
- Practice Inquiry
- Technology and Information Literacy
- Policy
- Health Delivery System Ethics
- Independent Practice, and;
- The role of the Nurse practitioner in primary care.
The Post-Graduate APRN-FNP Certificate Program is designed for Master’s prepared nurses or doctorate prepared nurses who chooses to advance their knowledge-base, experience, education, and set of skills to practice as in an advanced role as Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). The Post-Graduate FNP Certificate will prepare advanced practice Nurses to manage the care of individuals and families across the lifespan. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examinations from several certifying agencies such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The postgraduate FNP program emphasizes and advances FNP’s critical thinking; making differential diagnoses; using evidence-based findings to improve healthcare outcomes; and being accountable for providing healthcare through health promotion, disease prevention, management of acute and chronic health conditions and primary care – to diverse patient population in a variety of clinics and community-based settings.
The 2017 NONPF Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies provides evidence that the required Nurse Practitioner (NP) core competencies and curriculum contents to support these competencies are aligned. The MSN faculty embrace the concepts of these required regulations, competencies, criteria, and consensus model of professional Nursing education as listed in the following accrediting, approving, and regulating agencies:
- California Board of Registered Nurse – Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Program (CA BRN).
- Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties [NONPF] 2017).
- Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2011).
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education’s (CCNE’s) Standards for Accreditation for Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Program (2018) .
- Graduate-Level QSEN Competencies Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (AACN, 2012).
- Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education [NTF], 2016).