RN-MSN Nursing Program
Student Handbook RN-MSN and MS in Nursing 2021-2022
The RN-MSN program provides students with a bridge process before moving on to earn a master’s degree. The RN-MSN program is for registered nurses who have already earned an associate degree in nursing and wish to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing degree.
Upon completing the bridge courses with a cumulative average of 3.0 or better, students may progress into the M.S in Nursing track of their choice. If students have to achieve a 3.0 cumulative grade point, they may be granted probationary status with the expectation that they will maintain a GPA of 3.0 for the first two semesters of study.
Currently, students may choose a concentration in either Nursing Education or Business Leadership. The total undergraduate credits required to enter the R.N.-M.S.N. program is 92 credits, and this includes the bridge courses.
The undergraduate courses accepted must be similar to WAU’s current undergraduate nursing program. Undergraduate courses that will be accepted can be found below. To be acceptable for transfer to WAU., a grade of “C” or better in the course is required. The total number of credits for the R.N.-M.S.N. program is 137 (92 undergraduate and 45 graduate credits).
Admission
Admission to the RN-MSN program for any concentration requires:
- Earned an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a state board of nursing-approved program with regional accreditation or a baccalaureate degree in another discipline.
- Required RN Nursing License in Good Standing.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on all cognates.
- Current CPR and health requirements before the start of any practicum.
- Evidence of recent employment as a registered nurse.
- A written statement of career objectives.
- Current professional resume and two professional letters of reference.
- Completion of the following prerequisites:
Admission | 45 Hours | |
| Prerequisites | ||
| BIOL 201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOL 150 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL | or Biology course or elective | 4 |
| CHEM 114 | Fundamentals of General, Organic and Biochemistry | 4 |
| COMM 105 | Introduction to Human Communication | 3 |
| INSY 110 | Computer Concepts I | 3 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Research and Literature | 3 |
| MATH 110 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| NUTR 260 | Nutrition | 3 |
| PSYC 105 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 210 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
Nursing Core Curriculum | 58 Hours | |
| NURS 308R | Transition into Professional Nursing Practice | 4 |
| NURS 310R | Health Assessment and Health Promotion | 4 |
| NURS 389R | Nursing Research and Evidenced-Based Practice | 3 |
| NURS 423R | Nursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NURS 446R | Pursing Leadership and Management | 3 |
| NURS 478R | Healthcare Policy and Politics | 3 |
| NURS 489R | Synthesis of Complex Nursing Care | 5 |
| NURS | Nursing Transfer Credits | 31 |
Required Cognates | 9 Hours | |
General Education | 9 Hours | |
Total | 121 Hours | |
The goal of Master’s Program
The goal of the master’s program is to prepare skilled, competent nurses who will pursue excellence and professional growth through lifelong learning; lead change to improve quality outcomes and safety of healthcare delivery systems; design innovative, evidence-based nursing practices; and serve as collaborative partners of the health care team in an advanced specialty nursing practice.
Expected Student Outcomes
Upon completion of their program of study, graduates of Washington Adventist University’s MS in Nursing Education will be able to:
- Demonstrate organizational and systems leadership to improve quality and safety outcomes in nursing education or health care organizations.
- Conduct and/or evaluate nursing research and evidence-based practices to improve individuals, families, communities, and populations.
- Synthesize knowledge of ethical, safe, and legal practices in assessing, providing, evaluating, and improving the quality and safety of patient care.
- Evaluate current knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health promotion, disease, and injury prevention and management to improve the health of individuals, groups, communities, and populations.
- Apply the principles of social justice and health policies that improve the health of the public.
- Analyze the political, social, organizational, cultural, and economic systems that impact health and health care.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate, collaborate, lead, and consult with others in an advanced nursing practice specialty role.
- Design health care management systems and/or educational programs for patients, students, families, communities, and populations using evidence-based practice, informatics, and health care technologies.
- Demonstrate the ability to provide humanistic care in an advanced specialty nursing practice, respectful of a client’s cultural, spiritual, ethnic, and gender diversity within an increasingly global, multicultural society.
- Synthesize knowledge from the organizational sciences, humanities, and informatics to improve the quality and delivery of advanced nursing care in complex educational or health care systems
- Design strategies for improved quality and safety outcomes in nursing education and health care systems that employ informatics and effective leadership and management principles.
- Demonstrate attributes supportive of spirituality within a multicultural multi-faith environment to facilitate self-awareness and meet the spiritual needs of clients and self.