Mar 19, 2024  
2018-19 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2018-19 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Master of Nursing Program Information


Dean of Nursing: Peden

Professors: Janiszewski Goodin, Shields

Associate Professors: Blakely, Fernandez, Patterson

Assistant Professors: Hull, Janssen, Flynn, Poellet, ScholzMellum

Instructors: Hoag, Kinder, Satre, Shepherd, Stevens


Introduction and History

The Nursing Program was established in 1950 as a department in the College of Arts and Sciences.  In 1965, it became the Department of Nursing, an integral academic unit of the university.  The undergraduate nursing curriculum provides students the opportunity to blend a strong liberal arts foundation with professional studies.  The MSN graduate program was established in 1994 and provides the registered nurse the opportunity to advance through interdisciplinary education.  The faculty members are skilled professionals as well as dedicated teachers.  Student experiences in a wide variety of health care facilities throughout Columbus and Franklin County provide a broad base of knowledge and skill for professional practice.

Innovation

Over the years, innovation, creativity, and service have characterized the Department of Nursing. The Department pioneered the incorporation of nursing research at the undergraduate level, was in the forefront of the wellness movement in nursing education and in precepted learning experiences for students.  At the height of the national interest in the space program, the Department, with the help of the United States Air Force, was the first in the free world to offer a number of its student’s short-term study in aerospace nursing.

The Department has long demonstrated a strong commitment to the transcultural aspects of nursing with increasing emphasis within the curriculum. Off campus study opportunities that include clinical experiences are offered in Scotland and Sweden.  Informatics education for nurses has been a cutting edge aspect of our Graduate Nursing program for several years.  Faculty and students regularly respond to requests for participation in studies from master and doctoral students from other institutions and conduct institutional and professional research consistent with the mission of the University.

Holistic Focus

Since its inception, the Department of Nursing has been committed to the practice of holistic nursing. Recognition of this commitment and excellence in the provision of holistic education is demonstrated through earning endorsement of all four nursing programs from the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation (AHNCC).  As of this writing, Capital University is the only nursing program with all programs holding this endorsement.

Honorary Degrees

A desire to recognize and celebrate nursing’s contributions to society has been operational through the nominations of outstanding nurses for honorary degrees from Capital University.  To date, seven nurses have been so honored.  They are:

  • Pearl Tucker, Col., USAF, Retired
  • Geraldine Price, Director of the Division of Nursing at the Ohio Department of Health
  • Dorothy Cornelius, Executive Director of the Ohio Nurses Association, past ANA and ICN President
  • Juanita Thiele, founder of the Department, a leader in nursing education & global service
  • Mary Jane Sievwright, nursing leader in Jamaica and ICN
  • Sister Roni Daniels, advocate for the homeless and health care provider in Washington, D.C., Haiti and the Dominican Republic
  • Kevin Sowers, President, Duke University Hospital

Nursing Honorary

A chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Theta Theta, was chartered at Capital University in 1986.  Capital’s Theta Theta Chapter was subsequently recognized with a major award, the chapter Key Award, from the International Honor Society in 1991.  This honor is impressive for so young a chapter since only 26 chapters in undergraduate nursing programs were selected from among the over 300 chapters worldwide. 

Junior and senior traditional students, BSN Completion students, graduate students, and community nurse leaders are eligible by invitation for election to Theta Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing based on scholarship and leadership.  The Chapter offers programs for the nursing community each year.

Facilities

Faculty offices, classrooms, assessment rooms, nursing skills, and computer laboratories are located in the Battelle Memorial Hall of Science and Nursing.  The assessment rooms and laboratories are equipped to allow students to develop their skills in simulated clinical settings in preparation for actual practice in health care facilities.  The Helene Fuld Health Trust Learning Resources Laboratory provides state-of-the-art microcomputers for student use.

Accreditation

The Department of Nursing is approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing to offer the pre-licensure BSN program.  Both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).  Capital University is a charter member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and is a member of the North American Consortium of Nursing and Allied Health for International Cooperation (NAC-NAHIC).  All Nursing programs have been endorsed by the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Center (AHNCC).

Nursing Program Mission

Educating professional nurse leaders for lives of service promoting health and healing within our diverse community.

Philosophy and Foundations

Capital University is a comprehensive, private, church-related university philosophically committed to providing a liberal arts education within a caring environment. Based on the University’s fundamental commitment to its Lutheran heritage, the Department of Nursing encourages the development of the total person: intellectual, physical, psychosocial, moral, ethical, and spiritual. Recognizing the unique worth of each student, the faculty support individualized attention to assist students as they develop and work toward the attainment of their individual learning goals. Through collaborative experiences, students participate actively in the learning process in a caring culture that values self-care and learning.

The faculty of the Department of Nursing embraces the core values of holistic nursing as the fundamental tenets within the discipline of nursing. The goal of holistic nursing is whole person healing. Holistic nurses recognize the totality of the human being - the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, social/cultural, relationship, context, and environment. The holistic nurse is an instrument of healing and a facilitator in the healing process. Holistic nurses assist individuals and groups to obtain or maintain optimum levels of health using the clinical reasoning process. Professional nurses enter into therapeutic partnerships with individuals and groups and incorporate nursing roles such as clinician, educator, advocate, leader, consultant, and role model. Holistic nurses support people in finding balance, harmony, and peace throughout their experience.

Professional education is geared toward the attainment of a specialized body of knowledge pertaining to a discipline through commitment to the social, ethical, and scholarly standards of the profession. It fosters the acceptance of responsibility for critical thinking, clinical judgment, and decision making congruent with the level of practice. Nursing education develops students who provide culturally sensitive, evidence-based, ethically, and spiritually appropriate health care services.  The practice of holistic nursing requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their own lives. The pre-licensure nursing programs provide opportunities for the development of creativity, maturity, and the growth of intellectual and cultural perspectives. The post-licensure graduate programs extend the development of these qualities in both depth and scope.

Nursing knowledge is acquired through empirical, personal, ethical, aesthetic, and social knowing. Education occurs in an environment of scholarly inquiry and is dedicated to preparing students to care about and for individuals through the lifespan. They also develop respect for the inherent worth of every human being, reflect upon personal values and attitudes, and demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and to the profession. Preparation for baccalaureate professional nursing practice is based on a program of studies that includes nursing science, physical and behavioral sciences, and the humanities. Synthesis of theories, principles, and research from nursing and related disciplines enhances nursing’s specialized body of knowledge. Preparation for graduate professional nursing practice is based on a program of studies that includes the application of theories, research, and advanced clinical skills within a multidisciplinary context and develops awareness and the ability to provide leadership for the profession of nursing. Within nursing coursework, students become competent with a variety of skills, learn to make clinical judgments based on analysis of empiric data and the individual context for each patient. They also develop respect for the inherent worth of every human being, reflect upon personal values and attitudes, and demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and to the profession. In addition to creatively using knowledge from the

Graduate Admission Policies

MSN Graduate Program Admission

Admission to the Master of Science Program is open to nurses who are licensed in the state of Ohio and have graduated from a program of nursing academically accredited by two sources: 1) the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); and 2) a higher learning commission Regional Accrediting body.  Admission will not be denied on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or political affiliation.  Applicants are required to provide information pertaining to their academic, intellectual, and professional abilities through college transcripts, personal references, and a writing sample.

MSN Graduate Program Admission Criteria

  • All official transcripts from previous undergraduate/graduate course work 
  • Current, unencumbered, unrestricted Ohio RN License
  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
  • 3.0 undergraduate GPA on a 4.0 scale
  • Undergraduate prerequisites: statistics and research methods 
  • Submit a 1 to 2 page summary that addresses a specific vision for your future and how an advanced nursing degree will support your goals.  Please incorporate 1) the strengths you currently bring to your practice, 2) a clinical situation you wish to improve, and 3) why you have chosen Capital University
  • Current resume
  • Three professional written references
  • Clinical Nursing Specialist (CNS) applicants are required to schedule an interview with the Associate Dean of the Post-Licensure Programs as part of the admission process
  • TOEFL score of 550 or above (for international students)

MSN Graduate Program Application Procedure

Prospective students are encouraged to apply within 8 weeks of the beginning of the next term. The following activities are included in the application process:

  • Complete the Application for Admission on the MSN website: www.capital.edu/msn/.  Please contact the Adult and Graduate Education office at 236-6996 with any questions regarding the application procedure.
  • Request official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities.
  • Give 3 references that will be contacted by the Director of the Graduate Program.

MSN Graduate Program Acceptance of Admission

Once an admission file is completed, it is reviewed by the Post-Licensure Program Admissions Subcommittee.

Students will be notified in writing of their acceptance.  Following notification the student is required to complete and return the Acceptance of Admission Form to the Adult and Graduate Education office within 10 days. Once a student has accepted admission they can schedule classes through the Adult and Graduate Education staff. 

At the time of admission the student will be assigned a faculty adviser with whom they should meet with in the first semester of study to establish a curriculum plan. 

MSN Graduate Program Provisional Acceptance

Candidates may be admitted provisionally until all entrance requirements are completed.  The letter of admission status states the specific conditions that need to be completed and the time frame allowed.  Upon completion of these conditions by the dates indicated, full admission is granted.  Students are to return the acceptance of provisional admission form within 10 days.  Upon receipt of this form, course registration is initiated by the Adult & Graduate Education staff.

Non-degree:

There are four categories of non-degree status:

  • Students enrolled in the traditional program junior level status, 3.5 GPA or higher, and approval of the Graduate Associate Dean.
  • BSN graduates who are interested in enriching their professional practice with Graduate courses.  These students can take up to 6 credits, which will count toward the MSN if they choose to apply for graduate study.
  • Masters prepared nurses with an interest in a concentrate focus.  These individuals complete one or more concentrates as post-masters study.
  • BSN or MSN nurses who are enrolled in a certificate program offered by the Department of Nursing.

Dual Degree

Dual degree students must gain admission to and complete degree requirements for both programs.  Since each school admits students separately, admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other program.

A student choosing a dual degree option must complete the appropriate dual degree application as a notice of intention to seek the dual degree.  For more information on the admission process, please contact the Adult & Graduate Education Office.

  • Undergraduate Fast Track to MSN: Undergraduate nursing majors who hold a GPA of 3.5 in the last year of their baccalaureate curriculum may earn up to nine hours of credit by enrolling in any of the following graduate courses:  NURS-500:  Advanced Healthcare Statistics; NURS-510:  Nursing Science and Theory; NURS-520:  Advanced Nursing Research; NURS-530:  Nursing Informatics.  Registration in courses is limited to space availability.  After the student is granted admission to the MSN program, courses are then used to fulfill graduate requirements.

Audits

Students may audit a course on a space available basis.  This requires completion of the Audit Request Form found online at the Registrar’s webpage. The form requires the appropriate instructor’s signature and the signature the Associate Dean of the Post-Licensure Nursing Program.  Candidates in the Nursing Program cannot audit any course required for degree credit.  Normally, an auditor is not required to submit assignments or take examinations.  The transcript does not reflect audited courses and no grade or credit is given.  To audit a course at the Law School or Trinity Lutheran Seminary, please contact those schools directly.

The Graduate Program Focus

The organizing theme of the graduate curriculum is “leadership at the multidisciplinary frontier of health care.”  The MSN graduate program is designed to build on the strengths of the Department of Nursing and university faculty, to offer students alternatives to practitioner programs, and to avoid duplication with the other graduate programs in Columbus.  An initial needs assessment, faculty beliefs about knowledge and skills, literature reviews, and professional standards influenced curriculum design.  Courses are reviewed annually and updated based upon on student need and feedback, community and national health care priorities, policy initiatives, and changes in accreditation standards.

Department of Nursing faculty members recognize that multidisciplinary nursing education and practice offer the potential for achieving the most efficient and effective health care outcomes if the strengths of each discipline can be integrated and implemented by individuals with a knowledge base in more than one discipline.  Multidisciplinary education at the master’s level prepares students to assume leadership roles to effectively work with health care teams in acute and long-term health care settings, corporate settings and complex organizations, the community, and in independent practice.

Department faculty and the graduate curriculum emphasize the development of holistic practitioners who have the empiric and ethical-political knowledge and skills as well as the personal self-reflective ability and aesthetic appreciation to provide mindful leadership that empowers clients and co-workers.

Goals of the Graduate Program

Our nation is experiencing a crisis in health care-cost, access, and quality of care all demand urgent attention.  America needs holistic practitioners who can think critically, reflect deeply and who can balance economic realities with the human need for compassion and service. Leadership in creating the health care system of the future necessitates commitment to holistic care and teamwork in order to solve human health problems in complex systems with declining resources.  Self-responsibility and self-care are fundamental to the development of this leadership capacity and thus integral to program goals. Similarly, engagement in cultural and political advocacy is essential to holistic care.

At Capital University, the academic disciplines of nursing, business, and law are uniquely positioned to provide leadership at the multidisciplinary frontier of health care in addressing the pressing health needs of the community in the 21st century.  Thus, this unique graduate program will blend the holistic perspective of nursing with the legal, business, ethical, educational and spiritually grounded expertise already present within the university community.

At the completion of MSN graduate program, the student will be prepared to accomplish the following behaviors and achieve the related outcomes:

Goal 1: Analyze the theoretical foundations of nursing and related science relevant to advanced holistic nursing practice / education / administration. Outcomes: Design direct care/ educational or other programming for individual and community populations based on social determinants of health, and sciences relevant to specific concentrate of study (caring, organizational, educational, other); and Apply appropriate theory and frameworks to guide practice.

Goal 2: Demonstrate leadership of Interprofessional teams to plan, implement and evaluate system initiatives that improve clinical, educational or organizational outcomes. Outcomes: Identify problems relevant to area of practice/ concentrate; Synthesize and communicate current research and practice evidence / knowledge related to identified problems; Use a team based approach to program development and implementation as appropriate; Apply leadership principles to implement changes that improve quality of clinical and educational outcomes; and Demonstrate behavior that is culturally responsive, safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient / student centered.

Goal 3: Use the best available evidence to guide practice decisions.

Outcomes: Actively and ethically participate in research to improve area of clinical / practice expertise; Address social determinants of health to plan and evaluate health care/ educational interventions as appropriate; Evaluate ethical implications of evidence based practice decisions for individual clients / aggregate populations and recommended program changes; Identify specific databases and current research relevant to a defined clinical / educational / organizational problem; Perform rigorous critique of current research and disseminate meaningful evidence to improve practice outcomes; and Apply holistic framework when evaluating research and clinical evidence to implement practice changes within concentrate of study.

Goal 4: Apply the concepts of information exchange, nursing informatics and systems theory to the advanced practice role. 

Outcomes: Analyze databases to answer clinical / educational / administrative questions; Identify ethical principles for health information management systems and practices; and Integrate and coordinate current and emerging technologies to improve patient care systems and health education as appropriate to concentrate.  

Goal 5:  Integrate health policy processes to promote safety and quality of health delivery systems and advocate for social issues of health disparity and equality.

Outcomes: Participate in policy development at the institutional, local, state and/ or federal levels to improve health / educational outcomes related to discipline / practice of nursing and healthcare; Develop advocacy strategies to influence health care; Analyze how policies influence the structure and financing of health care practice and health outcomes; and Examine legal and regulatory processes related to individual and system practice that reflect ethics of caring.

Goal 6: Apply holistic philosophy to enact advanced practice role.

Outcomes: Value unitary science as foundational to development of advanced practice role; Identify the ethics of caring and its contribution to unity of self, others, nature and life forces as central to holistic nursing; Integrate ethical, aesthetic, empiric and personal ways of knowing into practice and educational decision-making; Explore and adopt holistic self-care practices to achieve balance in personal wellbeing and professional life; Participate in reflective practice to improve clinical practice, clinical leadership, learning   and personal wellbeing; and Use selected integrative therapies in current practice/ educational settings.

Learning Outcomes by Concentrate

Each concentrate has specific anticipated outcomes beyond the general outcomes for graduate study.  By concentrate, these include:

Administration               

The graduate will:

  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of the business functions of marketing, accounting, finance, operations and human resources.
  • Recognize the importance of organizational behavior in impacting the delivery of nursing care in health care systems.
  • Stimulate and effectively cope with change in health care systems.
  • Utilize analytical and critical thinking to address workforce issues.

Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist

The graduate will:

  • Assume the role of clinical nurse specialist for adults living with chronic illness through end of life transition.
  • Incorporate standards of holistic care into clinical practice.
  • Practice integrative interventions that improve quality of life and symptom management.
  • Collaborate with others to design and implement system changes that improve practice.
  • Demonstrate advanced professional behaviors reflective of autonomy, intellectual independence, accountability and commitment to a philosophy of holism.

Legal Studies       

The graduate will:

  • Understand the basic concepts of the legal system in the United States.
  • Analyze the impact and influence of the legal system on health care and nursing policy and practice in the United States.
  • Influence the development and implementation of health care policy and health care law.
  • Facilitate an understanding of the law and health policy for individuals and organizations.

Nursing Education          

The graduate will:

  • Assume the role of professional nurse educator for academic settings, continuing education, or staff development.
  • Apply selected teaching-learning theories for the preparation and continuing development of nurses.
  • Implement a variety of teaching-learning strategies in diverse learning experiences.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process.
  • Critically examine trends and issues in nursing education.

Organization of the Graduate Curriculum

The curriculum content is arranged into four quadrants:  the graduate core, the nursing core, the concentrate core, and synthesis and application work.  The specific credit hour requirement varies depending upon the concentrate. Specialization comes through the courses and clinical work students select in the concentrate and in the student’s use of the acquired skills and knowledge in the application/synthesis work.  (See Figure 1)  Students progress through the nursing core and graduate core before beginning coursework in the area of concentration.  The graduate core, the nursing core, and the concentrate should be completed before the synthesis and application work is begun.  Full time students may enroll in concentrate and synthesis courses concurrently.

Basic Curriculum Plan for the MSN

Total Hours: 37-47 (Minimum hours vary by concentrate)

Graduate University Core and Nursing Core

  6-9 semester hours graduate core

  18 semester hours nursing core

Concentrate

10-19 semester hours

Synthesis & Application

7-10 semester hours 

Graduate Core

Courses in the graduate core are designed to provide students the content and skills required for leadership in an advanced practice role and to engage the student in active learning to develop their critical thinking.  The courses are conducted with an interdisciplinary focus to help students appreciate more fully the complexity of health care leadership.  They focus on organizational behaviors (MBA-613), statistical applications for health care research and evidence based practice (NURS-500) and the ethical and political background to advocate for their clinical populations, nursing staff and nursing students (NURS-650 or MBA-740).  The graduate core courses are appropriate for any student doing graduate work in a discipline that requires knowledge of group behavior and cultural influences on behavior, statistical evaluation of health care research, and ethical-political problem solving.  These courses can be taken with nursing core courses.

Nursing Core

The nursing core is comprised of Nursing Science and Theory (NURS-510), Foundations of Holistic Practice (NURS-515), Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (NURS-520), and Nursing Informatics (NURS-530).  These courses are designed to ground students in principles of holistic practice, introduce them to the use of theory and theoretical thinking related to their leadership development, conduct and apply research evidence to their clinical setting and understand the expanding use of informatics within the profession.  These courses can be taken with graduate core courses.

The Department of Nursing faculty encourages students from the School of Management & Leadership, the Law School, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary who wish to focus on health care applications to cross-enroll in the graduate nursing core courses.  The holistic perspective of nursing as a caregiving discipline enhances today’s business, law, and seminary curricula.  The learning experience and competency of graduate students with diverse backgrounds, expertise, interests, and goals is enriched through such interdisciplinary interaction.

Concentrate

The concentrate provides students with the opportunity to study in an area of their selected interest.  The number of credit hours required in the concentrates varies, as do the degree of elective versus required courses and prerequisites.  Students whose concentrate courses are provided by another unit outside of the Department of Nursing register with their academic adviser in the Department of Nursing and with guidance from their adviser in the respective concentrate area.  The student is billed at the rate of the unit offering the course.

Synthesis, Application, & Capstone

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical Nurse Specialist students demonstrate mastery of their concentrate by completing NURS-780.  This 2 hour seminar capstone course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based change or program to improve clinical practice. Specific projects will be negotiated between the course faculty and the student clinical preceptor.  Guidelines for the capstone are distributed as part of the course syllabus.

Administration, Education, Legal Studies, and Theology Coursework

Administration and Legal Studies students enroll in NURS-641 and Education students enroll in NURS-720 to allow students to apply specialized knowledge and skills in their respected fields. Theology students work closely with their adviser to develop a synthesis experience specific to their learning needs. Administration, Education, Legal Studies, and Theology student all enroll in NURS-722 Capstone Experience as their final course prior to graduation.

Learning Focus in Concentrates

The five concentrates address students’ diverse career needs.  A student may complete more than one concentrate.

MSN with a Concentrate in Administration

Offered in cooperation with the School of Management & Leadership, this concentrate prepares the student for a first or middle-management position in nursing administration.  Concentrate courses support knowledge and skills in the areas of finance and accounting (management of $2-3 million budgets), personnel (hiring, staff development, salary administration), ethical, legal and policy concerns (e.g., living wills, discharge against medical advice, controversial procedures) and organizational life (the policies of institutional life, interdisciplinary service, strategic planning).  Upon completion of this concentrate, the student will have completed the requisite course work to take the certification examination for advanced nursing administration through the America Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE).

In addition to taking one of the ethics course options (MBA-740, NURS-650), students take: MBA Essentials (MBA 500), Organizational Behavior (MBA-613), MBA 612 Managerial Economics,  and either Applied Healthcare Statistics (NURS-500) or Analytical Methods for Managers (MBA-611) and Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 1 (NURS-640). NURS-640 requires 120 hours of field experience. Concentrate requirements include a minimum of ten semester hours. 

Required additional MBA  courses for students enrolled in the MSN/MBA dual degree option include: Managerial Accounting (MBA-614), Management Marketing (MBA-710), Financial Management (MBA-720) and Business, Policy and Strategy (MBA 900). Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 2 (NURS-641) is a required synthesis course and also has 120 hours of field experience. All students take NUR 722 Capstone Practicum during their last enrolled semester. 

Students must meet the prerequisites for each MBA course in the concentration as identified in the “Prerequisites” section of this handbook, as well as in the MBA Student Handbook. Students interested in the MSN/MBA must apply to the MBA Program while enrolled in MBA 500. More information about the admission process can be found on the MBA website. http://www.capital.edu/academics/adult-and-grad-programs/mba/admission-information/

MSN with a Concentrate in as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist 

This concentrate prepares students for the advanced practice role of clinical nurse specialist for the adult and geriatric population.  The coursework is designed to prepare students in all adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist competencies as defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.  Upon completion of coursework, students will apply for and complete the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialty certification examination offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Corporation (ANCC).  After obtaining advanced certification, students are eligible to apply for advanced practice privileges through the Ohio State Board of Nursing. 

MSN with a Concentrate in Legal Studies

The concentrate in legal studies, offered in cooperation with the Law School, emphasizes the legal aspects of health care.  Students may direct their career development toward work in quality assurance programs, risk management, peer review, and outcomes assessment.  Preparation in advanced nursing science, which includes legal studies, enhances the graduate’s ability to contribute to interdisciplinary problem-solving teams in health care.

The legal studies concentrate consists of 10-12 semester credit hours of course work. NURS-670: Legal Concepts in Health Care, a three-hour foundation course covering torts, contracts, and constitutional law; NURS 640: Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 1; and LAW-822: Health Law; are required courses. Students may chose 1 law elective to supplement their concentrate by selection one of the following courses: LAW- 730: Contemporary Medical Liability; LAW-755: Family Law; LAW-800:  Administrative Law; LAW-902:  Dispute Resolution; or LAW-980: Seminar in Health Care Antitrust Law.

The students who have completed the Capital University Law School Legal Nurse Consultant Program with a GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible to transfer up to 10 semester hours to fulfill the legal studies concentrate.  However students are still required to take NURS-640 as it is a pre-requisite to a synthesis course (NURS-641). Students must meet all criteria for admission to the graduate program, and present official transcripts from the Law School.  In order to complete the MSN with a concentrate in legal studies, the student must complete all remaining hours of course work in the MSN program.

MSN with a Concentrate in Nursing Education

This concentrate prepares the nurse for the role of educator in either the academic or clinical setting.  Concentrate course work gives the student the necessary knowledge and skills to teach and develop curricular materials.  In the synthesis core, students identify their preferred setting for teaching and have field placements accordingly.  The nursing education concentrate consists of 19 hours of course work including NURS-525: Advanced Health Assessment; NURS-601: Advanced Pathophysiology; NURS-610: Clinical Pharmacology for Advanced Practices Nurses; NURS-607: Education Foundations; NURS-608: Teaching Strategies; and NURS-609: Evaluation: Individual to Program. NURS-720: Clinical and Laboratory Teaching is a synthesis course in the Education concentrate.

Multiple Concentrates of Study

A student establishes competencies in a selected concentration through the completion of a number of learning opportunities. Graduation with a dual concentrate of study requires:

  • Completion of the designated courses in the secondary concentration.
  • Completion of NURS-722 Capstone Practicum or a course equivalent with field experience in the practice area relevant to each concentration.

Students are permitted to take courses in a concentration other than the designated concentration if prerequisites for each course are met.  This will be considered elective credit.

If a student wishes to complete more than one concentrate, in addition to the coursework in the additional concentrate, one hour of independent study must be taken with a faculty person from the Department of Nursing.  This independent study should reflect a 50 hour field experience that provides opportunity for application of concentrate coursework and role development.

Dual Degree Programs

Students have the opportunity to pursue dual degrees in the Department of Nursing and Capital University Law School, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, or the Capital University School of Management & Leadership.  In each case, the course work selected for the concentration is applied toward the course work required in the second degree.  For example, an MSN student who completes the legal studies concentrate is able to apply that course work as elective credit toward the Juris Doctorate degree in the Law School.  Students pursuing a dual degree must complete a minimum of 53 semester hours for the MSN/MBA and 102 semester hours for the MSN/JD. 

Basic Curriculum Plan for the Dual Degree

Total Hours: 53-102 hours (Minimum)

 

Graduate Core

6-9 semester hours

Nursing Core

15-18 semester hours

Second Degree

MBA = 12 additional hours

JD = 74 additional hours

Synthesis & Application

7-10 semester hours

(minimum)

 

To pursue a dual degree, students must meet prerequisites and gain admission to each program.  Each dual degree option provides students with the opportunity to complete both degrees with a substantial reduction in total credit hours.  To obtain information about the application, admission, enrollment, the program of study, and definition and operation of a dual degree credit in each program, students should consult the Dual Degree Program Statements for the MSN/JD and MSN/MBA degrees.

Certificate Program: Nursing Education

The Nursing Education Certificate is offered for students who have a Master’s of Science in Nursing who want more formal coursework to prepare them specifically for classroom and clinical nursing education. The program consists of eight graduate-level courses for a total of 4 semester credits and is generally taken over a 16 month period. Students are generally not eligible for federal funding for this certificate. These courses include: NURS-525: Advanced Health Assessment; NURS-601: Advanced Pathophysiology; NURS-610: Clinical Pharmacology for Advanced Practices Nurses; NURS-607: Education Foundations; NURS-608: Teaching Strategies; and NURS-609: Evaluation: Individual to Program. NURS-720: Clinical and Laboratory Teaching and NURS-722: Capstone Practicum are the synthesis courses for the Education Certificate.

Research Review

Any research, which involves human subjects, must be reviewed by the Capital University Research Review Committee prior to contact with subjects and/or data collection.  The student, in consultation with faculty, submits a Research Review Proposal to the Chair of the Research Review Committee.  The Application form is available through the University here.

Student Academic Grievance Resolution

Students have the right to appeal grades, involuntary withdrawal action or other academic issues by filing a written request within one semester of the occurrence.  The written appeal must include supporting data and go first to the course professor, the Associate Dean of the Post-Licensure Nursing Program, to the Dean of Nursing and then, if the student wishes, to the Provost of Capital University.  In some cases, the Associate Dean of the Post-Licensure Nursing Program may ask the Nursing Faculty to review the appeal.  Graduate students will follow the same appeal process as undergraduates.