Master of Science in Nursing Program Information

Master of Science in Nursing Program Information

Dean of Nursing: Dunnington 

Professors: Fernandez, Janiszewski Goodin, Shields 

Associate Professors: Patterson 

Assistant Professors: Scholz Mellum, Zamaripa, Meyer, Taylor

Instructors: Depass-Surgeon, Hoag, Long, Segovia, Stevens, Mullin, McCoy 

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 School 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 Masters of Science in Nursing (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 School 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 School, 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 School 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 Mexico, Costa Rica, 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 School 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).   

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, ABSN 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, simulation labs, nursing skills labs, and computer lab are located in Battelle  Hall.  The assessment rooms and laboratories are equipped to allow students to develop their skills in simulated clinical settings in preparation for actual practice in healthcare facilities.  The Helene Fuld Health Trust Learning Resources Laboratory provides state-of-the-art microcomputers for student use. 

Accreditation 

The School 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 to promote and enhance holistic health, healing, and well-being with diverse people in the world. 

Philosophy

Capital University is a comprehensive, private, church-related university philosophically committed to providing a liberal arts education within a caring and inclusive environment. The School of Nursing supports the University’s mission, values, and goals and the fundamental commitment to its Lutheran heritage. The School 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 students as they develop and work toward the attainment of their individual learning goals. Through collaborative experiences, students actively participate in a competency-based learning process in a caring culture that values diversity and equity.

Nursing incorporates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alleviation of suffering through compassionate presence. Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations in recognition of the connection of all humanity (ANA, 2021). Nurses, as members of an interprofessional team, enter into therapeutic partnerships with care recipients in all spheres of care. Through their professional roles e.g.  clinician, educator, advocate, researcher, leader, consultant, and role model, nurses provide safe, quality holistic healthcare.

The faculty of the School of Nursing embrace the core values of holistic nursing as the fundamental tenets within the discipline. 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 the environment. The holistic nurse is an instrument of healing and facilitates individuals, families, groups, and populations to attain or maintain optimum levels of health and well-being throughout the lifespan and in all spheres of care.

Professional education focuses on the attainment of a specialized body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes pertaining to a discipline through a commitment to the social, ethical, and scholarly standards of the profession. It fosters the professionals’ acceptance of responsibility for critical thinking and clinical judgment congruent with the level of practice. Nursing education develops students who provide culturally sensitive, ethically grounded, and spiritually appropriate, evidence-informed/based health care. Inherent in holistic nursing education is attention to self-development. This requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their own lives. The pre-licensure nursing programs provide a foundation for the development of self, creativity, maturity, and the growth of intellectual, cultural, and leadership skills and perspectives. The graduate program extends 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 care recipients across their lifespan. Nursing students 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 study that includes the art and science of nursing: human, physical, and behavioral sciences; and the university’s signature learning courses - e.g. ethics, global awareness; fine arts, and humanities. Preparation for graduate professional nursing practice builds on the undergraduate foundation and is based on a program of study that includes the application of nursing knowledge, theories, research, and advanced clinical and leadership skills within an interprofessional context. Graduate nurses serve as leaders in healthcare and the profession of nursing. Synthesis of theories, principles and research from nursing and related disciplines produces knowledge that contributes to a distinctive science of nursing.

Nursing is a career of significance for its impact on and value to society. Nurses make a difference in people’s lives as they care for the whole, enhancing human health and wellness and enabling hope. Their presence is a constant, and nursing practice occurs whenever, wherever, and however a need is identified. Graduates of the Capital University School of Nursing are prepared in the art and science of human caring, respectful of their role in this significant profession.

Graduate Admission Policies 

MSN Graduate Program Admission 

Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing Program is open to nurses who are licensed in the state of Ohio (or in the state they plan to complete clinical hours) 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 RN License in the State they complete field experiences 
• Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from an accredited program 
• 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 
• 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 Admissions office at 614-236-6996 with any questions regarding the application procedure. 
• Request official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities. 
• Give 3 references that will may be contacted by the Associate Dean of the Nursing Graduate Program. 

MSN Graduate Program Acceptance of Admission 

Once an admission file is completed, it is reviewed by the Graduate 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 Admissions office within 10 days. Once a student has accepted admission they can schedule classes through the Admission 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 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 Admission 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. 
• Students enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program will take NURS 500, NURS 520, and NURS 530 as part of their nursing curriculum
• 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 School 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 Admissions 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:   Applied Healthcare Statistics Advanced Healthcare Statistics; NURS-520:  Advanced Nursing Research; or NURS-530: Healthcare Informatics and Technology.  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 web page. The form requires the appropriate instructor’s signature and the signature the Associate Dean of the Graduate  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 School 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. 

 School 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 well-being and professional life; Participate in reflective practice to improve clinical practice, clinical leadership, learning   and personal well-being; 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. 

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. 

Quality and Safety

The graduate will:

• Lead the strategic integration of quality and safety into the structure, processes, and culture of the organization to achieve system level outcome objectives.
• Participate in surveillance, improvement, evaluation, and reporting activities aimed at performance enhancement and compliance with internal and external policy, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
• Utilize data and advance the organization’s analytical environment to inform quality improvement decision-making, initiatives, and evaluation.
• Collaborate and facilitate team effectiveness in the development, implementation, and evaluation of performance and process initiatives, methods, education and training directed towards quality and safety improvement across various settings and populations.
• Cultivate a safe healthcare environment using risk management assessments and best practice strategies to detect, mitigate, or prevent harm.
• Advance equitable health policies and regulations that reduce health risk, promote patient advocacy, and assure financial stewardship.

Organization of the Graduate Curriculum 

The curriculum content is arranged into four areas 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: 44

MSN Core (18 credit hours)

The nursing core is comprised of Applied Healthcare Statistics (NURS 500), Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Nursing (NURS 515), Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (NURS 520), Nursing Healthcare Informatics and Technology Informatics (NURS 530), Organizational Behavior (MBA 613), and Ethical and Policy Issues in Contemporary Nursing (NURS 650).  These courses are designed to: integrate statistical applications for health care research and evidence based practice, 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, understand the expanding use of informatics within the profession, focus on the organizational behaviors of systems, and engage in ethical-political problem solving.

Advanced Nursing Core (9 credit hours)

The advanced nursing core comprises of the advanced nursing practice concepts of the MSN Program: Advanced Health Assessment (NURS 525), Advanced Pathophysiology (NURS 601), and Clinical Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses (NURS 610). These courses were designed such that they can be taken with either MSN Core courses or Concentrate core courses. NURS 601 is a pre-requisite to NURS 525. NURS 525 currently has 50 clinical hours integrated into the course and has an added clinical fee.

Concentrate Core (10 credit hours)

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 School of Nursing register with their academic adviser in the School 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 (7 credit hours)

Administration and Legal Studies students enroll in NURS 641, Education students enroll in NURS 720, and Quality and Safety students enroll in NURS 711, to allow students to apply specialized knowledge and skills in their respected fields.. All MSN students enroll in NURS 722 Capstone Practicum Experience as their final course prior to graduation. 

The School of Nursing faculty encourages students from the School of Management and 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 care-giving 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.

Learning Focus in Concentrates 

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

MSN with a Concentrate in Administration

Becoming a nurse leader is increasingly important in healthcare. An Administration concentration is designed to build knowledge and expertise in nursing administration practices, which address current nursing workforce needs. You’ll contribute to increasing positive patient outcomes and grow in your ability to manage day-to-day operations. Our MSN program offers a solid foundation in leadership knowledge and skills you will need to succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. You’ll have access to faculty with expertise in nursing administration who will be your personal mentors and will provide you with unique opportunities to gain valuable real-world experience.

The following courses are required in the Administration concentration: MBA Essentials (MBA 500), MBA-Managerial Economics (MBA 612) or Managerial Accounting (MBA 614),  and Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 1 (NURS 640). NURS 640 also incorporates150 clinical/field experience hours.

Required additional MBA  courses for students enrolled in the MSN/MBA dual degree option include: Managerial Economics (MBA 612), 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 150 clinical hours. All students take NURS 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/mba/

MSN with a Concentrate in Legal Studies 

Nurses are the largest group of healthcare professionals that make an impact and influence healthcare policy and nursing practice. Our MSN Legal Studies concentration matches you with mentors who will guide you in the legal aspects of healthcare, providing insight and perspective on the roles that nurses play in developing and implementing policies, regulation, and compliance. You’ll gain expert knowledge of the legal system in healthcare, navigate legal risk decision-making, and learn to collaborate effectively with others in the healthcare setting.

The following courses are required in the Legal Studies concentration: Legal concepts in Health Care (NURS 670), Health Law (LAW 822), and Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 1 (NURS 640). 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. Synthesis courses include both Evidence Based Nursing Administration Part 2 (NURS 641) and Capstone Practicum (NURS 722). NURS 640, NURS 641, and NURS 722 all have 150 clinical hours integrated into each course.

MSN with a Concentrate in Nursing Education

There is a national shortage of nurses with advanced degrees in nursing education. Our MSN Education concentration is designed to provide students with a solid understanding of the methods and practices of academic teaching, coupled with hands-on expertise to teach nursing in in-person and online settings. You’ll work with mentors in academia and in healthcare institutions who share your passion to teach. As a graduate, you’ll be prepared to teach in all realms of nursing practice (didactic, lab, simulation, and clinical) and elevate your career in nursing education.

The following courses are required in the Education concentration: Education Foundations (NURS 607), Teaching Strategies (NURS 608), and Evaluation: Individual to Program (NURS 609). Synthesis courses include both Clinical and Laboratory Teaching (NURS 720) and Capstone Practicum (NURS 722). NURS 608, NURS 720, and NURS 722 all have 150 clinical hours integrated into each course.

MSN with a Concentrate in Quality and Safety

Becoming an expert in Quality and Safety is essential in all areas of the nursing profession. This MSN concentration gives you the critical knowledge and hands-on experience to use data to examine trends in global health to lead change initiatives that will impact patient care and enhance healthcare. Our program gives you the opportunity to work with interdisciplinary experts in performance and process improvement (PPI) projects and gain advanced experience in healthcare Quality and Safety.

The following courses are required in the Quality and Safety concentrate: Health Data Analytics (NURS 655), Performance Enhancement in Healthcare (NURS 661), and Leadership in Healthcare Quality (NURS 690). Synthesis courses include both Healthcare Quality and Safety Practicum (NURS 711) and Capstone Practicum (NURS 722). Courses with clinical hours include: NURS 690 (120 hours), NURS 711 (180 hours), and NURS 722 (150 hours).

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. NURS-\ 722 must be taken in the last semester of the MSN curriculum. 

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 School 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 School of Nursing and Capital University Law School or the Capital University School of Management and 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: 59-118 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

Contact the Associate Dean of the Nursing Graduate Program for more information on certification.

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 Graduate 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 Graduate Nursing Program may ask the Nursing Faculty to review the appeal.  Graduate students will follow the same appeal process as undergraduates.