Master of Science in Nursing
Program Director: Paulette Thabault
Program Coordinator: Janice Hansen
Norwich University offers the Master of Science in Nursing with concentrations in Healthcare Systems Leadership, Nursing Informatics, and Nursing Education. The program is fully approved by the Vermont State Nursing Board and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Beginning in the December 2020 term, Norwich University will revising its existing curriculum. The new curriculum will require students to l take two, three-credit seminars each term or, for those enrolled in a specialty Nurse Practitioner track, two, two-credit seminars or clinicals. The revised program will offer concentrations in Healthcare Systems Leadership, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Education as well as Nurse Practitioner tracks in: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Adult Gerontology (ACNP-AG), and Psychiatric and Mental Health. Each Nurse Practitioner track is a 45 credit-hour program of study.
The Norwich University Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Healthcare Systems Leadership is a 36 credit program that provides graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as nurse leaders in a variety of health care settings.
The Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Informatics is 36 credit program that prepares the graduate to function in a variety of information systems leadership roles and to sit for the national certification examination.
The Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Education is a 40 credit program that prepares the graduate to assume roles in formal academic settings or in staff development positions.
Mission
The Master of Science in Nursing program prepares visionary nurse leaders who demonstrate advanced critical thinking, communication, and decision making skills to ensure quality outcomes within the complex systems of the health care continuum. Graduates initiate and effectively utilize research findings to improve outcomes, as well as utilize knowledge of health promotion, health care policy and systems, change and finance to effectively manage available resources in the changing health care environment. Masters prepared nurses utilize this knowledge base integrated with theories from nursing and related disciplines to create and implement ethical practices and policies to improve the environment in which health care is delivered.
The Masters prepared nurse engages in an expanded scope of practice that is characterized by critical analysis of problems and creative problem solving, and application of theories in the decision making process. The graduate manages change effectively and utilizes effective communication skills and technologies to create collaborative partnerships within nursing and across health care disciplines. Graduate education prepares the nurse to identify and evaluate personal and organization values and to implement ethical decisions and strategies to improve outcomes.
Program Outcomes
- Initiate and effectively utilize research findings to improve outcomes across the spectrum of nursing environments.
- Integrate knowledge of health promotion, health care policy and systems, change and finance to effectively manage available resources in the nursing environment.
- Integrate theories from nursing and related disciplines to create and implement ethical practices and policies to improve nursing practice.
- Critically analyze problems and demonstrate theory based problem solving in making decisions across a variety of nursing settings.
- Plan and manage change effectively.
- Incorporate the knowledge and skills related to informatics and technology to effectively improve nursing practice.
- Implement effective communication skills to create collaborative partnerships within nursing and across health care disciplines.
- Apply the principles of translational science and implementation/improvement science, advocacy and appreciative inquiry in the context of the advanced nursing role.
| Nurse Practitioner Core Curriculum | ||
| NR 548 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NR 552 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NR 523 | Healthcare Systems, Nursing Leadership, and Advanced Nursing Roles | 3 |
| NR 514 | Epidemiology and Population Health | 3 |
| NR 553 | Advanced Physical Assessment | 3 |
| NR 524 | Health Policy, Advocacy, and Economics in Healthcare | 3 |
| NR 533 | Quality Improvement and Patient Safety | 3 |
| NR 534 | Informatics & Healthcare Technologies | 3 |
| NR 593 | Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| NR 595 | Residency | 0 |
| Total Cr. | 27 | |
| Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Track | ||
| NR 590 | Advanced Pharmacology - Population Focus: Family | 2 |
| NR 611 | Family Nurse Practitioner I (adult and geriatric) | 2 |
| NR 612 | Family Nurse Practitioner I Clinical | 2 |
| NR 613 | Family Nurse Practitioner II (adult and geriatric) | 2 |
| NR 614 | Family Nurse Practitioner II Clinical | 2 |
| NR 615 | Family Nurse Practitioner III (women and children) | 2 |
| NR 616 | Family Nurse Practitioner III Clinical | 2 |
| NR 617 | Family Nurse Practitioner IV (women and children) | 2 |
| NR 618 | Family Nurse Practitioner IV Clinical | 2 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Adult Gerontology (ACNP-AG) Track | ||
| NR 591 | Advanced Pharmacology--Population Focus: Adult and Geriatric | 2 |
| NR 621 | Adult Geriatric Acute Care I | 2 |
| NR 622 | Adult Geriatric Acute Care 1 Clinical | 2 |
| NR 623 | Adult Geriatric Acute Care II | 2 |
| NR 624 | Adult Geriatric Care II Clinic | 2 |
| NR 625 | Adult Geriatric Acute Care III | 2 |
| NR 626 | Adult Geriatric and Acute Care III Clinical | 2 |
| NR 627 | Adult Geriatric Acute Care IV | 2 |
| NR 628 | Adult Geriatric and Acute care IV Clinical | 2 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| Psychiatric and Mental Health NP Track | ||
| NR 592 | Advanced Pharmacology--Population Focus: Mental Health | 2 |
| NR 631 | Psychiatric and Mental Health NP I | 2 |
| NR 632 | Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical I | 2 |
| NR 633 | Psychiatric and Mental Health NP II | 2 |
| NR 634 | Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical II | 2 |
| NR 635 | Psychiatric and Mental Health NP III | 2 |
| NR 636 | Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical III | 2 |
| NR 637 | Psychiatric and Mental Health NP IV | 2 |
| NR 638 | Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical IV | 2 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| Core Curriculum for Healthcare Systems Leadership | ||
| NR 523 | Healthcare Systems, Nursing Leadership, and Advanced Nursing Roles | 3 |
| NR 524 | Health Policy, Advocacy, and Economics in Healthcare | 3 |
| NR 533 | Quality Improvement and Patient Safety | 3 |
| NR 593 | Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| NR 534 | Informatics & Healthcare Technologies | 3 |
| NR 514 | Epidemiology and Population Health | 3 |
| NR 595 | Residency | 0 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
Healthcare Systems Leadership Concentration (18 credits)
NR 581 Leadership in Healthcare Organizations 3 Credits
Students explore organizational science and its application to healthcare and analyze the principles of leadership and leadership science including theory, styles as well as contemporary approaches and strategies. The course emphasizes system science and integration, change theory and social change theories, and healthcare systems and organizational relationships. The student has the opportunity to address an organization’s challenges specific to healthcare delivery within the contemporary financial and social environment. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
NR 582 – Healthcare Resource Management – Financial Resources 3 Credits
Students explore all aspects of finance related to healthcare systems including operating budgets and capital requests. Calculation of revenue, direct and indirect costs as well as cost benefit calculations are considered. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
NR 583 Healthcare Resource Management – Human Resources 3 Credits
Students examine the critical aspects of human resource management in the context of healthcare systems. Human resource management includes confronting the nursing shortage through recruitment and retention, staffing management, performance appraisal and marketing. Prevention of workplace violence and disaster preparedness are also explored as opportunities and challenges for nurse leaders in managing the healthcare workforce. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
NR 584 Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare 3 Credits
The student is introduced to definitions and concepts that pertain to innovation, including different types of innovation and entrepreneurship as well as individual-level, organizational and institutional factors that impact the healthcare innovation process. The course examines how entrepreneurs and healthcare organizations create and capture value through sustainable innovation that meet consumer and societal needs. It explores various approaches employed by entrepreneurial healthcare organizations and considers the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in today’s competitive and global environment. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
NR 585 Strategic Planning in Healthcare 3 Credits
The seminar emphasizes strategic planning in healthcare, business planning and conceptual analysis of role. Discussion focuses on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) for strategic planning and for practice as a nurse leader across traditional and non-traditional healthcare setting. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
NR 586 The Nurse Leader’s Role in Healthcare Systems 3 Credits
This practicum experience expands and refines the leadership and management skills related to the administrative nurse leader role. Working with a nurse leader acting as a manager/administrator in a selected care environment, the student focuses their chosen leadership role, with a focus on quality, risk management and processes of managing health care delivery. The student attends agency organization and management meetings and works collaboratively to design and create a health care project appropriate to the student’s practice setting. *This course has not been approved by the University Curriculum Committee,
| Core Curriculum for Nurse Education | ||
| NR 523 | Healthcare Systems, Nursing Leadership, and Advanced Nursing Roles | 3 |
| NR 524 | Health Policy, Advocacy, and Economics in Healthcare | 3 |
| NR 533 | Quality Improvement and Patient Safety | 3 |
| NR 593 | Advanced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice | 3 |
| NR 534 | Informatics & Healthcare Technologies | 3 |
| NR 514 | Epidemiology and Population Health | 3 |
| NR 595 | Residency | 0 |
| Concentration Courses | ||
| NR 548 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NR 552 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NR 553 | Advanced Physical Assessment | 3 |
| *NR 563 | (Curriculum Design in Nursing) | 3 |
| *NR564 | (Innovations in Teaching and Learning) | 3 |
| *NR 565 | (Assessment and Evaluation Strategies) | 3 |
| *NR 568 | (Advanced Nursing Practicum) | 2 |
| *NR 569 | (Implementing the Nurse Educator Role) | 2 |
| * courses have not yet been developed or approved by University Curriculum Committee | ||
| Total Cr. | 40 | |
The September 2020 start date will be the last enrollment for this curriculum map. Students entering the MSN program in December 2020 or later should consult the Revised MSN Curriculum Map.
Curriculum Map
| Term 1 | ||
NR 512 | 6 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice | 6 | |
| Term 3 | ||
| Quality Improvement, Informatics & Healthcare Technologies | 6 | |
| Term 4 | ||
Concentration course(s) | 6 | |
| Term 5 | ||
Concentration course(s) | 6-10 | |
| Term 6 | ||
Concentration course(s) | 6 | |
| Residency 1 | 0 | |
| Total Cr. | 36-40 | |
| 1 | Students are required to attend a one-week, on-campus Residency Conference the June following or concurrent with their final course. |
Curriculum Requirements
The program’s first three seminars (18 credits) are common core content seminars and provide the foundation for specialization, addressing the study of health care delivery systems, ethical issues, and theoretical bases for nursing, leadership, and research. The remaining seminars (18 credits) address the specific content essential for either the concentration in nursing administration or in nursing education.
Core Courses (18 credits)
| NR 512 | 6 | |
| NR 522 | Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice | 6 |
| NR 532 | Quality Improvement, Informatics & Healthcare Technologies | 6 |
| Culminating Academic Requirement | ||
| NR 595 | Residency | 0 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
Concentrations (18 - 22 credits)
| Healthcare Systems Leadership Concentration | ||
| NR 546 | Leadership in Healthcare Organizations | 6 |
| Select two of the following | ||
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare | 6 | |
| Healthcare Resource Management | 6 | |
| Healthcare Management | 6 | |
| NR 566 | Strategic Planning and Management in Healthcare | 6 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| Nursing Informatics Concentration | ||
| NR 547 | Theoretical and Practice Foundations of Nursing Informatics | 6 |
| NR 557 | Strategic Planning and Practice Applications in Nursing Informatics | 6 |
| NR 567 | Using Informatics to improve Nursing Practice | 6 |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| Nursing Education Concentration | ||
| NR 541 | Clinical Concepts: Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NR 542 | Clinical Concepts: Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NR 543 | Clinical Concepts: Pathophysiology for Disease Management | 4 |
| Students may substitute the following for NR 543 | ||
| ClinicalConceptsADV Pathophys1 | 1 | |
| ClinicalConceptsADV Pathophys2 | 1 | |
| ClinicalConcept ADV Pathophys3 | 1 | |
| ClinicalConceptsADV Pathophys4 | 1 | |
| NR 551 | Theoretical Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction | 6 |
| NR 561 | Scholarship of Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation | 6 |
| Total Cr. | 22 | |
One-Week Residency
All degree candidates of the Master of Science in Nursing are required to attend a one-week Residency Conference on the Norwich University campus, during which they may attend professional presentations, participate in roundtable discussions with faculty, and present papers. The one-week residency is a degree requirement.
| Faculty Member | Institution at which highest degree was earned |
|---|---|
| Jonathon Brown, DNP | George Washington University |
| Janet Dupont, PhD | Capella University |
| Betty Fair, PhD | University of Texas |
| Emily Gessner, DNP | Northeastern University |
| Jean Gordon, DBA | Nova Southeastern University |
| Jo Anne Grunow, PhD | Rush University |
| Lisa Hawthorne, PhD | University of San Diego |
| Nancy Kupka, DNS | Rush University |
| Mario Ortiz, PhD | Loyola University |
| Linda Tjiong, DBA | University of Sarasota |
| Richard Watters, PhD | University of Western Australia |
| Hope Williamson, DNP | University of Miami |