Master of Science in Nursing, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (MSN)

The College of Nursing and Health Professions at USI strives to ensure our graduate students are successful in their professional, personal, and academic careers. Graduates of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program are able to integrate critical thinking, independent judgment, provide leadership, synthesize knowledge, and promote the essential values of caring in their professional and personal lives.

The Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of Southern Indiana is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

MSN Curriculum

To achieve the Master of Science in Nursing degree, all students complete nursing core courses and clinical core courses. Students select one of the following specialty areas:

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP)
• Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS)
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
• Healthcare Systems Leadership (HSL)
• Nursing Education Leadership (NEL)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Graduate nursing clinical practice requirements may be completed in the student’s own geographic area. Each student is encouraged to identify preceptors and clinical sites with assistance from the university clinical liaison. Approval of each preceptor and clinical site must be obtained from the CNHP graduate nursing clinical liaison prior to beginning clinical hours. A written agreement with each agency is required prior to initiating clinical experiences. Students may be required to visit campus to demonstrate clinical competency. Faculty will validate clinical competency through virtual learning and education sessions, site visits and/or conference calls with preceptors and students.

To earn the MSN degree, students must complete all courses with a grade of B or better.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Master of Science in Nursing program are to prepare nurses at an advanced practice level who demonstrate professional leadership and foster a research climate in the practice of nursing. The graduate of the master’s degree program is a clinician, administrator, or educator who can:

1. Synthesize knowledge and concepts from nursing, the sciences, and humanities as a foundation for advanced nursing practice.
2. Integrate critical thinking and independent judgment to manage and provide advanced nursing practice with diverse populations.
3. Participate in systematic inquiry and applied research to improve nursing care and enhance nursing as a profession.
4. Integrate knowledge of the legal, socioeconomic, political, cultural, and ethical forces that affect patient care and the healthcare environment into the role of the advanced practice nurse.
5. Function as an advocate, leader, and change agent to plan, implement, and evaluate healthcare in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, consumers, and policy makers.
6. Provide leadership in maintaining and promoting the professional values of caring, integrity, accountability, competence, collegiality, and lifelong learning.
7. Integrate data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems.
8. Integrate information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making.

Refer to the Admission section of the bulletin for information about Graduate Studies admission criteria and the online application process.

The MSN program offers admission for fall, spring, or summer. Refer to www.usi.edu/online-learning/online-programs/master-of-science-in-nursing for application deadlines. Applications are not reviewed until all materials have been received. Both full-time and part-time study options are available based upon course availability. MSN-specific admission requirements include:

• a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited school;
• minimum baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
• completion of an undergrduate course in statistics with a C or better;
• unencumbered RN license;
• One year of full-time employment or equivalent as a registered nurse is strongly recommended.

The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS) is an advanced clinician who functions as an expert clinician, leader, researcher, educator, and consultant that exerts influence in three spheres: patient/family, nursing personnel, and organization system. The AG-CNS graduate acquires knowledge and experience to provide services to individuals in an area of specialization across the lifespan in health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and/or chronic illness. The AG-CNS works in a variety of clinical settings including acute care hospitals, community agencies, long term care, home care, and physician offices. There are a total of 42 credit hours in the specialty with 500 direct clinical hours.

The Clinical Nurse Specialist graduate is prepared to:

• Provide expert outcome-oriented nursing therapeutics for complex patients to promote health, well-being, and quality of life.
• Manage the integration and coordination of patient care services across the health care continuum.
• Design and implement patient and staff educational programs for promotion of positive health care outcomes.
• Consult and collaborate with members of the health care team to support the delivery of quality patient care.
• Utilize research methodology and evidence to investigate, promote, and evaluate nursing therapies that produce positive patient care outcomes.
• Model responsibility for continued professional development, integrity, accountability, competence, and credentialing as a clinical nurse specialist.