Mission

To provide quality graduate nursing education that prepares nurses to function in the rapidly changing health care arena.

Program Goals

1.  Prepares nurse practitioners  nurse educators, nurse executives and clinical nurse specialists who function as professional leaders in the dynamic health care and legislative arenas.
2.  Facilitate acquisition of skills necessary for the enactment of specific nursing roles.
3.  Promotes attainment of inquiry skills.
4.  Builds a solid foundation for continued professional growth.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge, values and skills in a selected area of nursing.
2.  Demonstrate advanced knowledge, values and skills in a selected functional role.
3.  Integrate theory and research in evidence-based nursing practice.
4.  Demonstrate responsibility and involvement in professional activities (local, regional, national, or international).

MSN Competency Definitions

1. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the rational and reflective process of making judgements. This process includes analysis and differentiation of complex data sets as a basis for independent and collaborative health care decision making.

2. Communication
The ability to use complex, ongoing, interactive written and verbal processes by which information is exchanged between individuals, groups, and/or systems.

3. Service Delivery
The ability to apply theory and research in advanced clinical practice, or to the education of professional nurses, or in managing organizations and environments.

4. Technology Utilization
The ability to deliver health care services using a broad range of technological devices.

5. Professional Role Development
The ability to enact the subroles of the nurse in advanced practice.

6. Global Perspectives
The ability to integrate individual, micro- and macro-system attributes into the delivery of health care.

7. Health Care Systems
The ability to evaluate and function in the complex array of relationships and settings in which health care may be delivered.

8. Collaboration
Participate in the development of relationships in which each party contributes equitably to the decision making.

9. Ethics
Participate in interdisciplinary endeavors to identify the structures related to rights, duties and responsibilities.

10. Cultural Sensitivity
The incorporation of values to provide services to individuals and groups with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems. (ANA Code of Ethics)

11. Research
The ability to critically evaluate and synthesize research results providing the scientific basis for advanced practice nursing.

12. Theory
The ability to analyze a variety of theories and determine applicability to personal advanced practice nursing.

13. Teaching/Learning
The ability to assume the teaching role in both formal and informal teaching. Teaching/Learning is a dynamic, lifelong interactive process that has formal and informal elements. Formal teaching occurs between two or more people including a teacher and learner. The teacher 1) assumes the role of content resource and 2) designs and manages the process that will facilitate the learner(s) in the acquisition of new knowledge, attitudes, and or skills. Informal teaching/learning process may involve one or more persons who may or may not be identifies as a teacher or a learner. It consists of unplanned, spontaneous activities that enable a person to acquire new knowledge, attitudes or skills.