2014-2015 Innovations Magazine

i nnovations • 21 gRADUATE pROgRAMS The College of Nursing currently has three nonclinical M.S.N. pro- grams that are 100 percent online, developed to assist the working nurse to advance in his/her profession, and open to licensed nurses with a baccalaureate degree in any field. These programs may be completed in six semesters (two years). The inaugural program—the M.S.N. in Nursing Education—was established in 2005 and continues to be a very popular degree for those nurses who wish to transition to entry-level academic (associ- ate degree or vocational) or staff development positions. It also serves as a foundation for Ph.D. doctoral study for those interested in teaching at the B.S.N. or higher levels. Because educational processes are never static, the faculty members continually update course content as new theories of education and strategies to best foster and facilitate learning are changing on a daily basis. An additional M.S.N. program in Health Systems Leadership was added in 2007 that is for nurses who desire a position of leadership within the organizational environment of health care. Resource and fiscal management, quality initiatives, and economics of health care are specialization courses that prepare the student for a leadership practicum at the end of the program. In 2013, a new program was offered in conjunction with NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine—the M.S.N. in Nursing Informatics. The program focuses on the data analysis as it relates to complex health care systems and is for nurses who are interested in the field of nursing computer technology and information science. The M.S.N. in Nursing Informatics degree program integrates nursing science, computer science, information science, and ethics to manage and communicate data and knowledge that help improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. As technology is becoming a part of everyday health care initia- tives, it is important that nurses be on the forefront of its develop- ment, its use, and be able to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of such initiatives. Courses are taught collaboratively between the College of Nursing and the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Bio- medical Informatics Program. MASTER OF ScIENcE IN NURSINg (M.S.N.) pROgRAM The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (A.P.R.N.) family nurse practitioner program, located in Palm Beach, welcomed its first cohort of students in the fall of 2011 and its second co- hort in January 2012. Both cohorts graduated from the program in August 2014, with 100 percent of the first cohort passing its national certification boards. This is a highly competitive program for nurses who have completed their B.S.N. degree and have amassed a minimum of two years of clinical experience. The program involves 52 credits and 540 practicum hours, completed over eight semes- ters, which makes it attractive for the working professional nurse. Students share five core courses of advanced nurse roles, theory and research, evidence and practice, health care policy, and informatics with the nonclinical M.S.N. program in an online format. Upon successful completion of these core courses, students begin their family nurse practitioner specialization classes, which are delivered in a hybrid format for advanced pathophys- iology and advanced pharmacology and face-to-face for the ac- tual clinical courses. All the specialization courses for this degree are taught and facilitated by Ph.D.- and D.N.P.-prepared nurse practitioners who hold a faculty practice once a week. The expertise our faculty members possess provides true clin- ical insight into the everyday practice problems that can be en- countered on a weekly basis. One of the educational innovations that sets this NSU pro- gram apart from others in the area is the use of professional patients in both the physical assessment course as well as the two adult clinical courses. The Palm Beach Regional Campus is fortunate to have six fully equipped patient examination rooms for the purpose of simulating actual patient encounters found in clinic settings. The College of Nursing is considering opening a nurse prac- titioner-run clinic in Palm Beach Gardens to provide primary health care to the population of Palm Beach County while pro- viding a clinical site for F.N.P. students with nurse practitioner preceptors. Additional information on this initiative will be pro- vided in the near future. ADvANcED pRAcTIcE REgISTERED NURSE (A.p.R.N.) pROgRAM