GRADUATE NURSING

2 | Graduate Nursing MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Nova Southeastern University’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing will help you prepare for what’s next on your career path, offering licensed nurses greater options for future advancement. Whether you are looking to move into a leadership role or you are already in a leadership role, but want to specialize or advance, NSU offers programs that can enhance your nursing career. Through unique, interdisciplinary curricula emphasizing systems’ thinking and interprofessional collaboration, the college is educating students to become tomor- row’s nursing leaders in the dynamic health care industry in Florida and beyond. Graduate programs at the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing—including the M.S.N. Traditional, M.S.N. Advanced Prac- tice Registered Nurse (A.P.R.N.), clinical doctoral degree (D.N.P.), B.S.N. to D.N.P., D.N.P. to Ph.D., and Ph.D. with a focus on nursing education—are offered in an online, integrated classroom or in a hybrid format, depending on the degree and specialization choice. Dedicated and experienced faculty members create an engaging academic environment to help students reach their full potential. Students learn by using the latest educational technology. They have access to an array of current literature options, as well as patient simulators with programmable vital signs and voice, heart, lung, and bowel sounds and standardized patients. All of the degree programs also include a practicum experience involving application of learned knowledge with a researcher or in a selected health care site. For nurses seeking a master’s degree, NSU offers a traditional M.S.N. degree with concentrations in nursing education, execu- tive nurse leadership, and nursing informatics. For students who wish to enhance their provider role, NSU offers an M.S.N. A.P.R.N. degree. The M.S.N. A.P.R.N. degree prepares the graduate to take the national certifica- tion examination to become a family, adult- gerontology acute care, or psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner. NSU offers two pathways to the D.N.P. for nurses who wish to obtain a doctoral degree. Students may apply to either the B.S.N. to D.N.P. program or the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) program. The doctoral degree prepares nurses to advance in their A.P.R.N. role or build upon administrative positions in fields such as nurse administration, quality assurance, and community or public health as a nurse. NSU also offers two pathways to the Ph.D. in Nursing degree. Students may apply to either the D.N.P. to Ph.D. or the Ph.D. pro- gram. Both are offered in an online format. I invite you to explore our programs and see the resources the college offers to support your success. You’ll discover innovative educational programs that will enrich your life and enhance your career. Marcella M. Rutherford, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S.N. Dean, Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing