Purpose

The Master of Science in Nursing program is founded on a Christian worldview and is designed to prepare competent individuals to function in professional roles in nursing practice, education, and scholarship on any chosen special trajectory. Graduates are equipped with the critical thinking skills, leadership, and knowledge needed to promote the profession of nursing through practice, research, scholarship, and policy.

Program Learning Outcomes

The student will be able to:

• Integrate research and scholarship into advanced nursing practice (AACN/CCNE I, IV, NLN 7, ANA-Admin. 10, 13, 15).
• Influence nursing practice by integrating policy criteria and advocacy skills (AACN/CCNE VI, NLN 8, ANA-Admin. 16).
• Employ quality improvement, safety standards, and outcomes management to support best practices in nursing (AACN/CCNE III, IX, NLN 6, ANA-Admin. 7).
• Collaborate with members of interprofessional teams to promote culturally competent population health care and clinical prevention in a variety of settings (AACN/CCNE VII, VIII, ANA-Admin 5b, 10, 11).
• Utilize innovative health care technologies in a variety of practice settings (AACN/CCNE V, NLN1, ANA-Admin. 14).
• Apply Christian Worldview and ethical decision making to Advanced Nursing Practice (LU mission, AACN/CCNE IX, NLN 6, ANA-Admin 12).
• Demonstrate leadership in a variety of professional practice and educational settings (AACN/CCNE II, IX, NLN 5, 8, ANA-Admin. 3, 15).

Community Health Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Evaluate how various organizations, positions and roles contribute to carrying out public health’s core functions and essential services (ANA Public Health I, II, III IV, V).
• Apply principles derived from the basic public health sciences to planning, implementing and evaluating public health interventions, disaster preparedness, and emergency response activities (ANA Public Health V, VI, VII).

Health Policy Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Evaluate the role of political actors in the analysis, formation and implementation of health policy and the impact of law and regulation on health policy (ANA Social Policy Statement, ANA Standards of Nursing Practice).
• Analyze specific health policy decisions and related issues that shape the organization, finances, and implementation of healthcare services and delivery systems (ANA Social Policy Statement, ANA Standards of Nursing Practice).

Nurse Educator Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Design nursing curricula that reflects the student learning needs, innovative teaching strategies, assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes that support a positive learning environment.(NLN competencies 3 and 4).
• Construct a learning environment based on educational theory and evidence-based practice which promotes individual learner needs.(NLN competency 1).
• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities in creating a learning environment that supports individual goals and diverse student needs.(NLN competency 2).

Nursing Administration Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Demonstrate consultation and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams to direct health care systems delivery of nursing services and professional practice (ANA-Admin 5c, 11, 10).
• Provide health care systems management utilizing the nursing process* to perform strategic planning, fiscal and resource management and evaluation of outcomes (ANA-Admin 1-6, 14),
• Utilize evidence to create a culture of safety and quality based on nursing values; advocacy; current nursing practice; legal, ethical, and regulatory compliance (ANA-Admin 7, 8, 9, 12).

Nursing Informatics Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Design nursing informatics solutions to reach a community need, resolve a healthcare issue, or improve an outcome in the healthcare setting (ANA-Nursing Inform.1, 4, 5).
• Collaborate with key stakeholders in the healthcare setting to create strategies for informatics solutions (ANA-Nursing Inform.6, 11, 13).
• Synthesize available data, information, evidence, and knowledge to create a culture of safety and quality based on legal, ethical, and regulatory compliance (ANA_Nursing Inform.1, 7, 10, 15).

Accreditation

The Master of Science in Nursing program at Liberty University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

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Certification

The Master of Science in Nursing – Nurse Educator Concentration may meet the educational requirements of the National League of Nursing’s Nurse Educator Certification. The Nurse Administration Concentration may meet the educational requirements of the American Nurse Credentialing Center’s Nurse Executive/ Nurse Executive Advanced Certification. The Nursing Informatics Concentration may meet the educational requirements for the American Nurse Credentialing Center’s Informatics Nursing Certification.

Note: Certification and eligibility requirements are changed periodically by credentialing bodies and are out of the control of the academic institution. Credentialing bodies such as the National League of Nursing and the American Nurse Credentialing Center make the final determination to sit for any exams they may offer.

Program Specific Admission Procedures

All policies and procedures for admission to graduate programs as stated in this Catalog apply unless otherwise stated. The following criteria are established to encourage applications from qualified students who are highly motivated, self-directed, and academically competent to ensure selection of individuals who possess abilities that will enable them to successfully pursue graduate study in nursing. Each applicant must submit documentation to the Office of Graduate Admissions gradadmissions@liberty.edu that addresses the following criteria:

1. Graduate of a nationally accredited nursing program/school or its equivalent. Accrediting bodies include: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
2. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) or a bachelor’s degree in another discipline. Non-B.S.N. applicants with an RN license may be admitted to the M.S.N. program but must satisfy requirements for the following undergraduate bridge courses:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   NURS 225	Pre-licensure Research in Nursing	3
   NURS 440	Post-licensure Strategies for Community Health Care	5
   NURS 445	Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Healthcare	3
   NURS 490	Transition to Practice	3,5
   NURS 491	Nursing Management	3

   Bridge courses are not a prerequisite to admission into the M.S.N. program, but must be completed within the first year of admission to the M.S.N. program.
3. Introductory statistics course (math preferred) and an undergraduate course in health assessment are required. For those who did not complete these courses in their undergraduate programs, they may fulfill these requirements during the first two semesters of the M.S.N. program and must complete a undergraduate statistics course and an undergraduate nursing research course prior enrollment in NURS 500 Research (3 c.h.); the undergraduate course for health assessment must be fulfilled prior to enrollment in NURS 505 Advanced Health / Physical Assessment (3 c.h.).
4. Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00.
5. Ability to meet the Liberty School of Nursing Statement of Essential Attributes.
6. Nurses educated outside of the United States must submit the following documentation in order to be considered for admission:
   1. Proof of valid and current RN licensure based on review by the Commission on Graduates for Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) International [+1(215) 222-8454)] (must hold a valid registered nurse license issued in one of the fifty States. See #6.)
   2. Pass the NCLEX Readiness Exam (offered by the CGFNS)
   3. Undergraduate transcript evaluation report from the World Education System (WES) or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). This evaluation is required to determine equivalency of the applicant’s nursing and baccalaureate degrees to nursing education programs offered by schools in the U.S.
7. TOEFL Scores for students who speak English as a second language (score of 600 paper-based test; 250 computer-based test, 80 internet-based test). Additionally, the School of Nursing will require a TOEFL score for all students education outside of the United States regardless of the nursing degree obtained
8. Current and active nursing license to practice as a registered nurse in your current state of residency.
9. RN’s will self-verify a minimum of one year of nursing practice. This can be collected verbally by a call center agent or via email from the student to LUO Admissions Verification.
10. Must have one year of nursing practice as a registered nurse.
11. All students must be fully admitted into the MSN program to enroll in classes.
12. All M.S.N. Concentrations require a practicum, which must be completed within the United States.
    Nurse Educator: NURS 617 Nurse Educator I: Advanced Clinical Applications (3 c.h.), NURS 618 Nurse Educator II: Teaching Strategies (3 c.h.), NURS 619 Nurse Educator III: Curriculum Development (3 c.h.), and NURS 620 Nurse Educator IV: Role of the Nurse Educator (3-6 c.h.).
    Nursing Administration: NURS 623 Nursing Administration I: The Role of the Nurse Administrator (3 c.h.), NURS 624 Nursing Administration II: Organizational Leadership and Management (3 c.h.), NURS 625 Nursing Administration III: Management of Resources (3 c.h.), and NURS 626 Nursing Administration IV: Nursing Administration Capstone (3 c.h.).
    Community Health: NURS 631 Community Health Practicum I Health Policy Leadership (3 c.h.),NURS 632 Community Health Practicum II (3 c.h.), and NURS 633 Community Health Practicum III (3 c.h.).
    Health Policy: NURS 627 Practicum I Health Policy Leadership (3 c.h.), NURS 628 Practicum II Health Policy Leadership (3 c.h.), and NURS 629 Practicum III Health Policy Leadership (3 c.h.).
    Nursing Informatics: INFO 668 Health Data Analytics and Decision-Making (3 c.h.), NURS 630 Nursing Informatics Capstone (3 c.h.).
13. Recommender contact information.

Evaluation of Transfer Credits

With approval from the School of Nursing Graduate Faculty Committee, students may transfer up to 21 credit hours from an appropriately accredited institution. In order to transfer credit hours, the student must have earned the minimum grade of B-, and the courses must have been completed within five years of the start date of the program. Students may receive transfer credit for graduate courses that were required for another completed master’s degree. The M.S.N. program follows university policy for life experience.  For previous life experience consideration, please see policies located in Academic Information & Policies. Credits from a prior degree on the same academic level earned through Liberty University are considered transfer credits.

Course Requirements

The Master of Science in Nursing offers nurse educator, nursing administration, nursing informatics, community health, and health policy concentrations. Full and part-time options are available. Each student should obtain an up-to-date copy of the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook (available online at Liberty University’s M.S.N. website), for information about matriculation and progression in the M.S.N. program. The application information and forms are also available online.

Practicum Requirements

Documentation that verifies current American Heart Association CPR card immunization status (i.e., measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), tuberculosis (TB) testing, Varicella titer or immunity, Hepatitis B & Influenza), HIPAA and Bloodborne Pathogens, a Criminal Background Check, and 10 Panel Drug Screen must be submitted prior to students enroll in courses that include a practicum component. Additional requirements may be requested by the student-selected practicum facility sites. Students are responsible to assume all costs associated with practicum requirements.

Program Dismissal

Automatic dismissal without the options for extensions, to repeat courses, or to reapply to the MSN program occurs when students:

• Earn more than three (3) graduate grades of C+ or lower.
• Earn more than one (1) graduate grade of D+ or lower.
• Earn a GPA lower than 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.
• Fail to report any changes, sanctions, or other updates to their RN license to the MSN program Chair.
• Are in violation of the Liberty University Online Honor Code.

Delivery Format: Online Only

 

• Administration in Healthcare Systems
• Administration of Nursing Service
• Community Center RN/Specialist
• Curriculum Coordinator
• Director of Nursing (Hospital/Office/Clinic Setting)
• Disaster Relief Planner
• Elected Official
• Emergency Response Team Member
• Health Services Research Analyst
• Healthcare Provider Associate
• Home Care RN
• Legislative Analyst/Assistant
• Lobbying Arm of Professional Organization
• Medical/Health Inspector
• Nurse Leader
• Nurse Programmer
• Nurse Representative
• Professional Workforce Development
• Project Manager
• School/Business RN
• Staff/Patient Educator
• Undergraduate University Nurse Professor