This is a Dual Degree Program (RN-BSN-MSN).

Purpose

The RN-BSN-MSN program will sharpen students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities as they manage in the capacity of a healthcare professional.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is a competitive process. 

Admission standards for RN-BSN-MSN include:

1. Students must have earned a diploma or an Associate Degree in Nursing through an NLN/ACEN or CCNE accredited nursing program.
2. Current and Active Registered Nurse license.
3. Documentation of the ability to meet the Essential Attributes of Nursing. 
4. Students admitted to the RN-BSN-MSN program with less than a 3.0 GPA will be required to follow the academic standing policy in the undergraduate catalog.
5. Students must earn a grade of B- or above in each of the MSN courses (NURS 500 Research (3 c.h.) & NURS 503 Managing Population Health (3 c.h.)). Earning a grade of C in any of the two MSN courses means the student must reapply to take the corresponding RN to BSN course (NURS 225 Pre-licensure Research in Nursing (3 c.h.) & NURS 445 Contemporary Issues in Nursing and Healthcare (3 c.h.)) before the student may repeat the graduate-level course. If a grade of D or below is earned in any of the two MSN transition courses, the student is no longer in the RN to BSN to MSN track, but may choose to remain in the RN to BSN track. 
6. Prior to taking NURS 500 Research (3 c.h.), the student must successfully complete an undergraduate statistics course with a grade of C or above.
7. Progression to the MSN program following BSN completion is dependent upon earning a grade of B- or higher in all graduate courses. 
8. Students earning a C or below in 500-level courses are no longer eligible to continue in the RN to BSN to MSN track, but will be eligible for a BSN degree when all requirements are met.
9. Students in the RN to BSN to MSN track must maintain a GPA or 3.0 or higher. RN to BSN to MSN track students with GPA’s between 2.0 and 2.9 will admitted on caution, but should maintain a current GPA 3.0 or higher. If the student is unable to maintain this GPA, he or she may remain in the RN to BSN track if meeting RN to BSN progression policies. 
10. The gate course in the RN-BSN program in NURS 492 Advanced Concepts of Nursing Practice (3 c.h.). This course must be completed prior to taking any 500 or 600 level nursing class, except for NURS 500 Research (3 c.h.) and NURS 503 Managing Population Health (3 c.h.). 
11. NURS 220 Advanced Nursing Communication (3 c.h.) is the entry nursing course. Students will be informed that this is their chance to transfer to the dual degree, afterwards, the students will not be eligible to transition into the dual degree program.
12. UG pre-reqs should be completed by NURS 492 Advanced Concepts of Nursing Practice (3 c.h.).
13. MSN requirements will lead for admission and graduation.
14. After completing NURS 492 Advanced Concepts of Nursing Practice (3 c.h.), progression policies of the Graduate School apply. 

Program Learning Outcomes

The student will be able to:

• View nursing as a ministry of demonstrating Christ’s love to hurting people of all religions, creeds, and cultures;
• Provide and coordinate nursing care for individuals, families, and groups within the community;
• Utilize critical thinking/problem solving skills in determining nursing interventions and applying therapeutic skills;
• Demonstrate leadership skills in collaboration with clients, other professionals and groups within the community for the purpose of promoting, maintaining, and restoring health;
• Apply a personal and professional Christian value system, based on biblical principles, to ethical issues related to the practice of professional nursing; and
• Value the need for ongoing personal and professional development through both formal and informal learning experiences.
• Foster professional level competencies in writing, oral communication, and computer literacy.
• 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, NLN 1, 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).

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)

Nurse Educator Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Design nursing curricula that reflects 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).
• Demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities in creating a learning environment that supports individual goals and diverse student needs (NLN competency 2).

Nursing Informatics Concentration

The student will be able to:

• Design nursing informatics solutions to reach a community need, resolve a heathcare 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).

Delivery Format: Online Only

See the graduate catalog for Programs of Study and Expenses and Financial Policy information.

• Director of Nursing
• Nurse Manager
• Nursing Instructor
• Nurse Leader
• Nurse/Healthcare Advocate
• Community Nurse Leader
• Nurse Informaticist