The Nursing Education track is dedicated to preparing nurses for faculty and clinical education education roles in varying settings. Graduates are prepared to facilitate learning, learner development and socialization, use assessment and evaluation strategies, participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes, function as a change agent and leader, pursue continuous quality improvement in nurse educator role, engage in scholarship, and function within the educational environment (NLN, 2012). Graduates are eligible for national certification as nurse educators through the National League for Nursing.
Nursing Education
- The MSN in Nursing Education degree requires a total of 36 credit hours which include 21 credit hours of core coursework in the following areas: Advanced Nursing Leadership (N504), Advanced Pathophysiology (Y515), Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan (Y612), Nursing Theory (N502), Research (R500), and Informatics (I630). An additional 15 credit hours in concentration coursework is required (see curriculum plan for details)
- Admission is rolling for start in any semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) with applications reviewed upon receipt of all required application materials.
- Applicants need to have a grade of B- or higher in a 3 credit, 300 or 400 level statistics class prior to admission. A master’s level statistics course (500 level) is required to graduate. The course may be taken prior (within the past 5 years) to applying or within the plan of study.
- Offers of admission are sent prior to the start of each semester.
- Most of the clinical sites where Indiana University Northwest School of Nursing students complete their hands-on clinical experiences (such as Indiana-based hospitals, clinics, and other agencies) require a national background check before students can be placed in their organization. Based on the requirements of these agencies, as well as state and federal regulations, all students in the School of Nursing must undergo a national background check prior to admission and annually thereafter.
- Indiana University Northwest School of Nursing has selected CastleBranch.com to complete these background checks. The results of a student's background check may impact his or her admission status in the School of Nursing, preclude students from attending clinical, and/or affect ability to obtain certification as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in the state of Indiana and other states.
- Per the School of Nursing's clinical affiliations, all background checks that are other than negative will be sent to the student's clinical agency/agencies for review. If a clinical agency refuses to allow a student to participate in a clinical at the agency, the student may not be allowed to progress in the nursing program.
Graduates of the IU Northwest School of Nursing MSN program will:
- Model excellence in nursing leadership to improve nursing practice within a complex healthcare system.
- Perform advanced nursing practice within ethical/legal guidelines, professional policies and regulations, and standards of practice associated with a specialty area of practice.
- Synthesize knowledge from nursing as well as biological, behavioral, social, administrative, educational, and communication sciences for application to a chosen domain of advanced practice nursing.
- Demonstrate scholarly inquiry and reflection that exemplifies critical, creative, and systems thinking to advance the practice of nursing.
- Frame problems, design interventions, specify outcomes and measure outcome achievement while balancing human, fiscal, and material resources to achieve quality health outcomes.
- Use information technology and knowledge based resources to manage and transform data that informs clinical practice.
- Systemically apply knowledge from research findings and best evidence to answer clinical questions, solve clinical problems and develop innovative nursing interventions and health policies for selected patient populations.
- Demonstrate collaborative practice and interpret nursing science within an interdisciplinary context.
- Articulate the effects of culture, diversity, values, and globalization in the design, delivery, and evaluation of health services.
- Engage in life-long learning activities that contribute to professional development as well as the advancement of nursing.
Program Features
- 36 credit hours delivered in seven semesters (including summers). The program runs year-round and is designed to be completed on a part-time basis (with an expectation for completion in 10 semesters or 4 years of program enrollment).
- Course scheduling is flexible, using blended methods (e.g., hybrid delivery); classes meet one day per week or less.
- The program includes two major learning sections:
- Pre-clinical courses that provide a core foundation for advanced practice
- Clinical/ track specialty courses that build on the foundation and add knowledge and skills used during specialization/ practicum experiences in keeping with the student's individual career goals and the program's learning objectives.
