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Online MSN: Administrative Leadership Curriculum

Curriculum Details

36 TOTAL CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED

EIGHT-WEEK TERMS

TWO TERMS = ONE SEMESTER

The online MSN: Administrative Leadership program delivers the advanced skills and expertise you need to take the next step in your nursing career. It includes 13 online courses and 500 clinical hours. Our flexible online curriculum combines a nursing core with specialized coursework that prepares you to guide clinical decision-making and optimize care delivery in a range of health care organizations.

As a Methodist University student, you’ll engage with peers and build a strong network of fellow nurse leaders. You will also work closely with expert faculty who offer support and mentorship throughout your studies and clinical experiences. A capstone project gives you the opportunity to interview a nurse leader and develop a digital story about their experiences in the field. For students interested in pursuing leadership roles in academia, four courses in the MSN program count as possible dual credit for our Graduate Nursing Education Certificate.

Core Courses

This course will explore a variety of nursing theories including various theoretical perspectives of teaching and learning, as well as practical application of strategies to meet the diverse needs of learners. Students will apply theoretical frameworks to a health care or instructional problem to promote effective change within an organization or educational setting. Discussion of managing various challenges related to nursing leadership and education will be included throughout the course. (Dual credit for Nursing Education Certificate)

This course analyzes statistical measurements in current use related to a healthcare problem. Concepts of scientific measurement, data analysis, and descriptive and inferential statistics are addressed. Students will be able to identify and differentiate between quantitative and qualitative measurements. (Pre-requisite and/or Co-requisite: NUR 5000)

This course will emphasize ethical principles and moral decision-making processes as related to the healthcare delivery system. Students will examine and discuss moral, ethical issues within healthcare. Students will examine professional and interprofessional leadership responsibilities and health advocacy roles as they relate to healthcare. Students will explore public policies through advocacy related to a topic of interest. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000)

This course builds on NUR5200 with a focus on the foundation of scholarship and improvement of healthcare. Students will apply methods of EBP, analyze emerging EBP scholarly articles, and then modify and adapt that research to make effective change within their organization. Students will examine issues such as nursing performance, organizational effectiveness, nursing outcomes, and teaching and learning. Students will develop a project based on a PICO question, conduct a literature review, and write a proposal paper related to student’s topic of interest. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200)

This course provides advanced knowledge and skills to improve healthcare outcomes by making effective change using technological resources. Graduate prepared nurses will expand their knowledge of nursing informatic theory and how informatics is used for practice applications, professional skill development, networking, and project management. Students will explore the connection between computer technology, and effective change and outcomes. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000)

This course examines the relationship between health policy and economics. This course will look at health policy and economics from a graduate prepared nurse perspective. The course will look at how economics shape health policymaking, health reform, and emerging and continuing controversies in health policy. Students will analyze health policymaking processes including various aspects of policy development, implementation, and modification. The course will introduce students to the framework in which the U.S. healthcare system functions. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000)

This course will provide advanced opportunity to explore population based healthcare of disease and illness prevention, as well as health maintenance and promotion, and global health. It explores epidemiological principals as an integral part of population health risks, assets, and disparities. Graduate students will explore population-based and community models in which disease and illness occur as well as within healthcare delivery systems. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000)

Leadership Focus Courses

This course provides an in-depth look at leadership and management within the nursing profession. Students will examine the transition between nursing practice and the management and provision of healthcare and organizational issues. The course will explore various advanced nursing roles in leadership. Management and quality improvement skills will be analyzed. A clinical component is included within this course. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000)

This course consists of improving collaboration and communication among interprofessional teams. Graduate students will explore interdisciplinary health care professions. Communication and decision making processes among interprofessional teams will be analyzed. Students will examine qualities of successful teams and interprofessional interactions. Students will analyze and apply effective interprofessional collaboration to improve health care outcomes. A clinical component is included within this course. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400)

This course consists of a practical experience that is developed, approved, supervised, and evaluated by faculty and preceptors. The objective is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and then apply leadership knowledge and skills, that has been learned throughout the MSN curriculum, to a PICO question . Students will gain professional experience in an administrative environment and implement a project of particular interest setting them on a career trajectory. Careful consideration must be given to a site and preceptor, or permission of Program Coordinator. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400)

This course is a continuation of NUR 6800. It consists of a practical experience that is developed, approved, supervised, and evaluated by faculty and preceptors. The objective is to provide students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and then apply leadership knowledge and skills, that has been learned throughout the MSN curriculum, to a PICO question . Students will gain professional experience in an administrative environment and implement a project of particular interest setting them on a career trajectory. Careful consideration must be given to a site and preceptor, or permission of Program Coordinator. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400)

Students will evaluate and present their applied learning practicum project. This course will provide graduate students the opportunity to apply proficient leadership skills with emphasis on professional growth. Students will have the opportunity to assess their educational goals as well as their future professional career goals. (Pre-requisite: NUR 5000, NUR 5200, NUR 5400, NUR 5600, NUR 5800, NUR 6000, NUR 6200, NUR 6400, NUR 6600)

Electives (select one)

This course builds on evidenced-based practice concepts explored in NUR 5600 with a focus on the role of the nurse leader in supporting continuous quality improvement within the healthcare setting. Students will apply methods related to process change, root cause analysis and informatics to identify and improve safety and quality outcomes. National initiatives, barriers to change, and the need to create buy-in from a variety of stakeholders will be examined. (Pre-requisite NUR 5600)

This course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the strategies and techniques needed to effectively manage organizational change. Students will learn how to identify the drivers of change, assess their impacts on the organization, and develop and implement a change path that aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives. Topics covered will include change management theory, identifying and evaluating potential change strategies, stakeholder analysis, communication planning, and resistance management. Case studies and real-world examples will be used to illustrate best practices and to provide students with practical experience. As part of this integrative experience, students will explore the concept of change management from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

One 3 cr. course would count as dual credit for Nursing Education Certificate

NUR 5100 Assessment & Evaluation

This course provides a foundation in assessment, measurement, and evaluation strategies for nursing education. Students will explore the theoretical basis for evaluation, as well as practical application of the strategies. The course is intended to prepare students to utilize strategies of measurement and evaluation in developing tests, interpreting test results, assessing clinical performance, and evaluating written assignments. Discussion of legal and ethical issues related to evaluation in nursing education will be included throughout the course. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7051 for the DNP Program elective.)

NUR 5300 Curriculum & Program Development

This course provides a foundation in curricular design, program development, and curriculum evaluation in nursing education. Students will explore internal and external contextual factors influencing curriculum design and implementation. This course is intended to prepare students to utilize foundational principles and concepts for the development and evaluation of nursing curricula in academic settings. This course will also prepare students for program development and evaluation in nursing education. (Additional coursework required for students enrolled in NUR 7053 for the DNP Program elective.)

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