2010-2011 University Catalog
Nursing, MSN
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Banner Code: HH-MSN-NURS
Unit: School of Nursing
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program is accredited by the Virginia State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The program prepares nurses for a variety of leadership roles in the health care delivery system. The adult, adult/gerontological, and family nurse practitioner primary care concentrations are part of a collaborative program with George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. These concentrations have been approved by the state boards of nursing and medicine in Virginia. The concentration in advanced clinical nursing prepares nurses to provide and manage care of individuals, families, and groups, including the chronically ill, the elderly, and others with self-care limitations. The concentration in nursing administration prepares nurses to function in management positions in hospitals, nursing homes, community health agencies, and other health-related facilities. The nurse educator concentration prepares graduates for faculty positions in schools of nursing, as well as nurse educator positions in hospitals and community health care agencies. The clinical nurse leader concentration prepares nurses as generalists with solid foundations in health policy and finance to provide competent care and clinical leadership within the health care system.
Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting graduate admission requirements, applicants to MSN programs must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 for the last 60 credits of undergraduate work, hold an active license as a registered nurse (RN) and a current CPR card, have one year current experience as an RN in direct patient care, and submit two letters of recommendation, one of which is from a nursing supervisor holding an MSN degree or higher, a résumé, and a goals statement. Although the GRE is not formally required, applicants may be asked to submit GRE scores at the discretion of the school when it believes those scores will lead to a clearer presentation of the applicant’s qualifications.
Students applying to the nurse practitioner concentrations must have a health assessment skills continuing education course within 18 months prior to taking NURS 719.
Special Requirements
Graduate students are required to have up-to-date annual health exams, current immunizations and CPR certification. Criminal background checks are required of all School of Nursing students. Student health exams, immunization records and criminal background checks are part of the final admission process. No student may attend a practicum course unless all the requirements for CPR, health exams, immunizations and criminal background checks are met. Students must be in the process of completing a hepatitis B immunization series when they enroll for their first practicum course. All students are required to have an active Mason e-mail account.
Professional Conduct
All students in the School of Nursing are expected to adhere to the Professional Conduct Policy of the College of Health and Human Services.
Appeal Process
Although faculty members in the nursing program are generally the best judges of a student’s professional performance, some students may feel that the faculty member’s judgment is unfair. Students in the School of Nursing wishing to appeal a grade are expected to follow the GMU guidelines for grade appeals, found in the Academic Policies section of the GMU University Catalog.
Honor System and Code
The School of Nursing supports academic integrity and follows the standards and procedures as described in the University catalog and available at academicintegrity.gmu.edu
Academic Termination
A degree-seeking nursing graduate student is dismissed after accumulating grades of F in two courses or 8 credits of unsatisfactory grades (C or below) in graduate courses. |