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MSN Information
Course Curricula
Application Information
Have any questions? Please contact
Marlene McFarland or call 859-622-1838.
Meet the Challenge of Advanced Practice Nursing
Advanced practice nursing preparation at the graduate level is critical for nurses who wish to fully participate in the evolving health care system. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree prepares nurses to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health care in various arenas. The program at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) focuses on individuals, families, and communities in rural under served areas. The EKU MSN program has the following options: Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner, Rural Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, or Advanced Practice Rural Public Health Nursing with a choice of an area of concentration in either Administration or Nursing Education.
Advanced Nursing Practice Outcomes
Graduates of the Master's of Science in Nursing program will be able to:
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Demonstrate the synthesis of expert knowledge for advanced nursing practice in rural communities.
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Evaluate theory and research in nursing and related disciplines for their contribution to advanced nursing practice and professional role development.
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Function as a leader in the analysis and advancement of health care.
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Utilize research methodology and advanced nursing practice knowledge to identify client needs, propose interventions at the advanced practice level, and evaluate effectiveness of solutions and alternatives.
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Work within complex organizational and political systems to influence rural health care delivery.
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Communicate, collaborate, and consult with clients and colleagues in nursing and other disciplines to meet rural health care needs.
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Interpret the purpose and role of advanced nursing practice to professional colleagues and consumers.
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Integrate ethical and legal principles into advanced nursing practice.
MSN Contact Information
Enrollment Specialist: Ms. Marlene McFarland (Lillian.McFarland@eku.edu). Ms. McFarland can answer questions and provide assistance to interested applicants, students, or graduates. If a name and mailing address are provided, she can send information on the MSN program and application materials to interested applicants. Her telephone number is 859-622-1838, and her office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Other Numbers: Additional department telephone numbers are: 859-622-1827, 859-622-6353, or 859-622-1956.
Chair/Acting Graduate Director: Dr. Judy Short (Judy.Short@eku.edu)
FNP Curriculum Coordinator: Dr. Larry Kelley (larry.kelly@eku.edu)
Psychiatric NP Coordinator: Dr. Evelyn Parrish (evelyn.parrish@eku.edu)
Advanced Practice Public Health Nursing Coordinator: Dr. Pamela Schlomann (pam.schlomann@eku.edu)
Nursing Education Area of Concentration Coordinator: Dr. Ida Slusher (ida.slusher@eku.edu)
Administration Area of Concentration Coordinator: Dr. Mary Hauser-Whitaker (mary.whitaker2@eku.edu)
Advisors: Students´ advisors can be contacted at their individual office telephone numbers, through e-mail (instructors first_name.last_name@eku.edu), or by leaving a message with the secretary.
The Graduate School: If a student needs to contact the Graduate School, the Graduate School staff are available during regular office hours. The telephone number for the Graduate School is 859-922-1742.
Professional Standards
The Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced Nursing Practice, published in 1996 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, has been adopted as the professional standard to guide the graduate curriculum. This document specifies a graduate nursing core, an advanced practice nursing core, and specialty curriculum content as the three components of master’s education in nursing. EKU’s MSN program has reviewed the curriculum carefully for consistency with these standards to better ensure a quality master’s program. The essential curriculum elements are as follows:
Graduate Core Curriculum Content
I. Research
II. Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care
A. Health Care Policy
B. Organization of the Health Care Delivery System
C. Health Care Financing
III. Ethics
IV. Professional Role Development
V. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
VI. Human Diversity and Social Issues
VII.Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Advanced Practice Nursing Core Curriculum
I. Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
II. Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
III. Advanced Pharmacology
Specialty Curriculum Content
Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner Option: The specialty curriculum content for the FNP option uses as its standard The Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs 2002 from the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education. The Domains and Competencies of Nurse Practitioner Practice, which was adapted for NONPF’s (Nurses’ Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty) Curriculum Guidelines and Program Standards for Nurse Practitioner Education (1995), serve as an appendix to the Essentials of Master’s Education document.
Rural Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Option: In addition to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association practice guidelines, the PMHNP option uses as its standard The Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs 2002 from the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education. The Domains and Competencies of Nurse Practitioner Practice, which was adapted for NONPF’s (Nurses’ Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty) Curriculum Guidelines and Program Standards for Nurse Practitioner Education (1995), serve as an appendix to the Essentials of Master’s Education document.
Advanced Practice Rural Public Health Nursing option: The specialty curriculum content for the community option uses as its standard the October 2003 document, Essentials of Master’s Tenth Nursing Education for Advanced Community/Public Health Nursing Practice, published by the Association of Community Health Nurse Educators.
Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner Option
Option Requirements (9 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 830
|
Advanced Pharmacology
|
3
|
|
NSC 832
|
Advanced Health Assessment
|
3
|
|
NSC 834
|
Advanced Pathophysiology
|
3
|
Practicum Course Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 870
|
Rural Health FNP I
|
3
|
|
NSC 872
|
Rural Health FNP II
|
3
|
|
NSC 874
|
Rural Health FNP III
|
3
|
|
NSC 876
|
Rural Health FNP Internship
|
6
|
In addition, must complete a minimum of 9 hours of NSC 800(section for FNP) to meet clinical clock hour requirement for sitting for Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination.
Major Core Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 840
|
Nursing Theory
|
3
|
|
NSC 842
|
Advanced Nursing Practice Issues
|
3
|
|
*NSC 890
|
Research in Rural Nursing
|
3
|
|
NSC 892
|
Research Project
|
3
|
|
NSC 855
|
Epidemiology and Risk Management
|
3
|
NOTE: *Three hours of graduate or undergraduate statistics is an admission requirement and is a prerequisite to NSC 890.
Rural Psychiatric mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Option Requirements (9 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 830
|
Advanced Pharmacology
|
3
|
|
NSC 832
|
Advanced Health Assessment
|
3
|
|
NSC 834
|
Advanced Pathophysiology
|
3
|
Practicum Course Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 880
|
Rural PMHNP I
|
2
|
|
NSC 881
|
Applied Psychopharmacology
|
2
|
|
NSC 882
|
Rural PMHNP II
|
2
|
|
NSC 884
|
Rural PMHNP III
|
3
|
|
NSC 886
|
Rural PMHNP Internship
|
6
|
In addition, must complete a minimum of 7 hours of NSC 800(section for PMHNP) to meet clinical clock hour requirement for sitting for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination.
Major Core Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 840
|
Nursing Theory
|
3
|
|
NSC 842
|
Advanced Nursing Practice Issues
|
3
|
|
*NSC 890
|
Research in Rural Nursing
|
3
|
|
NSC 892
|
Research Project
|
3
|
|
NSC 855
|
Epidemiology and Risk Management
|
3
|
NOTE: *Three hours of graduate or undergraduate statistics is an admission requirement and is a prerequisite to NSC 890.
Advanced Practice Rural Public Health Nursing with an Area of Concentration in Administration and Nursing Education
Option Requirements (9 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 844
|
Nursing Education I
|
3
|
*NSC 846
or
**Approved Elective
|
Nursing Education II
|
3
|
|
NSC 854
|
Management of Health Care for APNs
|
3
|
Practicum Course Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 836
|
Advanced Health Promotion for APNs
|
3
|
|
NSC 850
|
Rural Health Care Nursing I
|
3
|
|
NSC 852
|
Rural Health Care Nursing II
|
3
|
*NSC 848
or
**NSC 860
|
Nursing Education III
or
Rural Nursing Administration
|
3
or
3
|
|
NSC 862
|
Rural Health Internship
|
3
|
In addition, must complete a minimum of 4 hours of NSC 800 (APRPHN section) to meet the clinical clock hour requirement.
Major Core Requirements (15 Hours)
|
Course No.
|
Course Title
|
Semester Hours
|
|
NSC 840
|
Nursing Theory
|
3
|
|
NSC 842
|
Advanced Nursing Practice Issues
|
3
|
|
*NSC 890
|
Research in Rural Nursing
|
3
|
|
NSC 892
|
Research Project
|
3
|
|
NSC 855
|
Epidemiology and Risk Management
|
3
|
*Required for Nursing Education Area of Concentration
**Required for Administration Area of Concentration(select elective from approved NSC, HEA, POL or other courses - see advisor)
NOTE: Three hours of undergraduate or graduate statistics is an admission requirement and is a prerequisite to NSC 890.
Department and Graduate School Application Process
A student seeking admission to the graduate nursing program at Eastern Kentucky University must apply for admission to the Graduate School indicating the desired option. The student is responsible for submitting completed materials to the Graduate School, including the Graduate School Application Form, transcripts of all previous college work (except course work taken at Eastern Kentucky University), $35.00 application fee, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Applications for admission to the Graduate School and information on the GRE are available from the Graduate School office, and applications are also available online. The Miller Analogies Test is administered through the EKU Academic Testing Office (phone: 859-622-1281).
Please note that a narrative statement relating your personal and professional goals for graduate study is a required part of the application process. This narrative statement should be considered a very important part of your application. Faculty use this statement to evaluate your written communication skills as well as to evaluate the relationship of your career goals to those of the program.
Department Application Process
In addition to the Graduate School application, the Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing also has a separate admission packet which may be obtained by contacting the department at (859) 622-1838. A department application form and three professional references must be submitted directly to the Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing.
Deadlines for Application Submission>
Application deadlines for the Rural Health Family Nurse Practitioner option, the Rural Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner option, the Advanced Practice Rural Public Health Nursing option (both Administration and Nursing Education areas of Concentration) are February 15 for summer admission (full-time) and March 15 for fall admission (part-time). Admission may be granted at other times during the year if spaces are available in an option.
