GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN NURSING

Velma “Sue” Westbrook , D.N.S., MA, RN
Professor of Nursing
Dean of the College of Nursing
Office: 172 Betsy C. Ayo Hall
Phone: 985-448-4687

Degree Program

Master of Science in Nursing

  • Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration
  • Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration
  • Nursing Education Concentration

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is offered through an affiliation with the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science in Nursing (ICMSN). Consortium universities include McNeese State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Nicholls State University, and the Universityof Louisiana at Lafayette. Theory based courses are taught through distance online learning (web-based) technology allowing for flexible course completion. Graduates are eligible to sit for national certification exams appropriate to their role specialty.

Accreditation

The ICMSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC, 20001,  202-887-6791.

Purpose

The purposes of the Master of Science in Nursing program are to:
1. Provide a base in nursing theory, nursing research, and issues relative to advanced nursing practice.
2. Provide for advanced clinical specialization in Family Nursing or Family Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, and to
3. Provide for advanced role preparation as a nurse practitioner or nurse educator.

Program Admission

Students seeking admission to the MSN program must meet all of the requirements for admission to Nicholls State University Graduate Studies in addition to specific admission requirements for the MSN program. Documentation needed to support application to the graduate nursing program must be submitted to the MSN Graduate Coordinator prior to the deadline for application for the following semester. The MSN program reserves the right to limit the number of students enrolled in nursing courses to make the most effective use of the educational resources available. In the event that enrollment in these courses must be limited, students will be selected by their academic ranking based upon MSN admission requirements and their cumulative GPA in graduate nursing courses.

Admission

  1. Evidence of a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited undergraduate nursing program.
  2. Evidence of a valid, unencumbered Louisiana Registered Nurse license
  3. Transcripts from the undergraduate school and any work attempted at the graduate level. Submit documentation of satisfactory standing in graduate nursing program at last institution attended (if applicable).
  4. Resume, including applicant’s full name, address, telephone number(s), email address(s), academic preparation, degree(s) held, honors, awards, special interest work history, and other relevant information.
  5. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (for last 60 undergraduate hours of required nursing degree courses), as indicated by transcript.
  6. Completed a course in introductory statistics with a minimum grade of “C” or equivalent.
  7. At a minimum, two (2) Letters of Recommendation.
  8. A Letter of Intent/Purpose with rationale for pursuing study in selected concentration.

An applicant who meets all requirements for admission to the master’s degree program except the minimum grade point average of 2.7 on last 60 undergraduate hours of required nursing degree courses may consider additional undergraduate nursing courses as an unclassified student to raise GPA in the last 60 hours.

During the first semester of enrollment of regular admission the student must:

  1. File a degree plan with the Graduate Coordinator in accordance with the General Requirements of the Master’s Degree in the Graduate School section of the Catalog.
  2. Submit a complete history and physical examination.
  3. Submit current certification in CPR (every two years), submit annual TB results, and obtain immunization determined appropriate by the Graduate Nursing Program.
  4. Submit a negative drug screen.
  5. Submit an acceptable background check.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy indicates a judgment by the Graduate Council that the student has shown sufficient promise to be permitted to complete work toward a degree. For admission to candidacy for a Master’s degree, a student must submit a formal application to the Graduate Coordinator after satisfying the following candidacy requirements: (1) have successfully met all applicable admissions formulas; (2) be classified as a regular student; (3) have completed 12 semester hours of graduate work toward the degree; (4) have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average on all graduate work. Once candidacy has been approved, the student may complete program requirements for the degree.

Admission and Progression Requirement for the Advanced Practice Concentration

Admission to either advanced practice concentration (FNP; FPMHNP) means that the MSN degree-seeking student has met candidacy requirements and is eligible to progress beyond the advanced practice core courses to the practicum courses in order to complete the program of study. Different requirements apply to post-master students. Applications for admission to the advanced practice concentration occur during the semester in which the student is scheduled to complete those core courses. Criteria for consideration for admission to the Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration include:

  1. Meet regular admission criteria to MSN program.
  2. Cumulate Grade Point Average (GPA) rank in the MSN program in advanced practice core courses: NURS 507, NURS 517, and NURS 518 (calculated after completion of semester).
  3. Written commitment to a full-time or part-time degree plan as established by the MSN program. For limited practicum slots, preference will be given to full-time students.
  4. Evidence of at least one (1) year of clinical practice as an R.N. in an area appropriate to the specialty concentration.
  5. Drug testing will be required.
  6. Evidence of CPR, OSHA, Tb verification, malpractice insurance, and health insurance.

The Graduate Coordinator will notify the student of the status of his or her application at the close of the semester in which he or she applied, following calculation of final GPA. Once admitted to the declared NP concentration, the student is expected to follow the full-time or part-time degree plan which becomes part of his/her record. Students who do not follow their degree plan may lose a practicum slot and have to reapply to the role concentration.

Retention and Progression Requirements

  1. Must earn a “B” or better in each course in the program to be eligible for progression.
  2. A student who earns a grade below “B” will be placed on probation and must repeat the course within the following two semesters and earn at least a “B”. If a grade below “B” is earned in any subsequent course, the student will be dismissed from the program.
  3. A student may not receive greater than 2 grades of “W”. A student may appeal for readmission for reason of extenuating circumstances.
  4. A student who earns a “D” or “F” in any course will be dismissed from the program.
  5. A student who receives a failing grade because of extenuating, nonacademic reasons may appeal for readmission.
  6. The School of Nursing reserves the right to investigate situations which may affect the student’s ability to function. In addition, a physician’s release may be required. Students who have health conditions that may prevent their meeting the objectives of the program or a course in the program or that may cause potential injury to that student or to the clients for whom they care, will be required to have a personal interview with the Department Head or Dean or with an appropriate School of Nursing Committee.
  7. Students enrolled in practicum graduate courses are required to maintain current certification in CPR and meet other agency requirements.
  8. Any student who does not enroll in graduate nursing courses toward a degree for 2 consecutive regular semesters must reapply to the program.
  9. Any student dismissed for failure to meet academic standards may make an appeal to the Dean of the College. If unsuccessful, a subsequent appeal must be made to the Graduate Council of the University.

Minimum Grade Point Average

To be awarded a graduate degree, a student must have an average of at least 3.0 on all work pursued for graduate credit at Nicholls State University as well as a minimum overall average of 3.0 on all work pertaining to the degree.

Grading System

The grading system for all ICMSN universities is as follows: A = 92.5 – 100; B = 84.5-92.49; C = 76.5-84.49; D = 68.5-76.49; F = 0-68.49. Grades of “S” or “U”, “Pass” or “Fail” are assigned only for designated courses for which this grading procedure is specified. These grades and grades of “I” are not used in the computation of the grade-point average because the student does not receive quality points for these grades. When the “I” grade is resolved into a permanent grade, quality points are earned and the student’s scholastic standing is adjusted to reflect the influence of the permanent grade.

A student may drop a course or courses or may resign from the institution with a grade “W” prior to a date specified in the official university calendar. After that date, a student may not drop a course or resign from the institution. After that date, in extraordinary circumstances, the academic dean having jurisdiction may authorize resignation from the institution or dropping a course with the grade “W”. Extraordinary cases do not include dissatisfaction with an anticipated grade or the decision to change a major.

Transfer Credits

Students who have attended another graduate nursing program and wish to apply to the Nicholls MSN program must be eligible for readmission to the graduate nursing program from which they are transferring and must meet Nicholls Graduate School requirements. Students may transfer credit earned from a regionally accredited college or university to Nicholls as long as the hours of transfer do not exceed one‑third of the total credit hours required for their degree program; they earned no grade lower than a B in the transferred courses; and, the transfer credit is applicable to the degree program. Transfer credits are subject to the six-year time limitation to satisfy all MSN degree requirements. The student must formally petition his or her academic dean for acceptance of transfer graduate credit. Final authorization of transferred credit is made by the student’s academic dean.

Graduate Course Work

To receive the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with a specialty concentration, the student must:

  1. Complete all requirements of the degree plan, including:
    a. A minimum of 42-45 credit hours for the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration.
    b. A minimum of 48-51 credit hours for the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration.
    c. A minimum of 40-43 credit hours for the Nursing Education concentration.
  2. Complete a Focused Scholarly Project or a Thesis. (Students who elect to enroll in Focused Scholarly Project will earn a total of 3 credits. Students who elect to enroll in Thesis will earn a total of 6 credits).
  3. Achieve a grade of “B” or better in each course.

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration:

Required Courses – 42-45 hours; 600 clinical hours
NURS 500 – Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 502 – Generating Evidence for Nursing Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 505 – Applied Statistics for Health Sciences (3-3-0)
NURS 507- Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice Nursing (3-2-4)
NURS 509 – Population Based Primary Care (3-3-0)
NURS 517 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 518 – Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 581- Business, Leadership and Health Policy for Nurse Practitioners (3-3-0)
NURS 582 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Family Health I (5-3-12)
NURS 583 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Family Health II (5-3-14)
NURS 584 – Advanced Practice Nursing: Family Health III (5-3-14)
NURS 595 – Focused Scholarly Project (3-3-0)
OR
NURS 599 – Thesis (Credit 1–6 hours per semester with 6 credits needed for graduation)

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration:

Required Courses – 48 – 51 hours; 600 clinical hours
NURS 500 Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 502 Generating Evidence for Nursing Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 505 Applied Statistics for Health Sciences (3-3-0)
NURS 507 Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced practice Nursing (3-2-4)
NURS 508 Diagnostic Considerations & Psychopharmacology for Psychiatric
Disorders (3-3-0)
NURS 509 Population Based Primary Care (3-3-0)
NURS 517 Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 518 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 581 Business, Leadership and Health Policy for Nurse Practitioners (3-3-0)
NURS 590 Psychotherapy for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing (3-2-4)
NURS 591 Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric/Mental Health I
(5-3-12)
NURS 592 Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric/Mental Health II
(5-3-14)
NURS 593 Advanced Practice Nursing: Psychiatric/Mental Health III
(5-3-14)
NURS 595
OR
NURS 599 Focused Scholarly Project (3-3-0)

Thesis (Credit 1–6 hours per semester with 6 credits needed for
graduation)

Nursing Education Concentration:

Required Courses – 40 – 43 hours; 300 clinical hours
NURS 500 – Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 502 – Generating Evidence for Nursing Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 505- Applied Statistics for Health Sciences (3-3-0)
NURS 507- Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice Nursing (3-2-4)
NURS 509 – Population Based Primary Care (3-3-0)
NURS 517 – Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice (3-3-0)
NURS 518 – Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nursing (3-3-0)
NURS 534 – Nursing Education Roles, Issues and Foundations (3-3-0)
NURS 535 – Curriculum and Program Development (3-3-0)
NURS 536 – Teaching Methodologies and Technologies (3-3-0)
NURS 544 – Advanced Clinical Practicum in Nursing Practice (1-0-8)
NURS 557 – Nursing Education Practicum (3-1-12)
NURS 570 – Measuring Outcomes in Nursing Education (3-3-0)
NURS 595 – Focused Scholarly Project (3-3-0)
OR
NURS 599 – Thesis (Credit 1-6 hours per semester with 6 credits needed for graduation)

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