Masters in Nursing Program in California (MSN)

In this course students explore and consider theories from nursing and related disciplines. Emphasis is placed on the role of theory to guide practice and care improvement in a leadership role. This course is a foundation for any advanced nursing practice role.

Required Prerequisites: Successful completion of an approved BSN Program.

The focus of this course is on the ethical imperative/implications of the nurse in an advanced practice leadership role. This course includes information required for examination of ethical decision-making in clinical practice. The focus is on values clarification, ethical theory, ethical decision-making models, and professional ethical standards. This course aims to cultivate a refined capacity for moral reflection and discourse. It offers an invitation for learners to reflect on their ability to address the ethical challenges inherent in contemporary nursing practice. Students will be challenged to develop the moral agency and ethical skills essential for ethical practice in today’s world. Students will also be challenged to analyze when health care as it is currently being practiced advances the human flourishing of all (with special concern for vulnerable populations) — and when it falls short. This course promotes the formation of the type of moral agency essential to excellent practice.

Required Prerequisites: Successful completion of an approved BSN Program.

This course focuses on the assessment and management of health in a variety of settings. The concepts of health, health promotion, and disease prevention related to age and cultural values are explored. Health promotion for vulnerable populations is explored through epidemiologic methods. Age-appropriate primary and secondary prevention and risk reduction strategies and their research base are examined.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510

This course will prepare the advanced practice nurse for clinical leadership roles in health care through the translation of the best available scientific evidence into nursing practice. This course will provide an exploration of the design and conduct of research in the health sciences. Students will develop the requisite critical skills and knowledge to independently search for, review, appraise, and synthesize research literature of particular interest to nursing practice. Students will be prepared to recommend practice changes at the individual- and system-level based on the strength of the evidence.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510

In this course, effective teaching/learning modalities in healthcare education will be analyzed and presented. Students will learn how to assess, plan, and implement instructional sessions geared toward an aggregate. Students will also analyze best practice methods related to addressing the needs of specific learning groups.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525

This course addresses advanced leadership roles in the clinical setting related to information systems and patient care technology. The content focuses on information systems that assist in monitoring outcomes and quality improvement, patient safety, and evaluation and selection of patient care technology and consumer health information sources. Legal and ethical issues related to information systems and patient care technology will be explored.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525

This course provides an introduction to health care organization, financing, and delivery in the United States, to include the role of public policy, advocacy, and industry regulation. Health policy perspectives and the analytical tools to understand the national policy-making environment will be integrated throughout the course. Key policy issues and core constructs for analysis include national health expenditures and cost containment strategies, patient access and health disparities, health care quality and performance improvement, and workforce policy. Health care reform, future directions and trends, and policy innovations will be examined for their impact on advanced practice, service delivery, and health outcomes.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535

Focuses on advanced concepts in health care leadership, including health work environments, ethics, human resources, innovation management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and organizational governance.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535

This course is designed to develop a basic understanding of why some health care organizations are more successful than others. Strategic management explores how organizations achieve competitive advantage which leads to longterm success. Drawing upon key strategic management theories, students will learn the essence of strategic analyses and decision-making in a competitive and constantly changing setting.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545

Healthcare Finance focuses on the issues of financial management, including the policy issues of how healthcare is “financed”—the payer side of the industry. In this course the student is introduced to the processes by which the finances of the healthcare enterprise (for example, hospital, long-term care facility, or medical group) are managed.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545

This is the first part of a two-part course which provides field-based activities in a health care setting under the supervision of a nurse leader. The goal is to prepare students for leadership opportunities where they will observe experts in their field and apply their previous course learnings and skills obtained to address complex microsystem issues within selected healthcare organizations, promote quality patient outcomes, and utilize advanced communication skills in collaboration with other healthcare disciplines.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545, MSNL 550, MSNL 555

The culminating experience is the final academic experience in the master’s program. It is a two-term course. In the first term of the course (Part A), students will begin work on their final culminating project, which provides students an opportunity to illustrate how they have synthesized, and integrated knowledge acquired throughout their coursework in the analysis and resolution of a significant topic or issue in the area of nursing leadership. The final project, which will be due at the end of Part B, should illustrate how students have applied the theories and principles of their previous courses to the development of a proposed evidence-based approach to address that topic.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545, MSNL 550, MSNL 555

In this second part of the course, students will continue to work on their field-based activities in nursing leadership. Upon completion of this practicum course, students will be able to demonstrate evidence of their knowledge and understanding of the role of the nurse leader.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545, MSNL 550, MSNL 555, MSNL 560, MSNL 565

In the second part of this two-part course, students will continue to work on and complete their evidence-based graduate proposal/project. Students will submit their final written proposal/project that provides evidence of competency in critical thinking and writing, demonstrates proficiency in the required competencies, shows the student’s ability to synthesize evidence-based research, and improves outcomes in the field of nursing leadership.

Required Prerequisites: MSNL 500, MSNL 510, MSNL 520, MSNL 525, MSNL 530, MSNL 535, MSNL 540, MSNL 545, MSNL 550, MSNL 555, MSNL 560, MSNL 565