Nursing - Mountain State University

Nursing from Mountain State University is a Online Master Registered Nurse degree that prepares you for a Nursing career. Why choose graduate study in Nursing? Are you an RN looking for a new challenge? Looking for more autonomy in your day-to-day work? Many people find an MSU Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) is the ticket to a new direction in the field they love. Why M.S.N. at MSU? MSU offers great flexibility in helping you meet your goals. Because most students within the program continue to work full or part time during their graduate studies, classes are offered in a variety of formats—weekly, every other week, and monthly—and such services as registration, advising, and library research assistance are available evenings as well as during the day. And, w henever possible, the clinical portion of the program is scheduled in your local city or town. Our classes are small enough for students to get to know one another, form lasting bonds, and serve as a support system for each other while in school. What can I study? The program leading to the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) prepares nurses for advanced practice roles in a variety of clinical settings. After fulfilling basic core requirements, MSU offers three concentrations for nurses who wish to pursue advanced practice roles : Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and Nursing Administration and Education. Career options Some of our graduates set up their own practice, others work in hospitals or clinics, and others choose to teach at colleges or universities, including ours! Many of our graduates report more autonomy in their practice, more control over their schedules, and greater free time. They live at the beach, in major metropolitan centers, and in rural areas all over West Virginia. If you’re a nurse looking for the next step in your career, you’re looking for flexibility in your future, consider a MSN degree from MSU. To find out more about Graduate Nursing programs, click on a specific program link below:   Program Notes The MSU Graduate Nursing program benefits nurses who want to advance in their careers, seek a career change, or keep pace with the changing health care environment. It is accredited by the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses and by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (61 Broadway, New York NY 10006, 212.363.5555). The program offers excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their studies at the graduate level as well as those who plan to apply their knowledge and skills in health care settings. Thesis Option The thesis option requires independent research followed by a scholarly paper that conforms to the School of Graduate Studies thesis format. The thesis option is recommended for students planning to pursue additional graduate work. If you choose the thesis option, it is recommended that you begin your thesis early in the program and no later than two full semesters before you plan to graduate. You should write your thesis proposal before you register for credit. Forming a Graduate Committee. The graduate committee approves your research proposal, supervises your research and thesis preparation, and serves as your examining committee. The committee must meet the requirements specified in the Graduate Study at MSU section. You should arrange a meeting with your academic advisor early in your program to discuss possible areas of research or in-depth study and to identify a committee chair—who may be the academic advisor or another faculty member—and at least two additional committee members selected for their expertise and ability to contribute to the thesis or project. You must submit a graduate committee nomination form for each member of the committee, and an updated form must be submitted if the committee membership changes. Research Involving Human Subjects. The University’s Institutional Review Board, or IRB, must review and approve in advance any project or study that involves human subjects. See the Graduate Study at MSU section for additional information. Thesis Formatting. Thesis or research project reports must be formatted according to University requirements and conform to the style of the American Psychological Association (APA). Project Option If you are deemed unable to complete a thesis, you must carry out a final project of scholarly work to complete your degree. The project should contribute to nursing practice by using nursing knowledge to benefit individuals, families, organizations, or communities, or by helping a nurse researcher who is conducting research, completing a scholarly work, or producing a publishable paper. Projects may include such activities as research utilization, an integrative review of the research on a topic, a meta-analysis of a research base on a topic, participation in a phase of faculty research, evaluation of an existing clinical or staff development program, or development of an instructional program. Because the project option closes off many opportunities for additional graduate study, you should consult with your academic advisor before making a decision. Project Committee. The project committee is responsible for approving your project proposal and supervising your project and written report. Your committee must at a minimum have a chair and one additional member. The requirements for chairing and serving on a project committee are the same as those for a thesis committee. Presentation. You prepare a written project report upon completion of the project. The report does not have to conform to thesis format requirements, although it must be well organized and follow American Psychological Association (APA) format. Before graduation you must submit a signed, bound copy to the School of Graduate Studies for placement with other thesis and project reports. Attendance The University expects all students to maintain regular attendance at the scheduled seminars and classes. While class attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. Some courses can be completed through distance learning without attending class. Course Sequencing Because specialty courses are sequenced, you are encouraged to plan your program carefully. Most course assignments allow you to focus on a population, topic, or problem of interest. Previous coursework can also serve as the basis for thesis or project work. This approach to assignments does not mean that you can submit the same work for multiple courses but is designed to give you the opportunity to develop knowledge of a given topic through exploration of several bodies of literature or empirical applications. Examinations and Course Performance Evaluation of your course performance is the responsibility of the individual faculty member. A midterm and final examination generally determine the course grade, although faculty members may require a paper in addition to examinations or in place of an exam. All students are expected to take examinations on the day given unless advance permission is obtained from the faculty member. Arranging for make-up examinations is the shared responsibility of the faculty member and student. A required comprehensive examination is scheduled one or two semesters before scheduled program completion for all MSN students. Clinical Courses and Placement The following GNURS courses contain a clinical component: 501L Health & Illness Appraisal Lab (1 clinical hour) 502L Clinical Nursing Practice of Children and Adolescents (3 clinical hours) 603L Clinical Nursing Practice of Adults (3 clinical hours) 604L Clinical Nursing Practice in All Age Groups (6 clinical hours) All lab courses are on a three-to-one clock-hour ratio, which means that each course hour equals three clock hours. You must submit clinical placement documentation before beginning clinical assignments and are responsible for keeping these documents up to date in your student file. Faculty members and students are jointly responsible for arranging clinical placements. Every effort is made to meet each student’s needs in their local area as appropriate. After agreeing on a site, either you or the assigned faculty member contacts the preceptor. The program provides clinical objectives and forms to the preceptor and generates a contract. The University’s legal office must send and finalize all clinical contracts, a process that may take up to two months to complete. If you and the assigned faculty member cannot agree on a site, the program will make an assignment to the most appropriate site available. Student evaluations of past sites are available in the program office. Clinical experiences for students in the nurse anesthesia concentration are established by the program to ensure compliance with the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) requirements. Clinical assignments are structured to ensure completion of all accreditation and licensure requirements. Independent Study / Special Topics Graduate courses in special topics provide the opportunity to undertake an individual independent study project in partial fulfillment of your coursework or as extra hours to complete your thesis or project. You can enroll in a special topics course by finding a graduate faculty member who is willing to supervise the course, then submitting a completed enrollment form, signed by the faculty member and the program director, together with a written proposal. You must complete registration during the regular registration period. You and the faculty member must arrange a regular schedule for conferences and submission of work throughout the semester, including the date the final paper is due. You may register for no more than 6 semester hours of special topics. The University cannot guarantee that all students will be able to undertake a special topics course. Program Completion The nurse anesthesia concentration is designed as a 30-month full-time program of study. A full-time program of study in the other concentrations can generally be completed within two years, while part-time study often takes three to four years. All students must complete program requirements within five calendar years from the date of their first graduate enrollment. View more details on Mountain State University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Registered Nurse courses.