Clinical Nurse Leader (ADN/RN), MSN

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The RN-MSN accelerated degree program is designed for the registered nurse who holds an Associate’s Degree in Nursing or a Hospital Diploma and has now decided to pursue graduate nursing education. Students do not earn a BSN degree but progress directly to the MSN. The program is comprised of 38 units and is designed to be completed in six semesters.

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Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of USF’s MSN program will understand the rationale for care and competently deliver this care to an increasingly complex and diverse population in multiple environments at the point-of-care, across the lifespan with particular emphasis on health promotion and risk reduction services. At the completion of the program, the graduate will:

Clinical leadership for patient-care practices and delivery, including the design, coordination, and evaluation of care for individuals, families, groups, and populations;
Participation in identification and collection of health care outcomes;
Accountability for evaluation and improvement of point-of-care outcomes, including the synthesis of data and other evidence to evaluate and achieve optimal outcomes;
Risk anticipation for individuals and cohorts of patients;
Lateral integration of care for individuals and cohorts of patients;
Design and implementation of evidence-based practice(s);

Team leadership, management and collaboration with other health professional team members;
Information management or the use of information systems and technologies to improve health care outcomes;
Stewardship and leveraging of human, environmental, and material resources;
Advocacy for patients, communities, and the health professional team; and,
Leadership in delivering competent and safe patient care to individuals and groups in a variety of settings based in liberal arts and the natural sciences.

Major Requirements (38 units)

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Notes:

500-level coursework must be taken in order listed. 600-level coursework must be taken in order listed for students completing the program in a cohort.

Exemptions: MSN students who successfully complete NURS 676 Health Policy, Ethics, and Advocacy and continue on to the University of San Francisco Doctor of Nursing Practice program are exempt from taking NURS 7006 Policy and Ethics in Population Health, as part of the Population Health Leadership and Nurse Practitioner (FNP & PMHNP) DNP program options.

For BSN graduates who want to be eligible for the California Public Health Certificate, the NURS 505 and 506 are required.

NURS 505 is a prerequisite for NURS 506; these courses must be taken in the order listed above.

NURS 660 and NURS 670 represent practicum courses, 400 total practice hours are required.

NURS 506 Community Health Practicum does not count toward total practice hours.

Only one (1) theory course may be taken in the final semester with NURS 670 (Internship).

The number of courses taken/semester may be reduced to slow the pace of the program, except where students are completing the program in a cohort. Reducing courseload may impact progressing with the cohort you were admitted into (where applicable). Contact your Academic Adviser prior to reducing your courseload.