Bridge to Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Education

Degree Overview
Course List
Program Location

This Bridge to Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Education program is designed for seasoned registered nurses who have bachelor‛s degrees in a field outside of nursing who want to earn their MSN. Instead of requiring these students to earn a BSN degree, they take six courses from our Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and then launch into the MSN Nursing Education track.

Nurses with a passion for mentoring and teaching future nurses and are interested in pursuing or advancing in a position in nursing education would be best suited for this program. Master in nursing education graduates will be prepared for a variety of roles in nursing education including patient educator, as well as the educator role in clinical and academic settings.

Students in this bridge to master in nursing education program will study a variety of topics including: ethics, policy and finance in health care; advanced pathophysiology; pharmacology; advanced health assessment; nursing and health care research; evaluation and assessment of learning; how to lead in learning; curriculum development; and the use of learning and teaching technology.

This bridge to master in nursing education program includes both a capstone course and a clinical practicum. The capstone course provides an opportunity for students to develop an evidence-based practice project proposal that addresses a problem, issue, or concern in professional practice. Students identify a problem amenable to research-based intervention; search literature; propose a solution; and develop a plan to implement the solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings. The clinical practicum affords students the opportunity to refine educational expertise in their selected areas of interest and begin integrating the role of the nurse educator into their professional behaviors.

Course List

Course #	Course Title	Course Description	Credits
NRS-430V	Professional Dynamics	This course is a bridge course for the RN who is returning to formal education for the baccalaureate degree in nursing. The course focuses on differentiated nursing practice competencies, nursing conceptual models, professional accountability, integrating spirituality into practice, group dynamics, and critical thinking. Emphasis is also placed on writing and oral presentation skills.	3
NRS-434V	Health Assessment	This course focuses on methods of health history taking, physical examination skills, documentation, and health screening. The course emphasizes the individual as the client, functional health patterns, community resources, and the teaching learning process.	3
HLT-362V	Applied Statistics for Health Care Professionals	This introductory course on statistical concepts emphasizes applications to health care professions. The course is designed to prepare students to interpret and evaluate statistics and statistical methods used in published research papers and to make decisions about the appropriateness of specific statistical methods in a variety of settings. Areas of emphasis include introduction to analysis of variance, regression, and graphical presentation; experimental design; descriptive statistics; sampling methods; and z, t, and chi-square.	3
NRS-433V	Introduction to Nursing Research	This writing-intensive course promotes the use of research findings as a basis for improving clinical practice. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are presented. Emphasis is on the critical review of research studies and their applications to clinical practice. An overview of evidence-based practice is provided. Prerequisite: PSY 363, BIO 363, or HLT 362V.	3
NRS-427V	Concepts in Community and Public Health	This course focuses on the community as a large system of people of varying cultures, spiritual values, geographic norms, and economic conditions, all influenced by social-legal-political variables that impact individual and community health. Particular attention is paid to vulnerable subgroups in the community. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis, using epidemiological data and functional health pattern assessments to plan and intervene in areas of health promotion and disease prevention.	3
NRS-410V	Pathophysiology and Nursing Management of Clients' Health	This course is designed to enhance the working RN‛s existing understanding of the pathophysiological processes of disease as they affect clients across the lifespan. The interrelationship of structural and functional reactions of cells and tissues to genetic alterations and injurious agents provide the foundation for comprehending clinical manifestations and treatment protocols. Critical thinking and nursing management are enhanced through the use of case studies that integrate nutritional and pharmacological concepts. The understanding of environmental and biological risk factors provides the nurse with the knowledge to provide health promotion and prevention education.	3
NUR-502	Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Roles And Practice	This course examines nursing as a profession and a discipline and the individual nurse‛s role as a member of the profession. The theoretical foundations for nursing practice and roles are explored and applied. Emphasis is placed on developing scholarly writing and presentation skills. Critical thinking skills are refined as students discuss and synthesize the literature that guides nursing practice with a special emphasis on caring, diversity, and spirituality.	4
NUR-504	Health Care Research Analysis and Utilization	This course focuses on the critical analysis of nursing and health care research and its application to nursing education, nursing practice, and the delivery of health care services. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge to practice. Ethical issues in the design and conduct of research are addressed. Prerequisite: NUR 502.	4
NUR-508	Ethics, Policy, and Finance in the Health Care System	This course utilizes health care policy as a framework to analyze how health is defined and health care is designed and delivered in the United States and around the world. Emphasis is placed on issues of cost, quality, access, disparities, and finance. The various roles of the master‛s prepared nurse in the health care system are explored. Prerequisite: NUR 504.	4
NUR-641E	Advanced Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nurse Educators	This course focuses on advanced physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacologic principles. This course will guide the Nursing Education student in interpreting changes in normal function that result in symptoms indicative of illness and the effects of select pharmacologic substances on that process. Evidence-based research provides the basis for determining the safe and appropriate utilization of medications and herbal therapies on human function. Appropriate education for various prescribed pharmacologic agents is incorporated. Prerequisite: NUR 508.	4
NUR-645E	Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Educators	This course builds upon the student‛s previous health assessment knowledge offering more advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced-professional nursing role of the nurse educator. This course emphasizes knowledge of health assessment, including physical, psychosocial, spiritual health assessment, risk assessment, and functional assessment in diverse populations in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. To maintain a nursing focus on patient responses to health, illness, or the threat of illness the nurse must exhibit effective communication and client teaching, which is incorporated throughout the course. The importance of effective documentation and health recordkeeping is included. Prerequisite: NUR 641E.	4
NUR-647E	Nursing Education Seminar I	This course examines professional standards as a foundation for curriculum design in nursing education in all settings. It explores the nature of traditional academic education and nontraditional academic education, as well as continuing nursing education. This course also focuses on theories of teaching/learning, traditional and alternative instructional strategies, and nursing education in the classroom and clinical setting. The course incorporates the development of curriculum frameworks and learning activities for adult learners from diverse backgrounds. Strategies to enhance critical thinking are included. Prerequisite: NUR 645E.	4
NUR-649E	Nursing Education Seminar II	This course incorporates technology into the educational process from the use of personal technology to institutional technology. Students have the opportunity to develop (or convert) educational programs to be delivered in an online format. Principles of curriculum development, teaching/learning theories, and implementation of evaluation strategies will be modified to the online learning environment. This course also examines professional regulatory and accreditation standards as an evaluation framework for curriculum design in nursing education in all settings. Strategies to assess learning are included from the assignment evaluation to the program evaluation based on outcomes. Prerequisite: NUR 647E.	4
NUR-665E	Nursing Education Practicum	This is a culminating practicum experience completed with a nurse educator preceptor in a selected setting. This clinical practicum affords students the opportunity to refine educational expertise in their selected areas of interest (e.g., assessment of learning needs, program/curriculum planning, implementation, and assessment/evaluation in either a traditional or nontraditional setting). This course offers opportunities for students to begin integrating the role of the nurse educator into their professional behaviors. Prerequisite: NUR 649E. This course may be taken concurrently with NUR 699.	4
NUR-699	Evidence-Based Practice Project	This capstone course provides an opportunity for students to develop an evidence-based practice project proposal that addresses a problem, issue, or concern in professional practice. Students identify a problem amenable to research-based intervention; search literature; propose a solution; and develop a plan to implement the solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings. Problems identified are those that are appropriate to students‛ specialty tracks: nursing leadership, nursing education, clinical nurse specialist, and family nurse practitioner. This course must be taken after completion of specialty courses. Prerequisite: One of the following: 1) NUR 508 or 2) NUR 508 and NUR 649E.	4
Required Course Total Credit:			54

Courses:

54 credits

This program is offered in the following formats or locations:

Online

An online education allows you the flexibility to fulfill your educational goals without distracting you from your career. Full-time faculty members support our online students while our dynamic tools allow for engaging and challenging discussions with classmates. Classes start every month.

Program Disclosure

Category	Non-Traditional	Traditional
Books & Supplies (Per Program)	$935	N/A
Tuition & Fees (Per Program)	$26,740	N/A
Room & Board (Per Semester, If Applicable)	$3,434
On Time Graduation Rate	N/A	N/A
Median Private Loan Debt	N/A	N/A
Median TIV Loan Debt	N/A	N/A
Median Institutional Financing Plan Debt	N/A	N/A

Program SOC

Occupations

Registered Nurses

Acute Care Nurse

Critical Care Nurse

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Health Educators

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

It is the policy of the University to collect and remit sales, use, excise and/or gross receipts taxes in compliance with state and local taxing jurisdiction regulations which require the University to remit tax where applicable. These regulations vary by location. Please note: It is also the policy of the University to require payment of sales, use, excise, and/or gross receipts tax. Payment of tax is ultimately the student's financial responsibility to the University regardless of financing arrangements. Per Hawaii requirements: It is hereby stated that students residing in the State of Hawaii will be charged Hawaii General Excise Tax on all transactions. Students living in the District of Oahu will be charged 4.5%. Students residing in other Hawaii districts will be charged 4.0%.
Book costs are based on an average. Costs may increase or decrease depending on electronic availability or publisher's book costs.
Room and board costs may be higher or lower depending on housing and meal plan choice. This number is based on an average for students on campus.
Some Non-Traditional programs may be offered on the ground campus or on-line.
N/A identifies that a program is not offered in that modality or that fewer than 10 students graduated within the reported timeframe.
Tuition and Fees for each program are based on current rates. Future Tuition and Fee Rates may vary. Tuition was calculated using the number of credit hours in the program times the current tuition rate and includes the Graduation Fee. Full time students enrolled at a program taken at the main campus include a Student Activity Fee, charged every semester. Online programs include a one time Learning Management Fee. Some programs may also include additional fees based on course materials.
On-time graduation rates and median loan debt are based on students who graduated in the 2011-2012 award year.
Not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities.
Program availability is contingent on student enrollment.

Disclosure Information

* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.