Nursing
The Nursing Department offers several programs that can be completed online. However, some do require a three-day on-campus skills lab.
- Accelerated LVN to RN Hospital Affiliate Program
- RN to B.S.N. Program
- RN to M.S.N. Programs (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator options)
- M.S.N. Degree Programs (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator options)
- RN First Assistant Post-Graduate Certificate Program
Accelerated LVN to RN Hospital Affiliate Program
Advisor: Martha Tafoya
Curriculum: The LVN to RN affiliate partnership program offers accelerated mobility to LVNs seeking an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree.
Semester Credit Hours Required: 12.
This is a special 21-week program. For more information, visit the program website.
Program Details
- The program includes prerequisite specialty placement exams; online transition and medical/surgical courses, some with online discussion; reflective journaling; and management and jurisprudence material integrated in didactic courses.
- Students complete clinical practicum hours with an affiliate hospital preceptor.
RN to B.S.N. Program
Advisor: Dr. Martha Sleutel
Curriculum: Courses cover Bachelor of Science in Nursing role development, evidence-based nursing practice, community health, cultural diversity and leadership/management.
Career Advancement: In this program, students acquire skills to broaden their nursing knowledge and skills, specifically in the areas of community-based nursing, leadership and management.
Semester Credit Hours Required
- Credit hours vary depending on the number of academic courses students have completed when they enter the program.
- Twenty-six (26) hours of nursing coursework is required, plus any hours needed to satisfy the academic core requirements.
Program Details
- Courses are delivered via Blackboard and include discussions, papers and group work for lecture courses.
- Supervised clinical practicum work may be completed in the student’s home area with qualified preceptors.
RN to M.S.N. Programs
(Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner
and Nurse Educator options)
Advisor: Dr. Molly Walker
Curriculum
- Baccalaureate nursing courses cover B.S.N. role development, evidence-based nursing practice, community health and cultural diversity.
- Core content for the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree includes theory, health care systems, ethics and policy issues, research, and advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology.
- Students opting for advanced practice nursing receive course content and practice specific to the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
- Nurse Educator courses prepare graduates to teach nursing.
Career Advancement
- Graduates are eligible for both the B.S.N. and M.S.N. degrees.
- Nurse Educator graduates are prepared to teach in undergraduate LVN or RN nursing programs.
- CNS and FNP graduates are eligible for certification and licensure as advanced practice nurses.
Semester Credit Hours Required
- Nurse Educator: 81
- Clinical Nurse Specialist: 87-90
- Family Nurse Practitioner: 91
Program Details
- This is an accelerated mobility track that allows registered nurses who are graduates of an accredited associate or diploma program to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing without completing all the bachelor’s degree nursing courses.
- Classes include online discussions, papers and group work for lecture courses.
- Supervised clinical practicum work may be completed in the student’s home area with qualified preceptors.
- The FNP program has an additional three-day on-campus skills lab requirement.
- Comprehensive exams are given either on-campus or in approved secure testing centers at the completion of the program.
M.S.N. Degree Programs
(Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner
and Nurse Educator options)
Advisor: Dr. Molly Walker
Curriculum
- Core content for the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree includes theory, health care systems, ethics and policy issues, research, and advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology.
- Students opting for advanced practice nursing receive course content and practice specific to the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).
- Nurse Educator courses prepare graduates to teach nursing.
Career Advancement
- Nurse Educators are prepared for teaching in undergraduate nursing programs.
- CNS and FNP graduates are eligible for certification and licensure as advanced practice nurses.
Semester Credit Hours Required
- Nurse Educator: 34
- Clinical Nurse Specialist: 43
- Family Nurse Practitioner: 47
Program Details
- Classes include online discussions, papers and group work for lecture courses.
- Supervised clinical practicum work may be completed in the student’s home area with qualified preceptors.
- The FNP program has an additional three-day on-campus skills lab requirement.
- Comprehensive exams are given either on-campus or in approved secure testing centers at the completion of the program.
RN First Assistant Post-Graduate Certificate Program
Advisor: Dr. Molly Walker
Curriculum
- Courses cover the role of the Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) in the operating room environment.
- Content emphasis is on surgical anatomy and physiology, principles of asepsis, surgical hazards, first assisting techniques and scope of practice.
- Guided clinical experience includes case studies, laboratory and 180 hours of supervised clinical activities.
Career Advancement
This is a post-master’s certificate program designed for certified advanced practice nurses with little or no perioperative nursing experience who wish to become RN First Assistants at surgery. It meets the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) standards for RNFA education programs and is based on the core curriculum for RNFAs. Completion of the program qualifies the RNFA to practice and bill as a first assistant at surgery.
Semester Credit Hours Required
The program consists of two courses, for a total of seven semester credit hours.
Program Details
- The first course is completely online using Blackboard as the course delivery system. Assignments include weekly discussion boards and unit exams.
- The second is a four-credit hour course that includes a three-day on-campus simulated skills lab.
- The clinical practicum can be completed in the student’s home area with a surgeon preceptor.
- Our program meets the AORN standards for RN First Assistant education programs.
- It is also accepted by the Competency & Credentialing Institute.
