Nurse Executive Concentration Program Infomation

Concentration Overview

Based on the Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (AACN, 2011), the Nurse Executive Concentration is designed to prepare future nurse executives with competencies that include expertise in building accountable organizations through transformational leadership, interprofessional collaboration and relationship management, healthcare systems management, quality management, financial management, evidence-based practice and measurement, healthcare informatics, and health policy. The program is offered through blended delivery mode. Didactic course content is delivered primarily via an asynchronous online format using the Canvas Learning Management System (Canvas LMS) to provide flexibility and to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. Course materials and assignments emphasize collaboration, critical thinking, research, and student accountability. To prepare students for a nurse executive role, the program affords students the opportunity to develop professional competencies in practice settings aligned to the educational preparation. The curriculum includes planned clinical practice experiences that enable students to integrate new knowledge and demonstrate attainment of program outcomes and are supervised and evaluated by faculty. With blended delivery mode, clinical practice experiences involve activities that are designed to ensure students are competent to enter nursing practice at the maser’s level with concentration in nurse executive. The design, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice experiences are aligned to student and program outcomes. The program cumulates with a capstone course which is designed to broaden students’ perspectives and provide an opportunity for the integration of knowledge gained throughout the curriculum.

Curricular Tracks

Note: For applicants that are RNs who wish to pursue a BSN and then MSN, please see the RN/BSN section for requirements and then the BSN-MSN.

At the graduate level, online or distance-based education didactic credits. Six clinical practicum hours are required. Students may choose to have their clinical practicum hours completed at one of their existing clinical affiliates; additional clinical sites for practicums may be obtained, as the student need requires. Students enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing program with Nurse Executive Concentration is able to tailor learning to their long-term objectives and interests through selection of topics in course papers and projects while taking their core and specialty courses. The practicum course provides a unique opportunity to apply leadership and management theories and principles in implementation of the nurse executive role. The role will be implemented, applied, and analyzed in a clinical, community, or academic practice setting, in collaboration with a nurse executive mentor. Transformational leadership and evidence-based practice will be applied during the practicum experience. The capstone course will provide graduating students an intensive experience in critical analysis, designed to broaden students’ perspectives and provide an opportunity for the integration of knowledge gained throughout the curriculum.

The curriculum provides a balance of theoretical and practical coursework that further develops the critical thinking and analytical skills needed in today’s competitive and evolving healthcare environments. Students will be challenged through coursework and collaborative interaction with faculty and fellow students to identify, develop, and enhance their understanding in traditional and cutting-edge nursing graduate courses relating to the challenges of managing in healthcare environments.