Nursing, MSN

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The WSSU Master of Science in Nursing Program, which is fully accredited by The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), focuses on the preparation of Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) and Advanced Nurse Educators (ANE). FNP graduates are prepared to provide comprehensive primary care to all patients, across a broad range of health care settings, especially underserved and disadvantaged patients, and those of diverse ethnicity. The ANE concentration is designed to prepare graduates to teach in undergraduate nursing programs, and to fulfill clinical education and staff development positions in hospitals and other health care organizations. Dedicated to the advancement of health and knowledge, both of these programs are built on a strong foundation of science, health policy, health promotion, methodology and research. Graduates achieve a personal and intellectual transformation, a global perspective, and a creative approach to meeting the changing needs of the community and society.

A newly developed post-bachelor’s certificate program equips Baccalaureate nurses for teaching positions in educational and service settings.

Learning Outcomes

Provide primary health care including health promotion and disease prevention in order to improve health outcomes for patients and families in all economic levels.
Develop collaborative relationships with other health care providers to improve quality of care and access to health care for diverse and underserved populations.
Function as expert clinicians in managing both acute and chronic physical and/or mental illness in a variety of settings.
Utilize research findings, evidenced-based practice strategies, technology, and creativity to improve the delivery and outcomes of health care.
Use ethical principles, standards of safe advanced nursing practice, and caring relationships to promote health and/or dignified death.
Stimulate change within the profession and improve management of the health care delivery system by addressing legal and economic policies and the psychosocial, cultural, and environmental factors that affect health care.
Demonstrate role development and commitment in the selected advanced practice role.
Synthesize a wide range of theories from nursing and other related disciplines and apply to practice.

Competencies

Family Nurse Practitioner Track (FNP)

Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitioner track will be able to demonstrate the following specific competencies:

Competence in the domain of management of patient/illness.
Competence in the domain of the nurse practitioner-patient relationship.
Competence in the domain of teaching-coaching function.
Competence in the domain of professional role.
Competence in the domain of managing and negotiating health care delivery.
Monitoring and ensuring the quality of Health Care Practice
Cultural competence and spirituality

Advanced Nurse Educator Track (ANE)

Graduates of the Advanced Nurse Educator Program will be able to meet the following Outcome-Learning objectives which are based on the NLN core competencies:

1) Facilitate learning, 2) Facilitate learner development and socialization 3) Use assessment and evaluation strategies, 4) Participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcome, 5) Function as a change agent and leader, 6) Pursue continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role, 7) Engage in scholarship, 8) function within the educational environment.

Apply critical thinking when making effective decisions and solving problems creatively with students, colleagues, administrators, and members of the interdisciplinary team
Formulate learning objectives, learning strategies and activities in relationship to theories of teaching/learning.
Evaluate therapeutic nursing intervention of students to facilitate role development in the delivery of health care.
Collaborate and communicate effectively with students, colleagues, and administrators.
Integrate the role of scholarship, teaching, and service that foster improvement and innovation with health care nursing education environments.
Analyze economical, political, ethical, legal, and regulatory standards, which influence nursing and nursing education with the focus on the needs of rural, diverse, vulnerable, and aging populations.
Provide evidence-based teaching and practice the use of information technology.
Learn curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation.

Admission Requirements

MSN Program

Complete School of Graduate Studies and Research Application
Three letters of reference (forms provided in the Graduate Application)
Satisfactory GRE or MAT score
Brief professional resume
Official transcripts from all previous academic work
Copy of North Carolina or Compact State Nursing License
A baccalaureate degree with an upper division in nursing from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body
A grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or greater
Undergraduate courses in statistics, research, and health assessment with a grade of C or higher. The health assessment course must have been completed within the last 5 years of the program start date.
One year full-time clinical nursing experience
Personal interview

The requirement for at least one year of clinical experience as a registered nurse will be waived for graduates of the WSSU Honor’s Program.

International applicates must submit an official TOEFL score report with a minumum score of 550 for the paper-based test or 231 for the computer-based test. Transcripts from outside the United States must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE).

Provisional admission may be granted to applicants with an overall GPA of 2.7 or better. Students with provisional admission must earn a grade of “B” or better in the first nine (9) hours of course work and may take no more than six (6) credit hours per semester for the first nine (9) hours of course work.

Application Deadlines

Applicants to the Nursing program must submit completed applications by July 15th for fall admission. Applications can be obtained and should be sent directly to: Winston-Salem State University Graduate School, Suite C017 Anderson Center, Winston Salem, NC 27110.

Transfer Credits

Subject to approval and review of transcript, up to 7 hours of graduate transfer credits may be applied to the Advanced Nurse Educator track and 9 hours of graduate transfer credits may be applied toward the Family Nurse Practitioner track. Transfer credits will only be granted for graduate level courses completed with a grade of “B” or higher within the last five (5) years.

Degree Requirements

A total of thirty-six (36) credit hours and three hundred twenty (320) practicum hours are required for completion of the ANE track; a total of forty-nine (49) credit hours and seven hundred (700) clinical hours are required for completion of the FNP track.

Time Limits for Completion

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program can be completed within two years of full-time study. A student may not take longer than six years to complete the curriculum.

Course of Study

Faculty

Gohar Karami	Department Chair, Professor
BSN, Shiraz University; MSN, PhD, Catholic University of America; Post-Graduate Certificate, University of Maryland
Diane Barber	Assistant Professor
BSN, MSN, FNP, Winston Salem State University Post Master Certificate - PM HNP/CNS UNC Chapel Hill
Sharyn N. Conrad	Assistant Professor
BSN, University of Pittsburgh MSN, FNP, University of South Carolina
Alfreda Harper-Harrison	Instructor
BSN, Albany State University, MSN GA College & State University
EdD, University of Georgia
Joanette Pete McClain	Professor of Nursing
BSN, Mount St. Mary’s College; MN, University of California at Los Angeles MSN, University of Alabama; MEd, University of West Florida; PhD, University of Miami
LaShanda B. Penn	Instructor
BSN, Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MSN, Duke University
Dionne D. Roberts	Assistant Professor
BSN, Winston Salem State University; MSN, Howard University PhD, Hampton University
Dennis R. Sherrod
BSN, Barton College (formerly Atlantic Christian College; MSN, East Carolina University; PhD, Hampton University
Betty Martin-Watson	Instructor
APRN, Forsyth Technical Community College; BSN, Winston Salem State University; MSN, University of North Carolina at Greensboro