Oct 11, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing, MSN


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Program Coordinator: Julie Linder (252-375-6482; linderj19@ecu.edu)

The Nursing, MSN program prepares graduates for advanced practice nursing and for leadership roles in a variety of community based or acute care provider agencies. The program offers seven concentrations.

Contact Information by Program Area:

  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (online): Chelsea Passwater (3185-F Health Sciences Building; 252-714-8948; passwaterc@ecu.edu)
  • Health Systems Leadership (online): Thompson Forbes (2134 Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6362; forbest17@ecu.edu)
  • Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (online): Chelsea Passwater (3185-F Health Sciences Building; 252-714-8948; passwaterc@ecu.edu)
  • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (online): Amy Jnah (3185 Suite Health Sciences Building; 216-375-9228); jnaha@ecu.edu)
  • Nurse-Midwifery (online): Rebecca Bagley (3160 Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6358); bagleyr@ecu.edu)
  • Nursing Education (online): Alison Swift (3185 Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6426; swifta@ecu.edu)
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (online): Wanda Lancaster (3117 Health Sciences;  252-744-6530); lancasterw17@ecu.edu)

Part-time study is available. Certificate programs are available for post-master’s study in selected areas.

The post-graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Certificate, MSN, and DNP programs at East Carolina University College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

The nurse-midwifery concentration is also accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1803, Silver Spring, MD 20910-6374; phone 240-485-1803; email acme@acnm.org; website www.midwife.org/acme.

Admission


Admission to the Nursing, MSN program requires the student to meet the minimum admission requirements for graduate study as established by the university and the following requirements established by the College of Nursing.

  • a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program
  • a minimum GPA of 2.7 in undergraduate studies and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in nursing major
  • currently hold a nonrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse (RN) in North Carolina or a NCSBN compact state
    • The out-of-state student must procure a North Carolina RN license before enrolling in clinical courses.
    • Midwifery only accepts students from North and South Carolina. 
  • a statement describing the applicant’s interest in graduate study, career goals, and the Nursing, MSN relationship to those goals
  • two or three professional references (see concentration-specific requirements)
  • a personal or digitally recorded interview with the graduate faculty
  • a current resume is required for the nurse-midwifery application

The College of Nursing may allow nondegree graduate students to be enrolled in Nursing, MSN core courses as space permits. A student with interest in taking nursing graduate courses prior to applying or being accepted into a graduate nursing program should apply to the ECU Graduate School as a nondegree student. Once accepted as a nondegree student, the student may request registration from the core concentration director. Acceptance as a nondegree student and completion of core courses does not imply acceptance into any nursing graduate program.

Applicants for the nurse-midwifery concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must have one year of hospital RN experience (labor and delivery preferred), demonstrate a commitment to practice with under-served populations, and must have at least one reference from a health care provider knowledgeable about the applicant’s nursing practice. Midwifery applications for the Nursing, MSN program are only accepted in the fall for spring enrollment. 

Applicants for the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must have one year of current practice experience and must have at least one of the three references from a health care provider knowledgeable about the applicant’s nursing practice.

Completed applications for the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist concentration will be considered for fall and spring admission.

Applications for the neonatal clinical nurse specialist concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must have two years of current practice experience and provide one of the three references from a health care provider knowledgeable about the applicant’s nursing practice.

Applicants for the neonatal nurse practitioner concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must have the equivalent of 2 years of full-time clinical practice experience (within the last 5 years) as a registered nurse (RN) in the care of critically ill neonates or infants in critical care inpatient settings is required before a student begins clinical courses. Students may enroll in preclinical courses while obtaining the necessary practice experience and may be required to provide a third reference from a health care provider knowledgeable about the student’s nursing practice while practice experience is accrued.

Applicants may take core courses while gaining the required RN experience for admission into selected concentrations.

Completed applications will be considered as they are received, with the exception of adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist, neonatal nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, and nurse-midwifery.

Applicants for the nursing education, health systems leadership, and adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist concentrations must have a minimum of one year RN experience prior to enrolling in specialty courses.

Applicants for the health systems leadership concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must provide a third reference from a health care provider knowledgeable about the applicant’s nursing practice.

Applicants for the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner concentration, in addition to the general admission criteria, must have psychiatric nursing experience and one of the three references must be a nurse practitioner.

For application deadlines, please visit the College of Nursing website

Program Prerequisites


A course in statistics with a grade of C or higher and basic computer skills with both applications software and the Internet are prerequisites for all concentrations. 

Graduate Student Progression Procedure


Students are required to earn a grade of “B” or above in the courses listed below. A student earning a grade below a “B” in any of these courses will have his/her program of study terminated.

Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist


NURS 6959 , NURS 6960 , NURS 6961 , NURS 6962 , NURS 6989 NURS 6993  

Health Systems Leadership


NURS 6977 , NURS 6978 , NURS 6993  

Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist


NURS 6417 NURS 6418 NURS 6419 NURS 6420 NURS 6422 NURS 6959 NURS 6960 NURS 6961 NURS 6962 NURS 6993  

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner


NURS 6417 , NURS 6418 , NURS 6419 , NURS 6420 , NURS 6421 , NURS 6422 , NURS 6423 , NURS 6424 , NURS 6425 , NURS 6993 

Nursing Education


NURS 6903 , NURS 6904 , NURS 6905 , NURS 6908 , NURS 6909 , NURS 6993 

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner


NURS 6993 , NURS 7501 , NURS 7502 , NURS 7503 NURS 7510 , NURS 7511 , NURS 7520 , NURS 7521 , NURS 7530 , NURS 7531  

Degree Requirements


Depending upon the concentration area chosen within the degree program, the Nursing, MSN requires 37-53 s.h. as follows. Concentrations are clustered as administrative, clinical, and education.

Administrative:


Health Systems Leadership - 38 s.h.

Clinical:


  • adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist - 43 s.h.
  • neonatal clinical nurse specialist - 43 s.h.
  • neonatal nurse practitioner - 42 s.h.
  • nurse midwifery - 53 s.h.
  • psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner - 47 s.h.

Education:


  • Nursing Education - 37 s.h.

Requirements:


2. Cluster core - 8-20 s.h.


(Choose appropriate cluster for concentration.)

3. Concentration area - 15-36 s.h.


(Choose one area.)

Administrative - 17 s.h.

Clinical - 18-36 s.h.

Students in the nurse-midwifery concentration who have no labor and delivery experience are required to take an independent study with a clinical rotation in labor and delivery, in addition to required courses.

Students in the nursing education concentration who have limited teaching experience may be required to take the following course, in addition to required courses.

Comprehensive Assessment Requirement


All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. A comprehensive examination is required for graduation for all MSN degree-seeking students.

Licensure/Certification Requirements in North Carolina


The curriculum for all ECU Certificates, Degrees, and other Graduate Programs  have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for licensure/certification exams in North Carolina. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting requirements for licensure/certification in their state. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply. Search our state  Licensure Dashboard to see if the program you’re interested in meets the educational requirements for licensing/certification in your home state (or state where you intend to work).

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