Program: Master of Science in Nursing - MSN - Winston-Salem State University (2024)

Master of Science in Nursing

The WSSU Master of Science in Nursing Program, 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 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 post-bachelor’s certificate option equips Baccalaureate nurses for teaching positions in educational and service settings and courses of study for post-master’s certificates in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Nurse Educator concentrations are also available.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSN Program will demonstrate the following 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.

Application Deadlines

Applicants to the Nursing program must submit completed applications byFebruary 1 for fall admission.

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 program of study and18 hours of graduate transfer credits may be applied toward the Family Nurse Practitioner program of study.Transfer credits will only be granted for graduate level courses completed with a grade of “B” or higher within the last five (5) years. Courses with a grade of “C” or below are not granted transfer credit.

Degree Requirements

A total of thirty-nine (39) credit hours and two hundred and forty (240) practicum hours are required for completion of the ANE concentration; a total of fifty-one (51) credit hours and six hundred and seventy two(672) clinical hours are required for completion of the FNP concentration.

Time Limits for Degree 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.

Courses

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

Advanced Nurse Educator Concentration

Admission Requirements

• 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 (May be waived for GPA of 3.0 and GRE > 1000)
• Essay (Statement of Purpose)

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 applicants must submit an official TOEFL score report with a minimum 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).

Competencies

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration (FNP)

Graduates of the Family Nurse Practitionerconcentration will demonstrate the following 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.

Advanced Nurse Educator Concentration (ANE)

Graduates of the Advanced Nurse Educator concentration will demonstrate the following competencies:

• 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 interventions 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

All application materials should be submitted to:

Office of Graduate Admissions
Winston Salem State University
206 Thompson Center
Winston-Salem, NC27110

Faculty

Lolita Chappel Aiken, EdD, RN
Professor and Advanced Nurse Educator Coordinator

Diane Barber, MSN, RN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, DNP
Instructor

Jan Collins-McNeil, PhD, APRN, FNP, BC
Associate Professor, Doctor of Nursing Practice Coordinatorand NIH Health Disparities Scholar

Alfreda Harper-Harrison, EdD, RN, MSN, CLNC
Assistant Professor

Dionne S. Roberts, Ph.D., FNP-C, CNE
Associate Professor, Family Nurse Practitioner Coordinator and MSN/DNP Admissions Coordinator

Daphne K. Sharpe, RN, DNP, FNP-C
Graduate Clinical Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Nursing

Dennis R. Sherrod, EdD, RN
Professor and Forsyth Medical Center Endowed Chair of Recruitment & Retention

Jasmine Barber,, RN, BSN, MSN, FNP-C, DNP, DVM
Assistant Professor

Departmental Links

• Graduate Programs Webpage
• Master of Science in Nursing Webpage