MARJORIE F. LUTTRELL, PhD, RN
Dean
Billy Mac Jones Building
(901) 678-2003

ROBERT KOCH, DNSc,RN
Associate Dean, Director of Graduate Studies

http://www.memphis.edu/nursing

I. The Loewenberg School of Nursing offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Nursing with concentrations in (1) Nursing Administration, (2) Nursing Education, (3) Advanced Practice Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner), 4) Nursing Informatics, and 5) Executive Nursing Leadership. A post-master's certificate is also offered in the area of advanced practice nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner).

MSN Program Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge and competencies *in advanced nursing practice, teaching (in the classroom and in clinical settings), and administration.
2. Integrate specialized knowledge and theories from nursing and related disciplines into advanced nursing roles.
3. Use research to validate and refine knowledge relevant to advanced nursing roles.
4. Practice advanced nursing roles in collaborative relationships across disciplines and in partnership with communities (ie: nursing education, nursing administration, nursing informatics, and advanced clinical practice).
5. Manage the health care of clients within legal, ethical, and professional standards.
6. Improve the health of clients among diverse population groups.
7. Promote positive changes in health care delivery, health policies, and nursing practice.

Students may not enroll for courses as graduate non-degree except by permission of the instructor and with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

All graduate students must comply with the general requirements of the Graduate School (see Admissions Regulations, Academic Regulations, and Minimum Degree Requirements) as well as the program requirements of the degree being pursued.

II. MSN Degree
A. Admission
Admission to both the Graduate School and the Loewenberg School of Nursing is required. Admission to the program will be based on competitive selection from the pool of applicants. Multiple criteria will be used when considering applicant admission including, but not limited to, undergraduate and graduate grade point averages, professional experience, applicant interview, and letters of recommendation. The MSN in Executive Leadership requires additional admission requirements as outlined below.

1. Admission Requirements for all MSN Applicants:
   1. Admission to the University of Memphis Graduate School
   2. Admission to the Loewenberg School of Nursing graduate nursing program.
   3. A minimum score of 250 computer based or 100 internet based score on the TOEFL (students for whom English is a second language)
   4. An undergraduate minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
   5. Letters of recommendation from three persons qualified to judge the applicant's ability to practice in an advanced role.
   6. Interview with LSON graduate faculty as requested.
   7. The standardized admission test is successful completion of the NCLEX licensing examination.
2. Students admitted to MSN program must have and maintain while in the program:
   1. An unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in Tennessee;
   2. Current CPR certification;
   3. Evidence of Heptavax, MMR, polio, and tetanus vaccination;
   4. Rubella and varicella titers;
   5. Freedom from tuberculosis as evidenced by a negative PPD or health provider examination;
   6. Evidence of current professional malpractice insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in the aggregate.
3. Admission Requirements for individuals with a BSN Degree
   1. Completion of BSN
   2. An unrestricted registered nursing license to practice in Tennessee
4. Admission Requirements for Registered Nurse Applicants with a BA/BS non-nursing major
   1. An unrestricted registered nursing license to practice in Tennessee
   2. Completion of a 13-unit RN/MSN nursing bridge sequence: NURS 3107, NURS 4120/6120, NURS 4127/6127, NURS 4110/6110; NURS 4327/6327. RN/MSN graduates will not be awarded the BSN degree.
5. Admission Requirements for Generic MSN (non-registered nurse) applicants to MSN courses
   1. Completion of (12 hour) nursing support sequence: BIOL 2010/2011, BIOL 2020/2021, MMCS 1230/1231 with a grade of 3.0 or higher.
   2. Completion of undergraduate foundation, provider of care, coordinator of care courses with a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or higher. The BSN degree will be awarded when these undergraduate courses and the TBR minimum general education degree requirements are completed.
   3. Unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse in Tennessee.
6. Admission Requirement for Executive Nurse Leadership
   1. Cumulative GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale is required
   2. Current resume. All Applicants must have a minimum of 2 years of middle management experience.
   3. Letter of interest from applicant addressed to the admission committee which discusses prior professional experience and future career goals; and reasons for pursuing graduate study
   4. Letter from the sponsoring hospital or organization describing reasons the applicant is viewed as a “high potential/high performer”.
   5. MSN recommendation forms completed by three individuals qualified to judge the applicant’s ability to practice in an advanced administrator role.
   6. Interview with LSON graduate faculty if requested.
   7. Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or institution. Applicants with a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than nursing are required to complete a 5 course Bridge Program (15 hours) before entering the graduate program.
   8. A TOEFL score of 600 (250 computer based score) for students who speak English as a second language
   9. Applicants not “sponsored” by an organization must submit a dossier and resume that validates that the applicant possesses “high potential/high performer” ability.
   10. Applicants not “sponsored” by a health care organization must submit 3 letters of reference from former employers who view the applicant as “high potential/high performers” with strong potential for executive leadership.

B. MSN Program Requirements- Students enrolled in the MSN program must complete 36-46 semester hours (based on concentration area) with the minimum overall grade point average of 3.0.

1. Core Curriculum-Required of All MSN Students
   1. NURS 7001 Healthcare Policy
   2. NURS 7002 Advanced Nursing Research
   3. NURS 7003 Advanced Role Development
   4. NURS 7990 Scholarly Synthesis
2. Nursing Administration Concentration Required Courses
   1. NURS 7000 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice
   2. NURS 7301 Nursing Administration I
   3. NURS 7302 Nursing Administration II
   4. NURS 7305 Quality Management
   5. Students must select one of the following course combinations:
      1. ACCT 7000 Fundamentals of Accounting and ACCT 7010 Accounting Decision Making or
      2. ACCT 7000 Fundamentals of Accounting and NURS 7332 Resource Allocation in Nursing or
      3. NURS 7303 Healthcare Finance and NURS 7304 Human Resource Management
   6. NURS7309 Administrative Residency (240 clock hours)
3. Nursing Education Concentration Required Courses:
   1. NURS 7000 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice
   2. NURS7203 Curriculum Design in Nursing
   3. Select one of the following options to fulfill degree requirements (9 hours required).
      1. Option 1
         NURS 7244 Evaluation Methods in Nursing Education and NURS 7242 Educational Strategies for Nursing Education and NURS 7201 Theories of Nursing Education.
      2. Option 2
         NURS 7201 Theories of Nursing Education and NURS 7202 Educational Strategies for Nursing Education and NURS 7103 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice
      3. Option 3
         NURS 7244 Evaluation Methods in Nursing Education and NURS 7242 Educational Strategies for Nursing Education and NURS 7103 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice.
   4. Select one of the following clinical focus course combinations (6 hours required).
      1. NURS 7501 Advanced Adult Health I (3hrs) and NURS 7503 Advanced Adult Health II (3hrs)
      2. NURS 7511 Psychiatric Nursing Care I (3hrs) and NURS 7513 Psychiatric Nursing Care II (3hrs)
      3. NURS 7522 Critical Care I (3hrs) and NURS 7523 Critical Care II (3hrs)
      4. NURS 7541 Maternal /Child Nursing I (3hrs) and NURS 7543 Maternal/Child Nursing II(3hrs)
      5. NURS 7631 Pediatric Nursing I (3hrs) and NURS 7633 Pediatric Nursing II (3 hrs)
   5. NURS 7207 Clinical Focus Practicum (120 clock hours)
   6. NURS 7209 Education Residency (240 clock hours)
4. Advanced Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner) Concentration Required Courses
   1. NURS 7000 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice
   2. NURS 7101/02 Advanced Health Assessment/Advanced Health Assessment Clinic
   3. NURS 7103 Advanced Pathophysiology
   4. NURS7104 Advanced Pharmacology
   5. NURS 7601/7602 Family Nurse Practitioner I/ Family Nurse Practitioner I Clinic (120 clock hours)
   6. NURS 7603/7604 Family Nurse Practitioner II/ Family Nurse Practitioner II Clinic (240 clock hours)
   7. NURS 7605/7606 Family Nurse Practitioner III/ Family Nurse Practitioner III Clinic (120 clock hours)
   8. NURS 7609 Advanced Practice Residency (240 clock hours)
5. Nursing Informatics Concentration Required Courses
   1. NURS 7000 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice
   2. NURS 7401 Informatics & Information Management
   3. NURS 7402 Health Care Information Systems
   4. NURS 7403 Analysis & Design of Health Care Information Systems
   5. NURS 7404 Evaluation of Health Care Information Systems
   6. NURS 7405 Health Care Data Analysis Techniques
   7. NURS 7407 Informatics Applications/Practicum I (80 clock hours)
   8. NURS 7409 Informatics Applications/Practicum II (80 clock hours)
6. Executive Nurse Leadership Concentration Required Courses
   1. NURS 7901 Relationship Building for the Nurse Executive
   2. NURS 7903 Accountability and Advocacy for Nurse Executives
   3. ACCT 7000 Fundamentals of Accounting
   4. HADM 7108 Health Care Finance I
   5. NURS 7904 Financial Management and Resource Allocation for Patient Care
   6. NURS 7905 Improving Patient Care Delivery
   7. NURS 7907 Evidence Based Leadership Practices
   8. NURS 7909 Nurse Executive Practicum (240 clock hours)

7. C. Retention Requirements
   

   1. Students in the Loewenberg School of Nursing graduate program must comply with all retention standards of the University of Memphis Graduate School.
   2. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA ("B"). Grades of "D" and "F" will not apply toward any graduate degree, but will be computed in the GPA. No more than 7 hours of "C-", "C," or "C+" will be applied towards meeting degree requirements.
   3. Academic disqualification from the graduate nursing major will occur when the student:
      1. fails to maintain a 3.0 GPA in graduate school.
      2. fails to earn a grade of "B" (3.0) or better when repeating a course.
      3. willfully misrepresents patient data or clinical practice.
      4. willfully places any patient in physical or emotional jeopardy.
      5. is placed on probation by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
      6. fails to disclose a felony conviction.
      7. fails to disclose disciplinary action or diversion by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
      8. fails to complete all degree requirements within five years of entering graduate nursing coursework.
   4. Before being recommended for graduation, every candidate for the master's degree in nursing is required to either pass a final comprehensive examination or complete the oral defense of a thesis. The written examination will place emphasis on the student's area of concentration and will be administered by selected nursing faculty each semester. The candidate must be registered in the semester the comprehensive exam is taken.
   5. When the student elects to complete a thesis, the candidate must enroll for thesis credit each semester until the thesis is completed. Students must register for thesis credit in the semester in which they defend.
   6. Family Nurse Practitioner students must complete a minimum of 500 clock hours to meet the academic and practicum requirement for national certification.
   7. All requirements for the MSN degree must be completed in 5 calendar years.

   III. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Post-Master's Certificate-The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate program provides a formal program of study for master's-prepared nurses interested in taking the national certification exam to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner. To be eligible to take the national certification exam students must "successfully complete graduate didactic and clinical requirements of a master's nurse practitioner program through a formal graduate-level certificate or Master's level NP program in the desired area of practice." The FNP Certificate program offers a formal program of study to meet this need for students who already have the Master of Science in Nursing degree without requiring a second master's degree.
   

   1. Prerequisites-The following prerequisite courses must be completed at the master's level with a grade of "B" or better prior to admission.
      1. Advanced Health Assessment, (3 credit hours)
      2. Advanced Health Assessment, Clinical or Lab (4 credit hours)
      3. Advanced Pathophysiology, (3 credit hours)
      4. Advanced Pharmacology, (3 credit hours)
   2. Program Admission
      Admission to the program is based on competitive selection from the pool of applicants who meet the College of Graduate Studies admission requirements from the designated home campus.
      
      Additional admission requirements for the Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program include:
      
      1. A Master's degree in nursing from an accredited program (NLNAC or CCNE).
      2. Satisfactory completion of the following courses at the Master's level:
         1. Advanced Health Assesment : 3 semester hours
         2. Advanced Health Assessment - Clinical or lab : 1 semester hour
         3. Advanced Pathophysiology : 3 semester hours
         4. Advanced Pharmacology : 3 semester hours
      3. Eligibility to practice as a Registered Nurse in Tennessee or the state in which clinical assignments are completed. Appropriate licensure/authorization must be obtained during the first semester following admission to the program.
      4. Overall G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
      5. TOEFL score of 600 if native language is not English
      6. A written document prepared by the applicant that includes a resume, a discussion of prior professional experience, future career goals, and reasons for pursuing graduate study.
      7. Letters of recommendation from at least three persons (a minimum of one academic) familiar with the applicant's academic and professional background and experience in nursing practice, specifying in detail the applicant's capabilities for graduate study and for future practice as an advanced practice nurse.
   3. Program Requirements (21 credit hours total)
      1. NURS 7601/7602 Family Nurse Practitioner I/Clinic (120 clock hours)
      2. NURS 7603/7604 Family Nurse Practitioner II/Clinic (240 clock hours)
      3. NURS 7605/7606 Family Nurse Practitioner III/Clinic (120 clock hours)
      4. NURS 7609 Advanced Practice Residency (240 clock hours)
   4. Retention
      Retention requirements are the same as for the MSN degree. All requirements for the post master certificate must be completed in 5 calendar years
   
   
   

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   NURSING (NURS)