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Graduate

Contact Info:
Marilyn Halstead, PhD, RN
Graduate Program Director
410-704-4204
mhalstead@towson.edu

Concentrations:
Nursing Practice Clinician
Nursing Education
Clinician-Administrator Transition (CAT)

Certificate Programs (15 credits):
Nursing Education
Clinician-Administrator Transition (CAT)

Program Description:
The Master of Science degree program in nursing is prepares graduates to assume key roles in the delivery of health care to individuals and families within a community-based nursing practice. All students are required to complete the Graduate Nursing Core. In addition, each student will select a concentration for further study: Nursing Practice Clinician; Nursing Education; or, Clinician- Administrator Transition (CAT). Students may elect to pursue a graduate project or thesis if either activity is consistent with their professional goals.

The master's program is designed for the student who has a bachelor's degree with a major in nursing and is licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN), or eligible, in the state of Maryland. The program also serves the needs of the part-time student. Most courses are offered on weekday evenings; however, other options may be developed according to student interest. Practicum experiences will be planned with appropriate agencies using a time frame congruent with the goals of the experience and preceptor assignments.

The program focus is in community-based nursing. Community-based nursing is a philosophy of nursing practice in which the individual and the family have primary responsibility for health care decisions and where health and social issues are acknowledged as interactive. It is characterized by an orientation to the individual, family and aggregate population. A critical component of community-based nursing is the development of partnerships with clients and an incorporation of culture and community.

Understanding and using epidemiological principles to effectively assess and care for all members of the community, including but not limited to vulnerable populations, underscores the philosophy of community-based nursing. Treatment effectiveness and quality of life, rather than the technologic imperative, drive decisions. The intent of community-based nursing is to meet the needs of individuals and families where they live, work and go to school and as they move across health care settings. It requires a higher level of autonomy, responsibility and accountability of the nurse at all levels of care in various settings in the community.

Components of community-based nursing include, but are not limited to self-care, preventative health care, case management, continuity of care, collaborative care and care within the context of the family and the community. Nurses who deliver community-based care are generalists or specialists in maternal-infant, pediatric, adult, or psychiatric nursing. Community-based nursing focuses on how nurses practice not where they work.

Graduate certificates, independent from the master's degree program, are available in the Nursing Education and Clinician-Administrator Transition Concentrations. Both certificates are independent programs; however, participants will study with students selecting the respective master's degree concentrations. Upon completion of either of the 15-credit certificate programs, students may wish to pursue additional graduate study and apply the credits to the M.S. degree.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Science program must meet the general requirements for graduate study established by the department of nursing and as outlined in the Towson University Graduate Catalog. Specifically, they must have:

• A baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing.
• A minimum GPA of 3.00.
• A one-page personal statement in which the applicant discusses his or her reasons for seeking admission to the program and how the program will meet the applicant's professional goals.
• A current resume or curriculum vita.
• A photocopy of a current license to practice nursing in at least one state in the U.S. Prior to any clinical practice course, the student must be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state of Maryland.
• Satisfactory completion of an elementary statistics and/or nursing research course.
• Completion of an approved physical assessment course.

Applicants whose credentials do not meet the stated criteria for admission and believe their situation warrants special consideration are encouraged to contact the department for additional information.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The master's program in nursing requires successful completion of a minimum of 36 credits. Fifteen of these credits will be determined by the concentration the student selects. All students will complete the graduate nursing core.

Graduate Nursing Core (21 credits)

IDHP 741      Ethical and Legal Issues in Clinical Practice (3)
NURS 601    Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 603    Nursing Research (3)
NURS 605    Nursing in Health Care Systems (3)
NURS 700    Community-based Nursing (3)
NURS 800    Advanced Community-based Nursing Practice (3-6)

Elective course (500 level or above) (3)
NURS 851    Nursing Master's Thesis (6) [Optional]

Concentration A: Nursing Practice Clinician (15 credits)
Students with special interests or needs can plan a unique master's program with their adviser and approval of the program director. Students will select three electives from courses available in nursing or in other departments. In addition, students will be required to take the following courses:

NURS 801 Clinical Practicum in Community-based Nursing (3)
NURS 812 Seminar in Community-based Nursing (3)

Concentration B: Nursing Education (15 credits)
Students who desire to teach in a nursing school or work in staff development and education in a health care agency will complete the following courses. The certificate option may be selected alone, or serve as a component of the master's program.

NURS 610      Curriculum Development in Nursing (3)
NURS 612      Teaching and Learning in Nursing (3)
NURS 710      Evaluation in Nursing Education (3)
NURS 712      The Adult Learner (3)
NURS 810      Teaching Practicum (3)

Concentration C: Clinician-Administrator Transition (CAT) (15 credits)
Students desiring to emphasize administration can complete the CAT certificate
program. The certificate option may be selected alone, or serve as a component of the master's program.

IDHP 600        Transitions: Health Professionals in a Changing Environment (3)
IDHP 605        Managing Health Care Professionals (3)
IDHP 610        Administration of Health Care Organizations (3)
IDHP 647        Health Care Financial Management (3)
IDHP 651        Planning and Marketing Health in Business and Industry (3)

This is either an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program offered by the College of Health Professions or serves as a component of the master's program.

Optional Thesis (3-6)

NOTE: The 800-level courses are capstone courses, thus students in the Nursing Practice Clinician and Nursing Education concentrations have a capstone experience.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
NURSING (NURS)

NURS 510 Spirituality, Health and Nursing Practice (3)
Application of theory and research to spiritual care of diverse client populations across the life span, and development of spiritual self-care plan of the provider. Prerequisites: One clinical course in nursing; RN status; or consent of the instructor.

NURS 523 Crisis and Stress Management (3) An integrated, comprehensive, multi-component approach to crisis intervention in a variety of individuals, groups and settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or HLTH 101.

NURS 594 Travel Study in Nursing (3)
Historical and contemporary sociopolitical factors that guide the delivery of health care to various population groups in other countries. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

NURS 601 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice (3)
Prepares nurses to critically analyze and apply a wide range of nursing and related theories to research and clinical practice in order to develop a comprehensive and holistic approach to care. Prerequisite: Admission into the graduate school.

NURS 603 Nursing Research (3)
Prepares the nurse to identify clinical problems, critically evaluate nursing research, develop a research design, and apply research in practice. Prerequisites: undergraduate research and/or statistics course and consent of instructor, admission into the graduate school..

NURS 605 Nursing in Health Care Systems (3)
Prepares the nurse to participate in the design, implementation and management of care in a variety of health care systems, provide quality cost-effective care, and assume a leadership role in the managing of human, fiscal, and physical health care resources. Prerequisite: Admission into the graduate school.

NURS 610 Curriculum Development in Nursing (3)
Overview of theory and methods for the development of nursing educational delivery systems in academic and service settings.

NURS 612 Teaching and Learning in Nursing (3)
Focuses on the application of learning theory and teaching methods in the classroom and clinical environments with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of diverse student populations. Includes instructional technology and micro-teaching experiences.

NURS 700 Community-Based Nursing (3)
Focuses on application of epidemiological frameworks and concepts in health promotion, environmental health and disease prevention with diverse groups across the life span. Emphasis will be placed on the nursing care of at-risk and vulnerable populations in community-based settings. Prerequisite: NURS 601.

NURS 710 Evaluation in Nursing Education (3)
Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of student performance, teaching, courses and programs. Assessment measures of learner outcomes, faculty effectiveness and program quality will be explored. Prerequisite: NURS 712

NURS 712 The Adult learner (3)
Introduction to learning in adulthood, including context, development, process and practices.

NURS 800 Advanced Community-Based Nursing Practice (3-6)
A clinical practicum designed to enhance the nurse's previous learning and experiences while fostering the development of new nursing knowledge and skills in community-based settings with diverse populations. Includes a weekly seminar. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: NURS 700.

NURS 810 Teaching Practicum (3)
A practicum designed to apply new knowledge and skills in teaching and learning in academic or service settings. Self-assessment of teaching, discussion of the nurse educator role, and exploration of issues related to the teaching-learning environment will occur in weekly seminars. Prerequisites: all other courses in Nursing Education Concentration. NURS 612, NURS 710 may be taken concurrently.

NURS 851 Nursing Masters Thesis (6)
Development and presentation of a scholarly research project that has significance for nursing and provides a capstone experience for the student. Prerequisite: Completion of nursing graduate work. (Optional)

INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH PROFESSIONS (IDHP)

IDHP 741 Ethical and Legal Issues in Clinical Practice (3)
Provides an interdisciplinary exploration of legal and ethical issues in clinical practice, research, administration and teaching.1t includes emphases on cultural diversity, truth-telling, informed consent, confidentiality, accountability, reimbursement pressures, new technologies and treatments, end-of-life care, licensure concerns, practice in varied settings and organizational ethics. Prerequisite: Admission into the graduate school.