The School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership – College of Education & Human Services’ Featured Department – Fall 2012
Nursing
The Nursing program offers two degrees, including the RN to BSN degree, and the Master’s in Nursing Education. Both programs are fully online with clinical/practicum experiences arranged in the student’s home community, as appropriate. The Nursing programs at MSUM assist nurses in moving forward in their careers and advance in ways that are increasingly expected as a minimum requirement for management, leadership, public health, and education. All students are currently registered nurses and most work at least part time – many full time. Additionally, students (and faculty!) are geographically dispersed throughout Minnesota and beyond, bringing a lively and rich environment to the online classes.
Currently, there are over 200 students enrolled in the online RN to BSN program and 50 students in the Nursing Education MS program. Students in the RN to BSN have completed their Associates degree and hold the Registered Nurse license but wish to complete the junior and senior level courses toward the BSN. Many hospitals now require the BSN to move into leadership positions. Additionally, public health, school nursing, and the military all seek BSN prepared staff. Coursework includes Nursing Research, Public Health, Transcultural Nursing, Gerentological Nursing, Family nursing, and more. Students progress as their own pace – taking from one to three courses a semester.
The Nurse Educator MS program builds upon the students’ BSN experience and currently includes many faculty members (as students) from community colleges as part of the move toward national accreditation of their programs. The MSUM nursing MS curriculum has recently been revised to assure alignment with the AACN Master’s Essentials. Practica are arranged in the student’s home community (as possible) to incorporate experiential learning with the online didactic material. All courses include readings, discussion, presentations (by faculty and students), monthly class meetings (via webinar), and one-on-one meetings with faculty as appropriate. Students progress at their own pace through coursework, culminating in a thesis in an area of their own interest. A Nurse Administration MS is currently in development as well. The Nursing faculty members at MSUM all hold the doctorate or are credentialed with clinical expertise. The nursing program has been working with and education professional adults for over 30 years. Faculty members are experienced with online education, and dedicated to online adult education.
Health Services Administration
The Health Services Administration Degree within the School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership provides students with the education to seek job opportunities in healthcare management. People with this type of degree include CEOs of hospitals, department managers, supervisors and directions, as well as nurse administrators, and nursing home administrators. This degree allows the opportunity to work for any health care provider, with the potential to advance to any level within a healthcare organization; for further advancement potential, students may choose to invest in a Master’s program and beyond. Students in this degree participate in a 12 credit internship as a health-care provider, and MSUM has made great strides in this area finding the right fit for students, as well as matching them up to an organization’s particular needs.
Undergraduates have the option to emphasize long-term care, or minor in community health or business. Within the program itself, students participate in classes that teach health care policy and payment, healthcare law, and financial law, among others. Healthcare, including Health Services Administration, is the fastest growing industry in the country, with the most stable jobs, and the most intensely growing job field. And with the continually improving internship and market growth, MSUM’s program is growing as well.
Community Health
The Community Health program within the School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership allows for both a major and minor for undergraduates. It is a popular minor for Nursing students, as it allows them experience and knowledge regarding the community side of health, in addition to their clinicals. MSUM’s Community Health program provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enhance the health of communities and individuals within them. Assessment of a community’s health, program planning and evaluation, coordination development, and implementation of programs to support and promote health are all included. Students complete a hands-on internship to solidify the academic studies in areas of public health, for-profit, and not-for-profit healthcare organizations. 
The Community Health major prepares students to pass the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination, which is a nationally recognized certification process based on well-established educational competencies. Certification by CHES broadens job opportunities available for graduates. Classes taught within the program include Global Health Courses, Health Aspects of Aging, and Epidemiology. An 8 credit internship is required as part of the program, in which students work at public health departments, assisted living institutions, and non-profit organizations. Community health fields are expected to grow faster than average for all non-health occupations through 2018. Community health professionals work with mass media, plan and conduct workshops, develop educational programs, and act as a health information resource. A majority of all community health professionals work in healthcare and social assistance agencies, and many work in government organizations. Community health majors may also be employed by colleges, public and private schools, nonprofit organizations, private business, or in medical care settings.
More detailed information about career opportunities and their requirements can be found here.
Original Featured Department post.
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