Master of Science in Nursing
Clinical Nurse Leader Track

Point of Contact

Dr. Loretta Normile
Coordinator
Telephone: 703-993-1945
Email: lnormile@gmu.edu

Welcome

The College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is pleased to announce the new Clinical Nurse Leader Track (CNL)in the Master of Science in Nursing Program. Curriculum focus is on Leadership, Risk Management, Patient Safety, and Outcome Measurements to improve unit-wide quality of care delivery.

This new nationally implemented, innovative MSN track originated as a joint effort of CHHS and its practice partner the INOVA Health Care System and is now available to all registered nurses interested in pursuing a Master's Degree.

New Policy In Effect - The CNL track is open to registered nurses through the RN to MSN pathway. For more general information on the RN to MSN pathway, visit the pathway's website.

Description

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) track in the M.S.N. program prepares nurses as generalists who provide competent care and clinical leadership within a health care microsystem, such as nursing units. Graduates are prepared as leaders who possess a solid foundation in health policy applications and finance at the microsystem level in a health care organization. In addition graduates demonstrate expertise in evidence-based practice, outcomes management, nursing leadership, and cost-effective care management as well an understanding of the impact of global health issues on the microsystem in a health care organization. To actualize the CNL role, students are individually assigned to preceptors employed in clinical practice-partner organizations for role integration and clinical immersion practica.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet the admission requirements for degree status in the Graduate School as well as those of the M.S.N. program.
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 credits of undergraduate work.
Current license as a registered nurse.
Two letters of recommendation.
Successful completion of an undergraduate statistics course.
Graduate level bivariate statistics course (NURS597 if taken at GMU).
GRE, upon request.
Successful completion of a recent (within the last 18 months) health assessment continuing education course.

Program of Study

MSN Core (13)
- NURS 660 (3:3:0)
  Seminar in the Ethics of Health Care
  Examines the moral dilemmas within the health care profession, with special emphasis on patients' rights, professionals' obligations to other professionals, and issues of social justice in health care. Methods of moral deliberation based on ethical knowledge and justification are applied to ethical dilemmas in health care.
- NURS 680 (2:2:0)
  Theoretical Foundations Related to Nursing
  Examination and evaluation of the assumptions, concepts, and propositions inherent in selected nursing and related discipline theories.
- NURS 685 (3:3:0)
  Advanced Nursing Research Methods
  Examines principles and methods of research in problem identification, theoretical framework, design, data collection, and analysis. Students develop a nursing research proposal.
- NURS 686 (2:2:0)
  Projects in Nursing Research
  Applies the knowledge gained in NURS 685 and implement the research proposal designed in that course.
- NURS 688 (3:3:0)
  Organization of Nursing and Health Care Delivery Systems
  Provides a foundational overview of U.S. nursing and health care delivery systems. Surveys the key concepts, frameworks, processes, and structures related to health care delivery organizations.
Clinical Nurse Leader Core (17)
- HAP 586/NURS 588 (3:3:0)
  Process Improvement for Health Services
  Examines how improved work processes will lead to quality improvement. Explores the contribution of operations research and quality management to improve delivery and production of health services and business processes from the perspective of health care managers. Course Website.
- NURS 654 (3:3:0)
  Nursing Administration Financial Management
  Investigates managerial technologies related to financial planning and control functions of midlevel nurse administrators. Content develops knowledge and skills necessary for effective participation in financial management as related to business plan development, program budget planning, and control.
- NURS 730 (2:2:0)
  Leadership Strategies for the Clinical Nurse Leader
  Explores aspects of horizontal and vertical leadership central to the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role. Quality management and improvement, communication processes, and evidenced-based practice initiatives within a microsystem are stressed. Strategies for the efficient use of resources while maintaining safe and effective patient care are emphasized.
- NURS 731 (2:2:0)
  Clinical Nurse Leader Role Integration
  Explores the roles and functions of the clinical nurse leader in a micro-system in the health care arena. Uses seminar and clinical approaches to develop competence in clinical decision-making, critical thinking, problem identification, and outcome measurement for a select client population at the point of care.
- NURS 732 (7)
  Practicum - Clinical Nurse Leader
  Guided implementation of the Clinical Nurse Leader role in a selected health care micro system. Uses clinical and seminar approaches to acquire in-depth skills related to the design, implementation and evaluation of patient care. Focus is on accountability for coordination, delegation and supervision of care provided by the unit based health care team.
Support Courses (7)
- NURS 513 (3:3:0)
  Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing
  Provides the student with knowledge of physiologic responses and pharmacokinetic principles of pharmacologic agents that will undergird the student's learning of advanced pharmacologic concepts. Topics include advanced pharmacokinetic principles, pharmacotherapeutics of single and multiple drug regimens, client education needs, special population needs, and legal requirements for prescriptive authority.
- NURS 550 (3:3:0)
  Pathophysiologic Bases for Major Health Deviations of Individuals
  Examines health deviations occurring in people in the United States that require long-term and/or terminal health care interventions. Deviations are presented within a developmental framework as they influence physiologic integrity at the cellular level. Focus is on man as a whole, open system. Complex health programs from the perspective of maintaining homeodynamics are examined.
- NURS 514* (1:2:0)
  Advanced Health Assessment
  This course expands on undergraduate skills in systematic health assessment across the life span. The student will learn application of advanced health assessment skills in specialty advanced nursing practice setting. Integration of skills and techniques in collecting health assessment data towards appropriate decision-making, clinical assessments, and therapeutic interventions in select population is emphasized in this lab and didactic course.
Total = 37 Credits

Explanation of Credit Hours
Course titles are followed by numbers in parentheses (0:0:0), separated by colons. The numbers have the following significance:

First Number: credits for the course
Second Number: hours of lecture or seminar per week for the course
Third Number: hours of laboratory for the course

For independent study, readings, topics, or similar courses, individual instructors set hours.

*Note: A continuing education health assessment course taken within 18 months prior to enrolling in NURS 514 is required.