The Nurse Educator (NE) track of the MSN program is designed to prepare nurses with the role competencies and knowledge they will need for positions in patient/staff education and academic nursing education programs. Nurse educator students learn to implement teaching/learning strategies that are learner-centered and to create environments conducive to developing higher level critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in students and staff members.

Master’s level nursing education builds on baccalaureate education. Scholarly inquiry provides the foundation for preparation and provision of advanced nursing services to individuals or groups. Students apply knowledge of advanced nursing in a variety of educational and practicum sites. Master’s level nursing education fosters the ongoing responsibility of all professionals for continuing education and lifelong learning, as well as providing a foundation for doctoral study.

General Information

1. The master’s degree program in nursing at Concordia University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
2. All students must maintain an unencumbered RN license while in the program. As this is an online program, sometimes there are out of state requirements that apply to the clinical setting. If clinicals will take place outside the state of Wisconsin, it is the student's responsibility to make sure their program of study is eligible and meets all requirements within that state's Department of Licensing & Regulation.
3. Students must earn a minimum of a B in all courses. Policies regarding progression and retention will be applied if the student earns less than a B in any course. 
4. Students must complete all degree requirements within a five-year period from the time of taking the first course in the program.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation the graduate student will be able to:

1. Integrate liberal arts and sciences into advanced nursing roles and education.
2. Analyze organizational and systems leadership principles to improve quality and patient safety in advanced nursing roles.
3. Integrate evidence-based approaches into advanced nursing practice and education.
4. Integrate healthcare technologies in the delivery, enhancement, and coordination of quality patient care.
5. Analyze healthcare policies, finances, and regulations that impact healthcare systems.
6. Integrate patient-centered care using interprofessional teams to improve health outcomes of individuals and populations.
7. Integrate evidence-based, culturally appropriate knowledge in clinical prevention and population health at the individual and aggregate level.
8. Assume accountability for advanced nursing practice and lifelong learning.
9. Apply best evidence to assure competence in advanced nursing practice or nursing education with diverse populations.

Curriculum

The 40 credit NE option prepares students to teach in schools of nursing and health care settings.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Core Courses
BIO 650	Genetics, Immunology, & Microbiology for Advanced Nursing	3
NURS 530	Healthcare Policy & Issues in Advanced Nursing	3
NURS 534	Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Roles and Interprofessional Collaboration	3
NURS 536	Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan	3
NURS 540	Evidence Based Nursing Practice	3
NURS 560	Fundamentals of Health Care Informatics	3
BIO 542	Pharmacotherapeutics	3
NURS 638	Advanced Health Assessment	3
NURS 692	Global Perspectives/Primary Care	3
Specialization Courses for NE track
NURS 677	Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education	3
NURS 771	NE I: Role Transition for the Nurse Educator	3
NURS 772	NE II: Instructional Design in Nursing Education - Didactic Teaching	3
NURS 774	NE III: Instructional Design In Nursing Education - Clinical Teaching	3
NURS 775	Nurse Educator Capstone	1
Total Hours		40

Entrance Requirements for the Graduate School of Nursing in Addition to Graduate School Requirements

• BSN degree from an accredited nursing school
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
• Science GPA is evaluated as part of the admission process
• Current unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in the USA
• Actively working in practice. Preference is given to nurses with a minimum of two years of nursing experience.
• Current CPR certification
• Ability to perform Technical Standards for Registered Nurses
• Successful completion of:  Statistics course – three credits with a minimum grade of B or higher. Must be completed before registering for NURS 540

Application/Admission Process

Students may apply online through Concordia's direct online application at www.cuw.edu/apply. When applying directly, students will submit:

• Application form available at www.cuw.edu/apply
• Non-refundable application fee
• All official college transcripts leading to the bachelor's degree
• An essay that addresses the following topics:
  • Rationale for choosing a career as a Nurse Educator
  • Career goals as a Nurse Educator
  • Personal compatibility with the CUW mission
  • Plans for academic success, including time management, stress management, and professional communication
  • Any previous academic issues
• Professional resume
• Current unencumbered RN license
• Three letters of reference: two must be professional and/or academic and one must be from an individual who has worked with the applicant in a professional capacity and has a minimum of a Master's degree.
• Applicants who have completed graduate level classes and wish to have them evaluated must submit these transcripts and the transfer credit form.
• GRE exams are not required.

The deadline for fall admission is May 1.

The deadline for spring admission is October 1.

The admission committee will review applications and make recommendations for admission. After the recommendation for admission is approved, a formal letter of acceptance or denial is sent to the student.

Transfer of Credit

The Graduate Nursing Program will accept up to 6 transfer credits of previous graduate level coursework into the MSN program based on the following criteria:

1. Coursework must have been completed within five years prior to admission to the program (or be approved by the MSN faculty committee).
2. Courses transferred must be comparable in scope and subject matter to courses offered in the MSN Program. The student will need to provide a course description and the course syllabus for any course requested for transfer. A transfer credit form must be completed and submitted to the Graduate Nursing Office for approval upon admission.
3. All courses transferred in must be at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. All transfer credits must be certified by the Registrar and approved for the degree by the Director of the Graduate Nursing program.
5. Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics will not be accepted as transfer credits.
6. Transfer credits will not be applied to the cumulative grade point average the student earns while in Concordia's MSN program.