Graduate Catalog
 Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.)

Graduate Program Coordinator: Professor Margaret Lunney
Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator: Professor Elizabeth Wheeler
Marcus Hall (5S), Room 109
Email: nursingmasters@mail.csi.cuny.edu
Telephone: 1.718.982.3823

Department of Nursing's Website

*See the curriculum supplement for additions and changes
to the program.

Master of Science in Adult Health Nursing (MS)
Master of Science in Gerontological Nursing (MS)

The Department of Nursing offers programs leading to the Master of Science (MS) in Adult Health Nursing and the Master of Science (MS) in Gerontological Nursing. Students in the two degree programs take the same courses but focus their course assignments and clinical hours on the population of choice—adults across the life span (adult health nursing) or older adults (gerontological nursing). The MS degree programs have two options: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Practitioner (CNS/NP).

These programs are designed to meet health care workforce needs and to provide opportunities for graduate-level education to Baccalaureate Nursing graduates. The program requirements are consistent with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) competencies published by the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, and the Nurse Practitioner (NP) competencies published by the Division of Nursing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nurses who successfully complete the programs are prepared to meet the needs of culturally diverse individuals, families, and communities and will have a competitive edge in the changing environment of health care.

Restructuring of health organizations has created new roles for nurses, especially those with master's-level preparation. Graduates of the Master's programs are eligible for certification as specialists in medical-surgical nursing or gerontological nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and other certifications offered by ANCC and nursing specialty organizations. Graduates of the CNS/NP option are also eligible for certification as Adult Nurse Practitioner or Gerontological Nurse Practitioner.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a bachelor's degree with a major in nursing from an accredited school or a bachelor's degree in another field, three years full time experience in nursing, and completion of required nursing, science, and mathematics courses. A TOEFL score of 550 or higher is required for all students for whom English is a second language.

Applications will be evaluated on an individual basis when all official transcripts and supporting documents have been received. Applicants will be notified by mail regarding their acceptance. Enrollment with matriculated status is contingent upon satisfaction of admission criteria.

Matriculated Status

Admission requirements for fully matriculated graduate status:

1. Official transcript(s) documenting a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in the nursing courses

2. Evidence of successful completion of undergraduate courses (or comparable learning experiences approved by the Admissions Committee) in nursing research, statistics, and health assessment/physical examination; community health nursing, leadership and management in nursing, general chemistry, and pharmacotherapeutics

3. Two recommendation letters supporting the applicant's potential for completing graduate studies; one must be from a current nursing supervisor or recent professor

4. Personal statement of 300 words or more describing career goals;

5. Current RN license to practice in New York State

Non-Matriculated Status

Applicants with exceptional qualifications, but who do not meet all the admission requirements, may be granted admission with non-matriculated graduate status at the discretion of the Graduate Nursing Admissions Committee.

Requirements for Retention

Students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) to be retained in a graduate program. Students whose GPAs fall below 3.0 are on probationary status. Students may attend full- or part-time.

Advisement

Each student admitted to the program will be provided academic guidance and career support. The program coordinator will monitor and evaluate each student's progress and recommend appropriate counseling and/or academic support services. The faculty members assigned to coordinate clinical role practica will collaborate with agency preceptors to guide students' progress in clinical settings.

Degree Requirements

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Option: 42 credits
The program requires 42 credits with 500 supervised hours toward development of clinical competencies for specialty practice, and a thesis option. Students may attend on a full-time or part-time basis. Completion of the program requires a minimum of one and a half years of full-time study; part-time study may take three years or more. Requirements include a graduate core of 15 credits, an advanced practice core of nine credits, specialty (CNS role) courses of 12 credits, and six credits of elective courses. Three of the elective credits may satisfy the thesis option

Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Practitioner (CNS/NP) Option: 48-54 credits
The program requires 48-54 credits with a minimum of 360 supervised hours in addition to the 500 hours required in the CNS program. In these additional clinical hours, students focus on the development of nurse practitioner competencies that do not overlap with CNS role competencies. Completion of the CNS/NP option requires a minimum of two years of full-time study; part-time study may take four years or more.
Requirements include the same graduate core of 15 credits, advanced practice core of nine credits, and specialty (CNS role) courses of 12 credits as for the CNS program. An additional 12 credits of specialty (NP role) courses are required to fulfill the minimum number of credits for the Nurse Practitioner option. Students who take elective courses with the CNS/NP option will graduate with more than 48 credits.

Graduate Core (15 credits)

• NRS 700 Transcultural Concepts and Issues in Health Care
• NRS 701 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing
• NRS 705 Health Organizations, Policy, Financing, and Ethics
• NRS 710 Collaborative Research for Advanced Practice Nursing
• NRS 730 Research Utilization for Advanced Practice Nursing

Advanced Practice Core (9 credits)

• BIO 670 Pathophysiological Concepts in Health and Illness
• NRS 682/
• BIO 682 Advanced Pharmacology
• NRS 702 Advanced Health Assessment

Specialty (CNS Role) Courses (12 credits)

• NRS 720 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Community Settings
• NRS 721 Role Practicum: Adults in Community Settings
• NRS 722 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Acute Care Settings
• NRS 723 Role Practicum: Adults in Acute Care Settings

Electives (6 credits)

Students who choose the CNS/NP option are required to complete the following:

Specialty (NP Role) Courses (12 credits)

• NRS 725 Primary Health Care with Young and Middle-aged Adults
• NRS 726 Primary Health Care with Older Adults
• NRS 727 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care
• NRS 728 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care II
  and

A minimum of 360 hours of supervised practice, in addition to the 500 hours required in the CNS program, for a total of 860 hours.

Electives: (0 credits)

Post-Master's Advanced Certificate in Adult Health Nursing
Post-Master's Advanced Certificate in Gerontological Nursing

The Department of Nursing offers a Post-Master's Advanced Certificate in Adult Health Nursing and a Post-Master's Advanced Certificate in Gerontological Nursing. These certificates prepare nurses who have Master's degrees in Nursing to meet the requirements for certification as Adult or Gerontological Nurse Practitioners of New York State and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Students in the two certificate programs take the same courses but focus their course assignments and clinical hours on the population of choice—adults across the life span (adult health nursing) or older adults (gerontological nursing).
 
Admission Requirements

A Master's degree in Nursing and master's-level courses in pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology are required. Candidates who do not have the required master's-level courses may take them before beginning the required Nurse Practitioner courses.

Certificate Requirements

The certificate requires 12-21 credits with a minimum of 500 supervised hours toward development of Nurse Practitioner competencies and satisfactory demonstration of Nurse Practitioner competencies. The number of credits required is derived from the Nurse Practitioner courses listed below (12 credits) and those master's-level courses specified in the admission requirements that were not taken prior to admission. These certificates prepare nurses who have Master's degrees in Nursing to meet the requirements for certification as Adult or Gerontological Nurse Practitioners of New York State and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Required Nurse Practitioner Courses

• NRS 725 Primary Health Care with Young and Middle-aged Adults
• NRS 726 Primary Health Care with Older Adults
• NRS 727 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care I
• NRS 728 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care II

 

Courses

BIO 670 Pathophysiological Concepts in Health and Illness
3 hours; 3 credits
This course is designed to provide a critical understanding of physiologic concepts, issues, research, and theories. Representative topics are selected to provide a comprehensive basis for understanding physiologic functions in health and illness at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels of organization. Ethical, moral, and cultural issues are addressed.
Prerequisites: BIO 150, BIO 160 or equivalent

NRS 682 Advanced Pharmacology
(Also BIO 682)
3 hours; 3 credits
This course provides the knowledge and skills to assess, diagnose, prescribe, and guide the management of medication therapy of adults. Emphasis will be pharmacodynamics, pharamacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics to supplement previous learning. Critical thinking and research data will be the basis for determining appropriate medications for adults of varied ages, medical problems, and health practices.
Prerequisites: Basic college-level pharmacology course and BIO 670

NRS 700 Transcultural Concepts and Issues in Health Care
3 hours; 3 credits
This course focuses on the general philosophy, ethics, concepts, skills, theory, research, and practices underlying transcultural care. Current issues in pluralism, diversity, and health care are explored in relation to culturally competent care of advanced practitioners in health care settings. Leininger's Theory of Culture Care and other selected theories
and research studies are critically appraised for utilization in various practice and management settings. Future directions of transcultural care are discussed.
Prerequisite: Matriculated or non-matriculated status in the graduate program

NRS 701 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing
3 hours; 3 credits
This course explores the theoretical basis of advanced practice nursing through analysis of nursing's extant models and theories that contribute to nursing's unique body of knowledge. Emphasis is placed on nursing's metaparadigm concepts; person-environment-health-nursing. The dialectical process between theory, research, and practice is examined. The value of theory-based practice, including the sharing of knowledge with other disciplines, is stressed as foundational for Advanced Practice Nursing.
Prerequisite: Matriculated or non-matriculated status in the graduate program

NRS 702 Advanced Health Assessment
4 hours; 3 credits
This course prepares students to develop advanced competencies in health assessment (health histories and health examinations), to analyze data, and to make clinical decisions.
Prerequisites: College-level course in health assessment/physical examination or the equivalent; matriculated or non-matriculated status in the graduate program

NRS 703 Teaching and Learning for Cultural Competence Development
3 hours; 3 credits
This course builds on the foundational philosophy, ethics, concepts, skills, theory, research, and practices underlying the development of cultural competence in health care. The multidimensional process of teaching and learning cultural competence is presented as an organizing framework for advancing cultural competence development. Strategies and techniques for helping culturally diverse nurses, other health professionals, and health organizations develop cultural competence are critically appraised for utilization in various practice, management, and educational settings. Eliminating health disparities through the creative use of culturally competent client education is emphasized. Future directions for advancing cultural competence development are discussed.
Prerequisites: NRS 700 Transcultural Concepts and Issues in Healthcare or equivalent graduate-level course by permission of instructor or Foundations for Cultural Competence in Nursing (CEU)

NRS 704 Cultural Competence in Nursing: Project Development
3 hours; 3 credits
This course will assist learners to develop a “cultural competence in nursing” project. The project can be directed toward clients, communities, agencies, nursing organizations, nursing personnel, or nursing education, and must relate to the overall goal of eliminating health disparities. The course also emphasizes measurement and evaluation of project outcomes.
Prerequisite: NRS 703 Teaching and Learning for Cultural Competence Development

NRS 705 Health Organizations, Policy, Financing, and Ethics
3 hours; 3 credits
This course synthesizes knowledge about health care systems as established social institutions. Emphasis will be on an examination of the health care delivery system, current issues in the policy arena, and trends associated with health care, including finance and resource allocation. Current legislative initiatives related to health care and the implications of these will be fully explored. Ethical issues will be a recurrent theme.
Prerequisite: Matriculated or non-matriculated status in the graduate program

NRS 710 Collaborative Research for Advanced Practice Nursing
3 hours; 3 credits
This core course is designed to prepare the student to achieve intermediate proficiencies in the use of the research process and in the art of critique; and to function as a member of a collaborative research team. Representative topics are selected to provide a comprehensive basis for developing these proficiencies. A research proposal will be developed.
Prerequisites: MTH 113 or equivalent, NRS 321 or equivalent
Pre- or corequisites: NRS 700 and NRS 701

NRS 711 Health Care Program Development
3 hours; 3 credits
This course focuses on development of programs for populations with special health care needs. Students develop the ability to conduct a needs assessment, document health care needs, develop and describe a health care program, plan evaluation strategies for process and outcomes, and write grant proposals to obtain funding. Existing health care programs for medically underserved populations are used as examples.

NRS 712 Nurse as Educator
3 hours; 3 credits
This course addresses principles and methods related to nursing education, including learning theories and teaching techniques used for the education of nursing students, professional staff, other health care personnel, patients, and families. Students apply methods and techniques for classroom and clinical teaching with emphasis on development of a class, goals and objectives, and methods of evaluation.

NRS 720 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Community Settings
3 hours; 3 credits
This course addresses integration of theory, research, and practice related to health promotion and disease prevention of healthy, chronically ill, and disabled adults, their families, and communities.
Prerequisites: Matriculated status in the program; NRS 702 and NRS 710
Corequisites: NRS 682, NRS 721

NRS 721 Role Practicum: Adults in Community Settings
12 hours; 3 credits
This preceptored practicum course provides for application of theories and research to health promotion and disease prevention of healthy, chronically ill, and disabled adults from culturally diverse backgrounds, their families, and communities.
Corequisite: NRS 720

NRS 722 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Acute Care Settings
3 hours; 3 credits
This course focuses on the caring and healing process in adults with acute illness, and its impact on their families and communities. Theories of crisis, stress, and psychobiologic unity are integrated with advanced technology. Research findings related to acute care of adults are identified and synthesized. Students apply theories and research to their chosen subspecialization in adult health nursing.
Prerequisites: Matriculated status, NRS 702
Corequisites: NRS 682, NRS 723

NRS 723 Role Practicum: Adults in Acute Care Settings
12 hours; 3 credits
A clinical course for the application of knowledge and skills related to nursing care of acutely ill adults from culturally diverse backgrounds. The selection of clinical placements varies according to the specializations of students in each group.
Pre- or corequisites: BIO 670, NRS 682, NRS 702
Corequisite: NRS 722

NRS 724 Case Management for Advanced Practice Nursing
3 hours; 3 credits
Focus on responses of advanced practice nurses to a changing health care system, especially provision of high-quality health care at minimal cost to populations with special needs. Proactive roles of nurses are emphasized for selection, implementation, and evaluation of interventions for targeted populations. As a case manager, the clinical nurse specialist uses clinical and technical expertise to develop standardized care processes, establish outcomes, identify variances, assess transitional levels of care, and act as an agent for planned change.
Prerequisite: Matriculated or nonmatriculated status in the MS degree program or permission of the instructor

NRS 725 Primary Health Care with Young and Middle- aged Adults
3 hours; 3 credits
Health promotion, health protection, and health restoration with young and middle-aged adults experiencing acute and chronic illnesses. Differential diagnosis and treatment of common health problems and human responses. The partnership model of working with consumers is emphasized and cultural aspects of living with acute and chronic illnesses are explored. Research findings and relevant theories for advanced practice nursing with young and middle-aged men and women are addressed.

NRS 726 Primary Health Care with Older Adults
3 hours; 3 credits
Health promotion, health protection, and health restoration of older adults experiencing acute and chronic illnesses. Differential diagnosis and treatment of common health problems and human responses. The partnership model of working with consumers is emphasized and cultural aspects of living with acute and chronic illnesses are explored. Research findings and relevant theories for advanced practice nursing with older men and women are addressed.
Pre- or corequisites: BIO 670, BIO/NRS 682, NRS 700, NRS 701, NRS 702

NRS 727 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care I
12 hours; 3 credits
A clinical course addressing health promotion, health protection, and health restoration of adults experiencing acute and chronic health problems. With preceptor supervision, students perform differential diagnosis and treatment of common health problems, including prescription of drugs and other medical interventions. Students use nursing theories and research in the Nurse Practitioner (NP) roles, diagnose human responses, plan to meet positive health outcomes, and conduct nursing interventions.
Pre- or corequisites: NRS 720, NRS 721, NRS 722, NRS 725, NRS 726

NRS 728 Role Practicum: Primary Health Care II
12 hours; 3 credits
A clinical course addressing health promotion, health protection, and health restoration of adults experiencing acute and chronic health problems. With preceptor supervision, students perform differential diagnosis and treatment of common health problems, including prescription of drugs and other medical interventions. Students use nursing theories and research in the Nurse Practitioner (NP) role, diagnose human responses, plan to meet positive health outcomes, and conduct nursing interventions.
Pre- or corequisites: NRS 720, NRS 721, NRS 722, NRS 725, NRS 726

NRS 730 Research Utilization for Advanced Practice Nursing
3 hours; 3 credits
This course is designed to assist students in the development of intermediate skills in research utilization as they apply to adult health. Research utilization models, barriers to research utilization, evidence-based practice, statistical methods, and strategies for research utilization will be explored. Students will identify a particular practice problem and develop proposals to implement research findings into their chosen practice setting. The research utilization project is the capstone experience.
Prerequisite: NRS 710

NRS 799 Thesis Option
3 hours; 3 credits
The purpose of this seminar course is to individually guide students in applying the steps of the research process in actual settings. The process culminates in the presentation of findings as a written thesis. The course is graded Pass/Fail.
Prerequisites: NRS 710, matriculated status, permission of the program coordinator