Health Professions

Miriam Ford, FNP, Ph.D., Co-Interim Program Director
mford@mercy.edu
914.674.7865

Susie Moscou, FNP, MPH, Ph.D., Co-Interim Program Director
smoscou@mercy.edu
914.674.7865

Overview

The Master of Science Degree Program in Nursing prepares nurses for roles in advanced leadership and education. Graduate study in nursing is grounded in the theoretical and research bases of the discipline, which provide a foundation for advanced practice and doctoral work.

Graduate Nursing Program Goals

The graduate nursing program is designed to prepare students in nursing administration and nursing education to:

Assume leadership roles to enact change and improve quality outcomes
Commit to lifelong learning to advance a culture of excellence.
Build, lead, and coordinate collaborative interprofessional teams
Design and implement innovative nursing practices
Navigate and integrate care services across the health care system
Translate evidence into nursing practice and disseminate knowledge
Prepared for doctoral study

Graduate Nursing Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Mercy College Master of Science Degree Programs in Nursing will be expected to demonstrate the following program outcomes:

Program Outcome I
Integrate concepts from liberal arts and sciences as the basis for nursing education and the practice of professional nursing.

Program Outcome II
Demonstrate leadership strategies that promote quality improvement, client safety, and organizational effectiveness that promotes health.

Program Outcome III
Evaluate the levels of evidence that guide scholarship and evidence based practice in professional nursing.

Program Outcome IV
Explore ethical management of data, information, knowledge, and technology to facilitate professional nursing care.

Program Outcome V
Investigate healthcare policies and practices, finances, costs, and regulations that influence professional nursing and the general population while promoting advocacy and social justice particularly for the vulnerable.

Program Outcome VI
Examine the implications of interprofessional communication and collaboration in improving health outcomes.

Program Outcome VII
Examine the impact of clinical prevention on health promotion and disease prevention on population health.

Program Outcome VIII
Integrate the core values characteristic of professional nursing.

Program Outcome IX
Apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes that lead to the improvement in health outcomes while recognizing the diversity of culture, spirituality, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, and sexual orientation of all clients.

Program Outcome X
Assess findings from nursing, bio-psychosocial fields, genetics, public health, quality improvement and organizational sciences for the continued betterment of advanced nursing practice across diverse settings.

Program Outcome XI
Develop leadership behaviors that emphasize interprofessional collaboration, systems thinking, and business and financial acumen toward the improvement of healthcare systems.

Program Outcome XII
Design advanced nursing practices that recognize regulation and national benchmarks to identify actual or potential failures in processes and systems and create a just culture which ensures continuous quality improvement and safety.

Admission Requirements

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Graduate Admissions section of this catalog.

Program Requirements

Requirements for matriculation and admission into the Master of Science Programs in Nursing include the following:

A completed Mercy College application
Baccalaureate transcript with a nursing major from a professionally accredited program (or for baccalaureate degrees in other fields, see the Bridge Program below)
Copy of current RN registration in the U.S.A.

Bridge Admission Requirements

RNs with bachelor’s degrees in a field other than nursing may apply for admission to the master’s programs. All admission and program requirements to the master’s programs must be met. The applicant must complete the following courses with a grade of B or above prior to admission into the graduate programs:

NURS 363: Nursing Research
NURS 401A: Community Health Nursing: Advocacy for Population Health
NURS 502 - Computer Technology (cc) or NURS 510 or NURS 503 (one graduate course only)

Advisement

Upon admission students are assigned a faculty advisor. The faculty advisor or the program director/ associate director is available to meet with the student to assess the credit requirements necessary for completion of the program and to develop a long-term plan of study.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy College may, if pertinent to the plan of study, be credited to the graduate degree. Transfer credit is limited to six credits taken within the last five years in which the student has received a grade of B or above.

Transfer courses taken prior to admission will not be computed in the quality point average.

Course Load

The Master of Science in Nursing degree is a part-time program that takes three years to complete. The student is required to take six credits per semester. Course work may be completed in 6 semesters.

Maintenance of Matriculation

It is expected that students will fulfill the requirements for their graduate degree by registering over successive sessions. For non-cohort programs, summer registration is not required. Registration is accomplished by either enrolling in classes or maintaining matriculation. The Maintenance of Matriculation fee is processed as a registration. Students who have not maintained matriculation and wish to return to their program within one year after their last course will be charged the Maintenance of Matriculation fee for each missed term. Maintenance of matriculation without attending classes is limited to one year. Activated U.S. Military Reservists are not required to pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee.

Practicum Requirements

Practicum is a 120 hour precepted experience in a student’s specialty track - Education or Administration. Students should be in touch with Practicum advisor at least one semester before they are scheduled to begin. Students must be in good academic standing with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed the required prerequisites, to enroll in Practicum.

Requirements :

All students must have the following in order to start the practicum. Copies must be submitted to the Nursing Clinical Coordinator in one email.

Current malpractice insurance that extends through practicum period
Current BCLS
Copy of current NY State RN license verification from New York State Office of Professions website or any other State within the U.S.A. in which you will engage in the practicum experience
Completed background check and drug screen: See clinical coordinator for website and detailed instructions.
Associated fees for these clearances must be paid by the student.
Lab report with titers for MMR Varicella Hepatitis B, C
Vaccination for Seasonal flu (Current season)
The agency may require the following additional documentation prior to starting the onsite practicum that is not requested by Mercy College:
1. Proof mask fitting; Vaccination for seasonal flu, T-Dap, Hepatitis B, pneumonia or declination, color vision screening. Note: some agency polices require mask use with flu declination.
2. Recent (Within 6 months of practicum) PPD or Quantiferon, or Negative Chest X-ray
3. HIPAA, infection control &/or corporate compliance education verification.

Maintenance of Good Academic Standing

The cumulative GPA for both good academic standing and degree conferral is a 3.0. A student admitted as a Special Matriculant is required to achieve a 3.0 average or better after completing a certain number of credits as stipulated by their respective program. Grades are subject to review by the faculty advisor and program director at the end of each term. If the academic average falls below 3.0 the student will be placed on academic probation.

Academic Probation

All students who have a GPA below 3.0 will be placed on program probation. Students have two semesters to bring the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher in order to be in good academic standing. If at the end of two semesters the student’s cumulative GPA is < 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the Nursing Program. If a student receives a grade of F in any course, the student may be subject to dismissal from the College. For all students on program probation, future registrations must be reviewed and approved by the Director as well as the School Dean. Students who receive a grade of less than B may be required to repeat the course. Students will be allowed to repeat a course only once.

Program Academic Standing and Probation

Program Dismissal Review

In cases which a student has been dismissed from the Nursing Program, the student may request a dismissal review when he/she believes that extenuating circumstances effected his/her academic performance in the program. The student must follow the SHNS Program Dismissal Review Policy detailed at the beginning of the School of Health and Natural Sciences section.

Degree Requirements

To be eligible for graduation students must complete all coursework with a GPA of 3.0 or better. The words “With Distinction” will appear on the diploma of a student whose GPA, upon meeting all requirements for graduation, is 3.75 or above.

Time Limit

Requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the candidate’s date of matriculation (exclusive of time spent in the Armed Forces). Exception may be made by the director of the program if the student’s request demonstrates circumstances beyond his or her control that temporarily interfere with the ability to complete the program on time.

Accreditation

The master’s degree in nursing at Mercy College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791. The program is also approved by the New York state Board of Regents.