Nursing Profession

Miriam Ford, FNP, Ph.D., Chief Nurse Administrator
914.674.7865 mford@mercy.edu

Susie Moscou, FNP, MPH, Ph.D., Executive Director of Nursing
914.674.7866 smoscou@mercy.edu

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
Support and engage in nursing research
Contribute to the advancement of the nursing professions
Participate in lifelong learning
Collaborate with other disciplines to enhance the quality of healthcare
Prepare for doctoral study

Graduate Nursing Program Outcomes- Nursing Education and Nursing Administration

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

Technology:

Students will synthesize knowledge and skills using patient care technologies and information management to deliver and coordinate care across multiple settings.
Students will be able analyze care outcomes and communicate with individuals, groups, media, policy makers, health care professionals and the public.

Research:

Students will synthesize knowledge and skills to integrate theory, evidence, clinical judgment, research, and inter-professional perspectives using evidence based practices to improve health outcomes for patient aggregates.

Leadership:

Students will synthesize knowledge and expertise in assessing organizations, identifying systems issues, and facilitating organization wide changes in practice delivery. Students will be able to develop leadership skills to establish and maintain effective communication and collaborative relationships with inter-professional teams.

Quality:

Students will synthesize knowledge and skills to analyze and prioritize outcomes that need to be improved, promote health, shape the health delivery system, and advance values such as social justice through policy processes and advocacy.
Students will use quality improvement and high reliability organizational principles to measure the impact of plans
Program Requirements- Nursing Administration and Nursing Education

Requirements for matriculation and admission into the Master of Science Programs in Nursing include the following:
Students applying for acceptance to the Nursing program for 2020 may complete the process using the Mercy College website (http://www.mercy.edu).
Baccalaureate transcript with a nursing major from a professionally accredited program (or for baccalaureate degrees in other fields, see the Bridge Program below) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Admission Requirements

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Admissions section of this catalog.
Copy of current RN registration in the U.S.A.

Graduate Nursing Program Outcomes- Family Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner

Graduates of the Master of Science Degree Family Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner will be expected to demonstrate the following program outcomes:

1. Integrate the nursing science, research and related sciences into the design and delivery of advanced nursing care, education, and management within an inter-professional, holistic, caring-healing framework.

2. Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning, reflective learning, ethical analysis and all ways of knowing to assess, design, implement, and evaluate advanced nursing care, education, and management practices that are holistic, safe, ethical, and evidence based.

3. Use effective communication, informatics, and inter-professional collaboration to influence complex health, cultural, and sociopolitical issues of diverse populations.

4. Influence nursing and health promotion, practice and delivery through policy and political advocacy and activism.

5. Serve as a leader to explicate policy, organization, and financing of health care and to initiate change in the advancement of nursing and health care practices.

6. Demonstrate professional role development through accountability and leadership in clinical, educational and management advanced practice roles.

Program Requirements- Family Nurse Practitioner

Requirements for matriculation and admission into the Master of Science Program- Family Nurse Practitioner include the following:

Bachelor’s degree in nursing from and accredited college or university
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License
Personal Statement (500 words- why you want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner)
Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to United States standards

Admission Requirements- Family Nurse Practitioner

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from an accredited college or university
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
GPA of 3.0 or above is required
Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to United States Standards
Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License
Resume or CV
Personal Statesment (500 word essay)

Program Requirements- Advanced Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

Requirements for matriculation and admission into the Advanced Certificate- Family Nurse Practitioner include the following:

A Master’s in Nursing from an accredited college or university
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above is required
Completion of Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment*
Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to United States Standards
Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License
Personal Statement (500 words- why you want to become a Family Nurse Practitioner)

Admission Requirements for Advanced Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner

A Master’s degree in Nursing from an accredited college or university
Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above is required
Completion of Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and Advanced Health Assessment*
Applicants with international education are required to have their earned credits evaluated by NACES to be comparable to United States standards
Copy of currently registered and unencumbered New York State RN License
Resume or CV
Personal Statement (500 word essay)

*Applicants who possess a MS in Nursing but who have not completed the prerequisites, may take these courses at Mercy College. However, students cannot start their clinical rotations until all of the prerequisites are completed.

Additional Admission Requirements

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

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 (See Undergraduate Catalog for description)
NURS 401A: Community Health Nursing: Advocacy for Population Health (See Undergraduate Catalog for description)
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 Co-Directors) 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 advised 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- Nursing Education and Nursing Administration

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.

Practicum Requirements- Family Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Certificate Family Nurse Practitioner

Practicum is a 200 hour precepted experience each semester for three semesters. 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.