MEPN Students: Curriculum

The goals of the program are to prepare students for registered nurse eligibility at the master’s level who are able to achieve the advanced beginner level of nursing practice in the seven domains of nursing practice identified by Dr. P. Benner (1984). By the end of the student’s education, they will:

1. Individualize the nursing process to manage and coordinate comprehensive patient care to help heal individuals, families, and clinical cohorts at the point of care incorporating culturally sensitive primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions as needed.
2. Develop and execute generalist nursing roles to meet the changing health needs and maximize the patient’s (individuals, families, groups, and populations) participation in their recovery in front-line units such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, community or public health, and school-based settings.
3. Assess individuals and families to anticipate risks, design and implement plans of care, provide support, and oversee care delivery and outcomes for a specified group of patients or specialty populations
4. Assist patients to integrate the implications of illness and recovery into their lifestyles
5. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and appropriateness in patient teaching and coaching
6. Integrate strategies for clinical assessment and management, risk anticipation and risk assessment to design and implement safe medical and nursing care; evaluate and revise plans of care in collaboration with colleagues and health care providers
7. Identify and manage a patient crisis at an advanced beginner level until assistance is available
8. Demonstrate advanced beginner clinical expertise with clinical assessment, management, evaluation, recovery, discharge planning, and rehabilitation of patients within specialty population.
9. Demonstrate skill competency with invasive and non-invasive clinical tasks
10. Identify and prevents the clinical sequelae of immobility.
11. Assess and intervene to decrease pain and improve quality of life.
12. Assume responsibility for the delegation and oversight of care deliver by other staff on a daily basis.
13. Collaborate with and advocate for culturally diverse consumers and colleagues in the delivery of innovative health care services
14. Evaluate research, implement evidence-based practice, and use quality improvement strategies to ensure consistency of clinical care and improved outcomes
15. Utilize past educational, life, and professional experiences to synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge as a basis for professional nursing practice and leadership
16. Apply clinically and culturally appropriate information technology to promote quality health care.
17. Identify and participate in the implementation of clinical research for best practice.
18. Provide leadership in implementation evaluation of guidelines, professional standards and policies that affect patient care.
19. Assume responsibility and accountability for legal and ethical practice.
20. Demonstrate awareness of global factors, including global environments and human cultures, as they influence health and health care delivery.

Master’s Entry Program in Nursing Curriculum

Program Plan: 71 units + 1300 clinical hours

Semester I (Fall: 15 units)
MEPN 521: Health assessment [3]
MEPN 533: Conceptual basis of professional nursing practice [2]
MEPN 534: Fundamentals in nursing [3]
MEPN 535: Introduction to pharmacology [2]
MEPN 555: Nursing practice with adult and older adult patients with acute and chronic health problems I [5]

Semester II (Spring: 16 units)
MEPN 556: Nursing practice with adult and older adult patients with acute and chronic health problems II [6]
MEPN 557: Nursing practice with psych-mental health clients [4]
MSNC 512: Influencing the health care environment: policy and systems [3]
ENLC 554: Health care informatics [3]

Semester III (Summer: 13 units)
APNC 503/MSNE 545P: Care of diverse families [5]
MEPN 558: Nursing practice with women and infants [4]
MEPN 559: Nursing practice with children with acute and chronic health problems [4]

Semester IV (Fall: 13 units)
MEPN 547: Care of populations [4]
MSNC 524: Clinical nursing practicum I [3] (7 wks)
MSNC 534: Clinical nursing practicum II [3] (7 wks)
MSNC 511: Evidence based practice: role of theory and research [3]