MSN: Nurse Management & Organizational Leadership Online Program
The following is an excerpt of the NurseTogether.com Community member’ online chat (July 13, 2010) with Dr. Catherine Garner, dean of health sciences and nursing at American Sentinel University.
NT.com: What are the requirements to enter into the master’s programs?
Dr. Garner: You need an associate’s degree in nursing and a current license. American Sentinel University has a “fast track” program where you take seven courses from the BSN and, if you make B’s in all courses, you can transfer immediately into the MSN program. You do not earn the bachelor’s degree, but if you are intent on completing the MSN, this program allows you to move ahead and graduate faster.
NT.com: Can you tell me about your MSN program?
Dr. Garner: The MSN is 36 credits, generally taken one course at a time over two years. Each class is eight weeks in length. If you are only working part-time or do not have family demands, you can take two courses at a time and be finished in one year.
NT.com: What are the clinical requirements for the Nurse Management program?
Dr. Garner: There are no clinical rotations like you had in your pre-licensure program. You are already registered nurses, so the MSN core focuses on Quality and Safety, Evidence Based Practice, Community Health, Case Management and Leadership. The specialty courses have projects that you can complete with your own employer or a volunteer organization.
NT.com: What kinds of career opportunities are folks interested in pursuing?
Dr. Garner: There are many roles; nurse manager for units or for specialty lines of business such as cardiac, oncology, women’s health, etc. Nurses are assuming leadership roles with informatics and electronic medical records systems, and even moving into the role of chief operating officer and chief executive officer of major health systems.
NT.com: For those who want to enter into more of a leadership role, is it necessary to obtain your MSN?
Dr. Garner: More and more, particularly with magnet status, hospitals are requiring master’s degrees from those entering into management and leadership roles.
NT.com: I also have my BSN and would like to be a neonatal nurse practitioner. I would like to know the best route for this.
Dr. Garner: The best route is to look for programs that are associated with university teaching hospitals so that you can get the most up-to-date experience with neonates. This specialty is needed! Visit the AACN web site (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) to research accredited NP programs. Also, Google “Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Programs” and then search individual university programs.
NT.com: Can you please provide further information regarding obtaining a BSN?
Dr. Garner: The RN to BSN requires an associate’s degree and current license. The program is 10 courses or 30 credits to the BSN. We do not require statistics or other general education courses. Read “RN to BSN Online Program: Everything You Need to Know” for further information.
NT.com: Is the GRE and/or the MAT required for enrollment to a MSN program?
Dr. Garner: No, at American Sentinel University. There is no correlation between GRE scores and academic success in graduate programs for working adults.
NT.com: I am interested in the DNP program. Any idea when it will be accredited?
Dr. Garner: Accreditation for the DNP requires that we submit to CCNE a new program announcement which was sent in June 2010 when we started the program. They do a web site visit no earlier than one year after the program starts to decide on accreditation, as they want to interview students and faculty on the quality of the program. We are fully accredited now with the Distance Education and Training Council, a US Department of Education approved accrediting body.
NT.com: What are the chances of obtaining some of these positions if you have not worked in the field for five years?
Dr. Garner: I would recommend that you use the class projects to connect with a health system that you would want to be employed by and start bridging the experience gap.
NT.com comment: I’m not familiar with class projects.
Dr. Garner: In each class there is a project that is the main assignment. For instance, in Finance you will analyze a real hospital budget; in Leadership you will interview nurse leaders; in community health you actually do a project for a community agency.
NT.com: What is the feedback regarding the online doctoral degrees? Do hiring agencies or academic employers recognize them?
Dr. Garner: Great question! Most of the doctoral programs across the country are going to online or at least a combination of residencies and online, as the students today work and go to school. The full-time doctoral student is becoming obsolete.
NT.com: Who are the faculty teaching the MSN programs?
Dr. Garner: The BSN and MSN faculty have all worked as nurses and many continue in active practice so that they can relate to the daily demands and pressures you face in the work environment. All have either their master’s degrees or doctoral degrees and many have additional specialty certifications.
Our faculty have published and done research in nursing, so they are quite accomplished. You will find that they come from all over the United States and many have worked internationally. They are all committed to teaching.
NT.com: Do all areas of nursing practice and institutions recognize the online earned degrees? I see many have earned their degrees at Yale, Harvard, etc.
Dr. Garner: Even Yale is offering degrees online. This was new 15 years ago but is generally regarded now, especially since so many online programs are accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) or NLNAC (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission). Good question!
Over 25% of all MSN degrees awarded last year were from online universities!
NT.com: Is there a time limit on earning your degree? Also, what if you need to take a break due to family or work?
Dr. Garner: No, but you will want to examine your schedule, your life commitments and arrange your educational program to be completed as efficiently as possible. Just taking a course here and there requires that you have to “gear up” each time.
American Sentinel starts classes each month, so if you have to take a four week break to deal with family or work issues, you can start back up again without waiting until another semester starts
NT.com: Are some online schools more highly regarded in the workplace than others?
Dr. Garner: Look for those accredited by CCNE or NLNAC – that is what is reviewed by prospective employers.
NT.com comment: I had a short, wonderful dabble in the area of infection control; I was honored and fortunate to get a temporary grant funded position with my state dept of health in the communicable disease program. I did outbreaks and guidance for the outbreaks, mostly LTC/nor virus. What a wonderful experience. I have only been a diploma grad, staff hospital nurse; this was a new experience in unfamiliar territory.
Dr. Garner: Look to our RN to MSN in Infection Control so that you can obtain the higher paying position! This is a growing area, particularly with all the concern about emerging diseases. They are even looking to hire nurses to investigate all of the public health problems emerging from the Gulf Oil Spill.
NT.com: Informatics sounds interesting to me. If I am looking at obtaining a BSN, is there any focus on that?
Dr. Garner: Yes, American Sentinel University has a focus on the use of informatics in all of our courses, as this is so the way to go. We do have a fast track RN to MSN in Nursing Informatics, which makes you eligible for the many director level positions in clinical informatics that will be required with the new electronic medical records systems. In addition, vendors such as Cerner, GE, etc. are hiring nurse consultants to do installs, education, clinical support for health systems. Great salaries!
NT.com: When you say “great salaries” for Master in Nursing Informatics degrees, what range are you talking about?
Dr. Garner: Nursing informatics salaries generally start at $85,000. Companies such as Cerner hire MSN in Informatics at $95k+.
NT.com: Any particular informatics program available for an MSN online?
Dr. Garner: American Sentinel has an MSN in Informatics. And remember, you get a tuition discount for being a NurseTogether member.
We are also partnered with Cerner Corporation, so if you have taken any of their certifications they count toward your degree. I just returned from two days at Cerner, a leading provider of healthcare software, and was totally blown away at the things their nurses are developing – they have a new OB software that combines the fetal monitor strip directly into the electronic medical record.
Check out the NurseTogether Chat with ASU regarding MSN in Nursing Informatics – “Nursing Informatics: Everything You Need to Know About Managing Heathcare Data”.
NT.com: How about transfer or recognition into a doctoral program after completing a master’s degree? My state university had trouble accepting the degree into their doctoral program because the college awarded the degree on a competency based approach, even though it was CCNE accredited.
Dr. Garner: It is a shame that education is so far behind the rest of the world. Look at our DNP in Executive Leadership – it is a two year program, 42 credits, with two residencies at the beginning and middle of the program. Also look to the non-traditional universities for programs – they get it.
NT.com: Are there any grants for RN’s entering the MSN online degree programs? Right now, the cost is a major factor holding me back.
Dr. Garner: Actually, there are federal programs right now that support nurses who are pursing an MSN in Education because of the nursing teaching shortage. Many professional associations offer grants/scholarships, so be sure to research your professional association. Many hospitals will offer tuition reimbursement, like the VA systems, if you agree to work for them for a few years after graduation – search out employers who will invest in you.
NT.com: Are the vendors requiring MSN or BSN? I am 56 and coming out of retirement due to the economy. I don’t think the extra time and money to pursue an MSN would benefit me now since I don’t have my entire career ahead of me!
Dr. Garner: Well in two years, you will still be 58. Where are you planning to work for the 10 years after that? A master’s degree opens up many doors outside the hospital: managed care, pharmaceutical clinical trials research, consulting, teaching, and a variety of leadership roles.
NT.com: I’m 54 and I want to obtain my BSN/MSN because the job market is so bad for RN’s with only diplomas. Since I did my temporary position, I want out of the hospital/unit clinical arena very badly. My interests are teaching, documentation/insurance investigations, and now public health – the infection control sounds very interesting.
Dr. Garner: Go for it! You can put yourself in a position to work in public health, health maintenance organizations, education, industry, etc. Many companies are hiring nurses to run their wellness centers inside the company, so there are many opportunities and ones where you can even work part-time after retirement (if any of us can afford this). My aunt is 73 and works at a golf community and does wellness checks and health classes two days per week for free golfing!
NT.com: I have a two year degree but a four year degree in Business Administration and I am 66 years old. Any suggestions which direction to go?
Dr. Garner: Check out the job section of NurseTogether and careerbuilder.com to see all of the opportunities out there. You can work in community health centers, nurse managed clinics, assisted living centers, all kinds of places outside of the hospital. Although, hospitals are looking for ways to use mature nurses on shorter shifts during peak demand times and also to mentor new nurses coming out of school.
NT.com: Where do you think the nursing profession is headed with the new health care laws coming into effect?
Dr. Garner: A great deal of money is going into primary care and community health centers that will need nurse practitioners to deliver primary care. Many leaders believe that 10 years from now, 90% of primary care will be delivered by nurse practitioners.
NT.com: I am an older nurse who can no longer hit the deck running and want a slower pace than acute care. I don’t know where to look for the type of job that I want.
Dr. Garner: Look at school nursing, community health centers, teaching education at places such as the American Heart Association, teaching in career schools and community colleges. Look at contract case management/utilization review jobs for insurance companies. Visit the job section of NurseTogether or other nursing specific job sites. Companies that run clinical trials for new drugs are also looking for nurses without the traditional 10 to 12 hour shifts.
