Nursing, RN/MSN Option, MSN

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Curriculum
Advisement For The RN/MSN Student
Program Progression Requirements

Registered nurses holding a bachelor’s degree in another field of study are eligible to bridge to the master of science in nursing (MSN) program. Registered nurses must hold a license to practice in Pennsylvania to be accepted into the RN/MSN option of the MSN program. Students applying for the RN/MSN option must complete all admission requirements listed below.

Students may select an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialty role as either family (individual across the lifespan) CRNP or as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in the area of adult-gerontology, nursing education, or executive nurse leadership. A bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) is not awarded.

MSN Admission Requirements

Online application (www.widener.edu).
Transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher education, including a transcript from a previously completed bachelor’s degree.
Licensure as a registered nurse in Pennsylvania.
Two letters of recommendation, preferably from professional nurses with graduate degrees, regarding the applicant’s practice and potential for the FNP or CNS advanced practice role.
Minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree in nursing program.
Completion of an undergraduate statistics and research course with a grade of “C” (C- is not acceptable) or better.
Current résumé.
Goal statement.
Satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants from non-English speaking countries.

Once all requirements are complete, the applicant’s file is reviewed and applicants are notified of the decision.

Once matriculated, students are able to begin the RN/MSN courses listed below:

Curriculum

Required Courses

NURS 443 - Population Health for the RN (W) 6 Credit(s) **
NURS 446 - Research Design for the RN 3 Credit(s)
NURS 447 - Evidence-Based Practice for the RN 3 Credit(s)

Total Credits: 12

* All courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or better.

** (W) = Writing enriched

All 6-credit courses are 14 weeks in length. All 3-credit courses are 7 weeks in length. These courses are online.

Advisement for the RN/MSN Student

Students are advised by the academic program coordinator for the RN/MSN option for the three RN/MSN courses. Upon completion of the RN/MSN bridge courses, students are advised by the designated advisor for the FNP, CNS APRN, executive nurse leadership, or nursing education program.

Students are eligible to enroll in two of the following graduate courses while completing the RN/MSN course:

Required Courses

NURS 611 - Introduction to Nursing Science 3 (3,0,0) Credit(s)
NURS 634 - Nursing Leadership for Advanced Practice 3 (3,0,0) Credit(s)
NURS 636 - Dynamics of Family Health Care 3 (3,0,0) Credit(s)
NURS 664 - The Health Care Environment: Technology and Health Policy 3 Credit(s)
NURS 684 - Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice 3 (3, 0, 0) Credit(s)

Program Progression Requirements

MSN Program Progression Requirements for RN/MSN Students

Students must complete all of the RN/MSN courses with a grade of “B” (B- is not acceptable) or better. Upon satisfactory completion of the three courses, the student is eligible to continue in the MSN program.

Graduates of the APRN options of the MSN program are eligible to sit for the national advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certification examinations through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the adult-gerontology CNS role and either ANCC or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) for the FNP role. Graduates of the nursing education option are prepared to sit for the NLN-certified nurse educator certification examination after two years of full-time teaching in an academic setting.