The Master of Science in Nursing for Nurse Educators (MSN Ed) Program is designed for learners who already hold a bachelor degree in nursing and prepares graduates to be nurse educators in diverse settings: hospitals, community agencies, schools, industry and businesses, and academic nursing programs. MSN Ed graduates provide education and training to nurses, nursing learners, schoolchildren, community groups, workers, patients, and consumers. The MSN Ed Program content is grounded in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Masters Education in Nursing and evidence based on national standards and research related to effective teaching, learning, and role development. It provides the knowledge and skills that enable educators to teach effectively in diverse learning environments.
MSN Ed program focus
The MSN Ed Program content and processes are consistent with the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nurse Educator Competencies. The Program is focused on the preparation of highly qualified educators and consists of developing core knowledge related to complexities of health care, access, quality, and costs for diverse populations. New nursing knowledge includes research, theory, technology applied to nursing practice, evidence-based practice, ethics, and new roles for master’s prepared nurses. The nurse educator focuses on learning styles, the development and socialization of learners, and strategies to facilitate learning. Educators also need to organize their activities around learning theories. Developing curriculum, objectives, and learning modules are part of an educator role.
Program Accreditation
The master’s degree in nursing (MSN Ed) at Nightingale College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org). If you want to find out more about Nightingale’s Programs Accreditation, check Accreditation and Affiliation.
How many credits do you need for the MSN Ed Program?
The MSN Ed Program consists of forty (40) semester credits of graduate division nursing coursework, including core, direct care core, electives, specialty and practicum.
How long does it take to get a MSN Ed?
Learners can complete the MSNEd Program in five (5) academic semesters or eighty (80) academic weeks of instruction.
How are courses delivered?
The MSN Ed Program utilizes full-distance delivery of instruction, where learners engage in online didactic and Capstone practicum experiences in community nursing and global health trends, health promotion, disease prevention, leadership, policy, ethics, informatics, statistics, pharmacology, pathophysiology and other key nursing educator concepts. For learner residency and course delivery modalities definitions, see the Learner Residency and Course Delivery Modalities section of the College Catalog. The curriculum is specifically constructed to promote the nurse educator role. Upon satisfactory completion of the prescribed MSN Ed Program curriculum with a minimum 3.0 GPA and other graduation requirements, the learner will earn a Master of Science in Nursing Education (MSN Ed) Degree.
Note: The Program only enrolls residents in states where it is fully authorized. If a learner enrolls in the Program and subsequently moves to a state where the Program is not authorized, he/she will not be able to continue being enrolled until such authorization is obtained. Learners must notify the Program immediately upon relocation.
MSN Ed Program Objectives
- Graduate Master-prepared nurses who will improve individual, family, and community health and wellness by applying clinical reasoning, evidence-based skills and knowledge, and advanced leadership in practice.
- Facilitate career mobility of graduates and help meet the demand for professional nurse educators.
- Increase the availability of advanced nursing education opportunities for qualified learners.
- Improve access to nursing education, course scheduling flexibility, and learning efficacy through the utilization of a variety of innovative instruction delivery methods and learning modalities, including synchronous and asynchronous online engagements, capstone activities, and distance learning.
MSN Ed Program Outcomes
MSN Ed Program Outcomes are aligned with the Institutional Effectiveness Plan and measure the degree to which the Program achieves its stated mission.
Program-Level Learner Outcomes
The MSN Ed Program, in alignment with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs, has identified Program outcomes, including Program-level learner outcomes and competencies, alumni outcomes, and faculty outcomes to evaluate the MSN Ed Program effectiveness. The learner outcomes include program completion and employment rates, achievement of the College’s graduate general education goals, achievement of expected learner outcomes, satisfaction with courses and instruction, and satisfaction with overall program effectiveness.
At Program completion, as measured by evaluation activities throughout the Program, the graduate will:
- Integrate the principles of patient-centered and culturally appropriate concepts of planning, delivering, and evaluating prevention and population care into nursing education and clinical practice care (Essential VIII).
- Integrate knowledge gained from nursing, bio-psychosocial fields, genetics/genomics, public health, quality improvement, and organizational sciences for the continual improvement of nursing education in diverse settings (Essential I).
- Analyze nursing research to facilitate the translation and integration of nursing scholarship into practice (Essential III and IV).
- Incorporate leadership, collaborative, and organizational skills into educational practice in order to emphasize ethical and critical decision-making, effective working relationships, and a system-perspective.
- Demonstrate role competency and leadership through the analysis, development and implementation of health policy. Advocate for policies that improve the health of the public and the profession of nursing (Essentials II and VI).
- Analyze nursing practice, legal, and ethical considerations of current communication and emerging healthcare technologies utilized in patient care and nursing education (Essential V).
- Integrate the principles of quality improvement and evaluation into the advanced nurse educator role (Essential III).
- Function as a member of inter/intra professional collaborative team for improving patient and population health outcomes (Essential VII).
MSN Ed Program Core Competencies
- Client-Centered Care
- Intentional Learning with Reflection
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Decision-Making and Clinical Reasoning
- Organizational, Local, and Global Leadership
- Communication and Informatics
- Quality and Safety Assurance
- Teamwork and Collaboration
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