RN-MS Program
Curriculum
This program builds on clinical nursing experience to develop nurse leaders with heightened competencies in delivering patient-centered care that is comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate with emphasis on patient advocacy through systems leadership. Program content blends concepts of patient-centered care, evidence-based practice improvement, systems management, leadership, healthcare technology, quality and safety, integrative therapies, and nursing practices focusing on health promotion and healing. The graduate will be prepared to provide leadership in a variety of practice environments and to influence the delivery of complex healthcare to patients across the trajectory of illness to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Curriculum
The online Master of Science in Nursing Clinical Systems Leadership is made up of 7-week classes. For the ADN track, you'll complete 11 courses. If you're on the BSN track, you'll complete 8 courses. Both tracks have a 16-week capstone project at the end of the program.
| Course | Title | Units | ADN Track | BSN Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 520 | Foundations of Systems Leadership
Using a systems perspective, you will explore basic concepts related to the health care system, professional knowledge, and quality and safety. **Not required for BSN to MS track |
3 | Yes | |
| NURS 521 | Evidence-Based Practice Improvement
You will analyze and apply evidence for selected areas of clinical practice to facilitate optimal patient outcomes and use evidence to develop, validate and endorse strategies for system-wide practice improvements. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 540 | Health Promotion and Risk Reduction
At the individual and interpersonal level of care, you will explore the concepts of health promotion and risk reduction and examine evidence-based strategies that acknowledge patient-centered values and beliefs optimizing health/wellness. |
4 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 541 | Population Health
For vulnerable (including cross-cultural) populations and communities, you will apply concepts related to the assessments, surveillance and interventions for risk reduction, disease prevention and health promotion. **Not required for BSN to MS track |
4 | Yes | |
| NURS 543 | Health Information and Patient Care Technologies
You will evaluate and apply emerging health care technologies, such as point of care clinical support, telehealth/medicine and electronic documentation, in support of patient-provider communication, interprofessional practice and coordinated patient care delivery. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 545 | Healthcare Environments and Care Coordination
You will examine health policy and regulation, health economics and advocacy, and apply advocacy strategies for transitioning ‘at-risk’ individuals across the health care continuum. |
4 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 640 | Healthcare Business Dynamics
You will apply business concepts and principles consistent with patient-centered care across a variety of health care settings. Concepts include organizational structure and finance, budgeting, cost-benefit analysis, marketing, resource allocation, innovation and entrepreneurship. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 641 | Leadership for Patient-Centered Care
You will explore the principles of shared leadership, team dynamics and interprofessional practice as the foundation of patient-centered care with emphasis on mediation, negotiation, conflict resolution, collaboration and consultation. **Not required for BSN to MS track |
4 | Yes | |
| NURS 653 | Healing Environments and Practices
You will examine evidence-based integrative approaches that support structural and human care processes and evaluate models of optimal healing environments that promote personal and organizational health/wellness. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 654 | Quality and Safety Management
You will examine concepts related to the quality and safety improvement process and management strategies that ensure patient safety and quality outcomes, including continuous quality improvement processes and program planning, implementation and evaluation. |
4 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 660A | Foundations of Master's Nursing Practice: Pathophysiology, Therapeutics, and Assessment
You will integrate graduate level knowledge in pathophysiology, assessment, pharmacology, and integrative interventions into focused delivery of population-based clinical care projects. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
| NURS 660B | Clinical Systems Leadership Immersion
During your 16-week Clinical Systems Leadership Immersion, you will work with a team of colleagues and faculty mentor to develop a comprehensive care management plan for a chronic care population utilizing patient-centered leadership concepts. |
3 | Yes | Yes |
STATISTICS REQUIREMENT: The University of Arizona’s MS in Nursing program requires that students have passed a 3-credit, college-level statistics class within the last 5 years. If you do not meet this requirement, you can still be admitted to the program and will have several options to complete it:
- Take a college-level statistics class at another regionally accredited institution before you start or during your first semester in the program (Minimum grade of C required)
- Take NURS 629 in your first semester at University of Arizona
- Attempt a proficiency exam and if completed with a 70% or better, have your statistics class requirement waived