UArizona Nursing Launches New Pathways for the RN-MS in Nursing Program
March 31, 2021
Beginning in Fall 2021, the University of Arizona College of Nursing is offering new pathways for the RN-MS program including emphases on nursing education and global nursing leadership. “The new UA RN-MS pathways provide nurses with several options to advance their careers in the focus areas of nursing leadership, nursing education, and global nursing,” said RN-MSN Program Coordinator Cheryl Lacasse, PhD, RN, AOCNS. “The new pathways were inspired by the evolution of complex healthcare systems, emergence of innovative nursing roles for influencing health and wellbeing, and the escalating need for nurse educators.”
Three pathways are offered: Clinical Systems Leadership, Nursing Education and Global Nursing Leadership. Program content blends advanced concepts in patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, systems leadership, healthcare technologies, quality and safety, and nursing practices focusing on health promotion and whole-person wellbeing. In addition, the new pathways will allow students to choose a specific content focus on nursing leadership, nursing education, or global nursing.
“The new pathways were inspired by the evolution of complex healthcare systems, emergence of innovative nursing roles for influencing health and wellbeing, and the escalating need for nurse educators," ~ Cheryl Lacasse, PhD, RN, AOCNS, RN-MSN Program Coordinator
The RN-MS 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.
UArizona Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing program is designed to strengthen care of individuals, families, and communities and leadership abilities while expanding expertise in complex systems across a wide spectrum of health care environments.
Cheryl Lacasse , PhD, RN, AOCNS
“The nursing education pathway will prepare graduates to educate the next generation of nurses and provide quality professional development in healthcare practice settings,” Dr. Lacasse elaborated. This pathway is designed to provide knowledge and skills development and experiences in leadership in nursing education.
“The global nursing leadership pathway will prepare graduates to influence health and wellbeing of diverse populations across the global community,” Dr. Lacasse said. This pathway is designed to provide students with perspectives in global health and knowledge and skills to lead global health initiatives that affect the quality of health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
The 30-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program can be completed in 13 months and the 41-credit-hour Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) can be completed in 24 months. Applications are open year-round; the Clinical Systems Leadership pathway admits students in fall, spring, and summer semesters and the Nursing Education and Global Nursing Leadership pathways admit students in the fall and spring semesters.