University of Houston-Victoria

School of Nursing

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Program Requirements

The RN to MSN bridge program is designed to allow associate degree and diploma nurses to obtain a master’s degree with a focus as nurse administrator, or nurse educator in the most streamlined manner possible. In addition, the RN to MSN bridge program will allow those nurses with baccalaureate degrees in disciplines other than nursing an opportunity to obtain a MSN.

During the first two semesters of study, these registered nurses complete undergraduate bachelor’s level nursing courses that provide the bridge to a master’s in nursing. An additional semester will be required for those students interested in becoming a nurse educator. This special classification of students will not receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

PREREQUISITE COURSES FOR THE RN TO MSN BRIDGE PROGRAM:

Lower-Level Prerequisite Courses	Semester Hours
ENGL 1301/ENGL 1302 English Composition	6
HIST 1301/HIST 1302 U. S. History	6
GOVT 2301/2306 and GOVT 2302/2305 Political Science (Federal and State)	6
Literature (any sophomore level Literature course)	3
Speech (may take any Speech course including Interpersonal Comm.)	3
COSC 1301 or equivalent Computer Literacy course	3
PSYC 2301 Introduction to Psychology	3
PSYC 2314 Human Growth and Development	3
SOCI 1301 Introduction to Sociology (	3
Visual/Performing Arts (may select from Art, Drama, or Music)	3
PSYC 2317 or MATH 1342 - Statistics	3
BIOL 1322 Nutrition	3
Chemistry (May take Introductory Chem. or General Chemistry)	4
BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 Human Anatomy and Physiology	8
BIOL 2420 Microbiology	4
Total Prerequisite Courses	61

REQUIRED SPECIFIC UNDERGRADUATE NURSING COURSES (24 HOURS)

ENG 3430 Professional Writing*

NUR 3440 Introduction to Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

NUR 4314 Nursing Research

NUR 4312 Leadership and Management in Nursing Practice

NUR 4520 Integration of Concepts in Complex Patient Care

NUR 4521 Community Health Nursing

*Professional Writing is not a requirement for RN to MSN Bridge program students who have completed a baccalaureate degree in another discipline.

Requirements for Graduate Admission

Applicants to the graduate nursing programs must meet all requirements for graduate admission as described in the ADMISSIONS section of this catalog.

http://www.uhv.edu/catalog/pdf/UHV_Catalog_2009-10.pdf

In order to be considered for admission a student must send the following credentials to the Office of Admissions and Records:

A completed application for graduate admission which includes the graduate action form found on the ADMISSIONS web page (www.uhv.edu/oar).
Official transcripts reflecting AT LEAST the last 60 hours of coursework completed AND the baccalaureate (or higher) degree conferred, sent directly from each institution to UH-Victoria.
Applicants to the MSN program must provide evidence of current RN Texas licensure and current CPR certification.
Applicants to the MSN program must provide a short essay (one page in length) which includes career goals and expectations for the desired program of study.
Two letters of recommendation. Please use the Applicant Letter of Reference for Graduate Program form.

Your approval to the MSN program depends on the following:

A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on at least the last 60 semester credit hours you have attempted at the college and/or university level.
Content of essay which includes career goals and expectations for the desired program of study.
Content of two letters of recommendation.
Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT). A passing score of 13 or above is required for admission.
Completion of Texas minimum State vaccine immunization requirements.to download student immunization verification form click here
a)      TB skin test within one year

b)      Tetanus-diptheria toxoid (Td) within the last 10 years

c)      Measles/Mumps/Rubella vaccinations(s)

d)     Seasonal Influenza

e)      Varicella vaccination(s)*

Varicella immunity must be confirmed by one of three ways: a) a signed provider note verifying that the student was diagnosed with Varicella

      b) A blood titer indicating immunity

      c) Verification of receipt of the Varicella immunization.

f)       Three-injection hepatitis B vaccination series or serologic confirmation of immunity to hepatitis B virus.

The following courses are required for attaining the Master of Science in Nursing Degree.

REQUIRED CORE NURSING COURSES (12 HOURS)

Requirement (Prerequisite*)

NURS 6301 Nursing Research and Advanced Inquiry

NURS 6306 Professional Role, Policy and Ethics

NURS 6307 Nursing Theory

NURS 6351 Evidence-Based Practice Project

*Students should refer to individual course descriptions for additional information on course prerequisites.

ACADEMIC CONCENTRATION

Choose one of the following:

Nurse Administration: MSN students interested in Nurse Administration will take the Nursing core courses, in addition to the courses listed below:

NURS 6309 Advanced Leadership and Management

NURS 6313 Theories and Methods of Teaching and Learning in Nursing

NURS 6316 Healthcare Organizational Behavior (Cross-listed as MGMT 6351)

NURS 6317 Human Resource Management in Healthcare (Cross-listed as MGMT 6374)

NURS 6318 Healthcare Delivery Systems and Organization

NURS 6319 Healthcare Finance

NURS 6320 Healthcare Informatics

NURS 6321 Leadership Practicum

TOTAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED CORE NURSING COURSES 12 hours

ACADEMIC CONCENTRATION 24 hours

TOTAL 36 hours

Nurse Education: MSN students interested in Nurse Education will take the Nursing core courses, in addition to the courses listed below:

NURS 6310 Advanced Clinical I

NURS 6311 Advanced Clinical II

NURS 6312 Measurement and Evaluation in Nursing Education

NURS 6313 Theories and Methods of Teaching and Learning in Nursing

NURS 6314 Development of Nursing Curriculum

NURS 6315 Practicum in Teaching in Nursing

NURS 6320 Healthcare Informatics

NURS Elective, can be selected from the following options:

NURS 6300 Selected Topics in Nursing

NURS 6304 Advanced Pathophysiology

NURS 6305 Advanced Health Assessment

NURS 6318 Healthcare Delivery Systems & Organization (Cross-listed as MGMT 6351)

NURS 6319 Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Economics (Cross-listed as MGMT 6374)

NURS 6323 Foundations of Adult Education (Cross-listed as FED 6334)

NURS 6324 Diversity and Adult Education (Cross-listed as FED 6335)

TOTAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED CORE NURSING COURSES 12 hours

ACADEMIC CONCENTRATION 24 hours

TOTAL 36 hours

*Post Master's Certificate in Nursing Education – 9 hours
Students who desire this additional certificate are required to complete the Nurse Administration requirements, in addition to the courses listed below:

NUR 6312 Measurement and Evaluation in Nursing Education

NUR 6313 Principles of Teaching and Learning

NUR 6314 Curriculum Development

Note: NUR 6315 Practicum in Teaching in Nursing will be an optional course for the post-master’s certificate.

*Post Master's Certificate in Nursing Administration – 9 hours

Students who desire this additional certificate are required to complete the Nurse Administration requirements, in addition to the courses listed below:

NURS 6309 Advanced Leadership and Management

NURS 6317 Human Resource Management in Health care

NURS 6319 Health Care Finance

*Post Master’s certificate candidates are required to achieve a grade of B or higher in all post MSN certificate courses to be eligible to receive the certificate.

Transfer of graduate/undergraduate course work

Credit may be transferred only for graduate credit courses completed with a grade of A or B. The transfer student must complete 75% of the coursework required for a degree program at UHV. A total of 9 semester hours of graduate course work is allowable.

A transfer student may transfer course work from another institution if the institution is accredited by one of the six recognized regional accrediting associations, the credit is of college level , and the credit is on the school's official transcript. The School of Nursing will determine if the course work may be applied toward a degree.