Dec 10, 2024  
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing Major, MSN


The College of Nursing program is accredited by the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education that may be contacted at One Dupont Circle NW, Ste 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120, 1-202-887-6791, and is unconditionally approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

The purpose of the master’s program in nursing is to prepare leaders, managers, and practitioners who facilitate achievement of optimal health in the dynamic health care system. The program prepares advanced practice nurses for a career in adult health nursing, nursing of women and children, mental health nursing, nurse anesthesia, and global disaster nursing, as well as role preparation as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists or nursing administrators. Advanced practice nursing involves the delivery of care, management of resources, interdisciplinary collaboration, and application of technology, information systems, knowledge, and critical thinking.

Graduates of the program are expected to

  • Provide advanced nursing care in a variety of health care settings. 
  • Utilize theoretical knowledge to guide advanced practice nursing. 
  • Collaborate in research activities and utilize knowledge gained from research in advanced practice nursing. 
  • Evaluate health policies and economics related to delivery of health care. 
  • Assume roles as leaders and collaborators with other professionals and communities in planning, providing, and evaluating health care.

Admission

  • Submit online application to Graduate Admissions Office. Meet admission requirements of the Graduate School. 
  • Achieve a competitive score on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Exam. 
  • Achieve a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper test or 80 on the Internet-based Test if native language is not English. 
  • Applicants for nurse anesthesia and global disaster require an interview. 
  • Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) from an accredited program.
    1. Hold or be eligible for licensure to practice nursing in Tennessee.
    2. Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale, or a GPA of 3.3 for courses in the undergraduate major.
    3. Have completed a health assessment course.
    4. Have completed 3 hours of graduate-level statistics. 
  • Application and admission dates vary. BSN graduates apply by February 1 for admission for the following fall term. Post-master’s applications must be received by October 1 for the following spring admission date.

Non-Degree Status

Only NURS 505  and NURS 511  are open to students in Non-Degree Status. Students not yet accepted into the master’s program must be advised by the Chair of the Master of Science in Nursing program prior to enrollment.

Special Requirements

  • Before enrollment in the master’s program, each student must successfully complete a criminal background check. 
  • Each student must hold personal professional liability insurance and health insurance. 
  • Each student must be eligible to practice nursing in Tennessee, i.e., licensed in Tennessee or one of the interstate compact states. 
  • Each student must present proof of hepatitis B vaccination and rubella and rubeola immunization or sufficient titer for immunity; TB status. 
  • Each student must present evidence of current health professionals CPR certification. 
  • For more detailed information about the application process, contact Master of Science in Nursing Program, The University of Tennessee College of Nursing, 1200 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-4180; (865) 974-4151.

Thesis and Non-Thesis Options

The thesis option is available for interested students and is especially encouraged for those who are considering pursuit of doctoral degrees sometime in the future. Students who choose the non-thesis option must register for NURS 582 .

Program Requirements

Core (7 hours) Hours Credit
NURS 507 - Concepts for Advanced Practice Nursing: Health Promotion and Health Policy   4
NURS 510 - Theoretical Foundations of Nursing 
 
3
 
Advanced Practice Core (9 hours) *  
NURS 504 - Advanced Health/Physical Assessment   3
NURS 505 - Advanced Clinical Pharmacology   3
NURS 515 - Advanced Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice    
        (not required for nurse anesthesia students or neonatal students) 3

* Not required for nursing administration concentration or global disaster (Management Track).
 

Required for nurse anesthesia students Hours Credit
NURS 506 - Advanced Anesthesia Pharmacology   3
NURS 516 - Advanced Pathophysiology: Neurological/Cardiovascular with Anesthesia Implications   2
NURS 517 - Advanced Pathophysiology: Respiratory/Renal with Anesthesia Implications   2
NURS 518 - Advanced Pathophysiology: Obstetrical and Pediatric Pathophysiology with Anesthesia Implications   2
NURS 523 - Advanced Principles of Nurse Anesthesia Practice   2
NURS 524 - Basic Principles of Anesthesia I   3
NURS 525 - Basic Principles of Anesthesia II   3

NURS 526 - Professional Issues in Nurse Anesthesia  

2
   
Research (6-9 hours) Hours Credit
NURS 500 - Thesis   6
NURS 501 - Nursing Research: Methods, Design, and Analysis   3
  OR  
NURS 582 - Scholarly Inquiry for Advanced Practice Nursing   3

 

Concentration (choose one) Hours
   
NURS 574 , NURS 575 , NURS 576  Adult Health Nursing Clinical Nurse Specialis 15

NURS 529 , NURS 538 , NURS 539  Adult Health: Gerontology

13
NURS 544 , NURS 545 , NURS 546 , NURS 547 , NURS 548 , NURS 549  Clinical Nurse Anesthesia Practicum/Seminar I, II, III, IV, V, VI 40
NURS 532 , NURS 533 , NURS 534 , NURS 535 , NURS 536 , NURS 537  Global Disaster: Advanced Practice  27
NURS 532 , NURS 533 , NURS 534 , NURS 537  Global Disaster: Management 14
NURS 550 , NURS 551 , NURS 553 , NURS 554 , NURS 555 , NURS 556  Nursing of Women and Children: Women’s Health 20
NURS 550 , NURS 551 , NURS 527 , NURS 528 , NURS 562 , NURS 563  Nursing of Women and Children: Child Health 20
NURS 550 , NURS 551 , NURS 552 , NURS 564 , NURS 567 , NURS 568 , NURS 569  Nursing of Women and Children: Neonatal Health 23
NURS 560 , NURS 561 , NURS 519  Mental Health Nursing I, II 16
NURS 570 , NURS 571 , NURS 572 , NURS 573  Family Nurse Practitioner I, II, III 19
NURS 590 , NURS 591  Nursing Administration: Macro/Micro Analysis 12


Additional Course Requirements

  • Electives for nursing administration concentration (9) 
  • Electives for global disaster nursing: management track (3) 
  • Epidemiology for global disaster nursing: management and advanced practice tracks (3) 
  • Issues in Advanced Practice (all concentrations except nurse anesthesia) (1)
     

Final Examination Requirements

All students must successfully complete a final examination as required by the Graduate Council. For thesis students, the examination will consist of an oral defense of the thesis as well as other written or oral questions designed to measure student mastery of the entire program of study. For non-thesis students, the written examination will cover the entire program of study and may, at the discretion of the student’s committee, be followed by an oral examination.

Special Policies

  • If the clinical performance of any student is characterized by unethical, unprofessional or unsafe behavior, or behavior that places the client in jeopardy, the student will be required to withdraw from the program. 
  • Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA; however, students must maintain a grade of B or better in clinical concentration courses and/or directed clinical practice. Graduate students are not permitted to repeat a course, repeat an exam or do additional work for the purpose of raising a grade already received. A student who receives a final grade below a B in a clinical concentration course will be dismissed from the program. A student whose cumulative GPA drops below a 3.0 as a result of earning grades of C in other courses will be placed on academic probation. A student will be allowed to continue in graduate study while on academic probation as long as each semester’s grade point average is 3.0 or better and the grade for clinical concentration work is at least 3.0.