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Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Tracks, Online
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Postbaccalaureate) – 16-month Curriculum
The 16-month accelerated BSN program implemented at the MCPHS–Worcester campus is designed specifically for students with a bachelor’s degree in another field. The curriculum is identical to that currently offered at the Boston and Manchester campuses. Students attend classes in Worcester. Program instruction is conducted in state-of-the-art facilities at the MCPHS-Worcester campus with clinical experiences in selected hospital and community agencies in the greater Worcester and MetroWest regions.
This 16-month program of study provides an accelerated option for students ready for a challenging transition to a career as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing registered nurse. Building on previous learning and experience gained from the student’s first bachelor’s degree, the 16-month program of study mirrors the Boston-based program’s professional major, guiding students toward gaining the knowledge, skills, competencies, and values required to practice as a registered nurse in the 21st century.
The Postbaccalaureate BSN is offered in a 16-month year-round format with a January or September admission. The September-admission program consists of a 15-week fall semester, a 15-week spring semester, a 12-week summer session, and a 15-week fall semester; concluding in December of the second year. The January-admission program consists of a 15-week spring semester, a 12-week summer session, a 15-week fall semester and a 15-week spring semester, concluding in May of the second year.
To be eligible for the program, the student must possess a prior Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree and have completed the following prerequisite coursework with a minimum grade of C+ within the past 10 years: chemistry (with lab), anatomy and physiology (with lab), microbiology (with lab), statistics, nutrition and human development. Students with a baccalaureate degree will not be required to meet the MCPHS general education core requirements. The program requires a total of 120 credit hours of credit for completion. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
NOTE: An exception to the policy that no course examinations or graded assignments worth more than 15% of final course grade may be scheduled during the week before final examinations exists for Nursing courses. Major graded assignments or exams may be administered the week before the final week of the course. A reading day (scheduled only on a weekday, no Saturday or Sunday) will be provided between the end of scheduled classes / clinical rotations and the administration of any final exams.
For details on the curriculum, prerequisites, academic policies, professional & technical standards, and other information about the program, refer to the MCPHS–Boston School of Nursing section of this catalog. For the most current information regarding the program in Manchester, refer to the MCPHS website at www.mcphs.edu.
The RN to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Bridge consists of six courses (20 credits) designed to “bridge” the differences between the educational preparation of the associate degree nurse and that of the baccalaureate nurse. These six courses will be completed prior to the student’s matriculation into the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track, and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track. The Bridge is an entry option to the Master of Science in Nursing program for nurses without a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree in nursing will not be awarded upon completion of the Bridge curriculum. The Bridge courses complement the education of the associate degree-prepared nurse, develop the educational competencies of the baccalaureate nurse, and prepare the student for graduate-level education. Students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the Bridge courses in order to matriculate into the MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner track, and the MSN-Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track. The MSN program provides a high-quality education that prepares nurses to become competent, ethical, and compassionate nurse practitioners who will provide primary care to patients across the lifespan.
RN to MSN Bridge Program Admission Requirements
• An earned Associate Degree in Nursing from a state-approved program • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in Arts and Sciences courses and a cumulative GPA of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) in prelicensure Nursing courses • RN licensure in the state in which you intend to perform your clinical hours • Official transcripts • A résumé or curriculum vitae • A personal statement (500 to 1,000 words)
• Forty-two (42) nontransferable transfer credits will be awarded to the licensed nurse upon matriculation into the
MCPHS Bridge program. There is no time limit on accepting science courses for registered nurses. Formal matriculation into the MSN-FNP track or MSN–PMHNP track requires the completion of the six MCPHS Nursing
Bridge courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
Arts and Sciences Prerequisite Courses
COURSE TITLE
TOTAL Anatomy and Physiology I and II (with labs) General or Medical Microbiology (with lab) Introduction to Psychology Introduction to Sociology Human Development English Composition I and II Statistics
Algebra and Trigonometry Healthcare or Biomedical Ethics History or Social Sciences Elective Humanities Elective
Bridge Courses
COURSE TITLE
NUR 245 Healthcare Participant I: Health Assessment NUR 250 Chemistry of Nutrition NUR 330 Nursing Informatics and Healthcare Technologies NUR 350 Scholarly Inquiry NUR 410 Professional Role Development NUR 426 Community Health Nursing (with clinical)
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS
8 4
3 3 3
6 3
3 3 3
3
42
CREDIT HOURS
4 3 3
3 3
4
20
Master of Science in Nursing Program (Online)
The primary goal of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program is to prepare the graduate nurse to meet ever-evolving healthcare needs. The MSN curriculum is based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Core Curriculum for a MSN program, including health promotion and disease prevention; human diversity and social issues; theoretical foundation of nursing practice; professional role development; research, ethics, and policy; and organization and financing of healthcare. Upon the completion of the MSN program, students will be able to
• Provide safe, effective, culturally competent, and advanced nursing care to individuals and families across the lifespan as a member of an interdisciplinary team and in the context of community; • Integrate the core competencies of research, diversity, healthcare policy, ethics, health promotion and disease prevention, and theoretical foundations of nursing in the advanced nursing practice role; • Demonstrate a leadership role in the profession of nursing; • Engage in ongoing nursing knowledge development to guide practice • Successfully pass the Family Nurse Practitioner certification examination, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner certification examination.
The MSN program offers (1) an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree option, for which candidates complete core MSN courses plus three family health nursing courses, plus Survey of Telemedicine, and which include 630 clinical hours, (2) a MSN Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree option, candidates complete the core MSN courses plus Survey of Telemedicine, a psychopharmacology course, therapy course and two psychiatric/mental health nursing courses, which include 630 clinical hours.
