NEW

PROGRAM PROPOSAL

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

Submission Date:        Fall, 2012

College:                Dumke College of Health Professions

Department:            Master of Science in Nursing

Program Title:           Graduate Certificate in Nursing Administration

1.   Complete Program Description

The proposed Graduate Certificate in Nursing Administration is a post graduate certificate to provide advanced administrative skills to nurses that have a non-administration focused Master of Science in Nursing degree.

Students earning a Graduate Certificate in Nursing Administration will possess the knowledge and skills required to function as an effective nurse administrator. The program consists of five specialty courses, totaling 15 credit hours of graduate-level credit.  These five courses are currently embedded in the MSN curriculum through the four semester program.  Current master’s prepared students will be able to apply sound theoretical, evidence-based concepts and strategies to ensure organizational quality and delivery of patient care, establish a professional practice environment, facilitate shared governance, establish an interdisciplinary care model for diverse populations in multiple settings, manage resources with vision and accountability, and provide leadership in the utilization of research.

The Graduate Certificate in Nursing Administration is a stand-alone certificate: completion of a MSN degree is a prerequisite to admission to the graduate certificate program. Certificate courses may not be concurrently applied towards the WSU MSN degree. The certificate will be awarded upon completion of the five graduate-level specialty courses listed below. The courses will be offered in a hybrid delivery format with 3 face-to-face classes and interaction enhanced by online discussions and learning activities.

Required courses (proposed) in the Certificate in Nursing Administration are:

MSN 6200: Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Administration

MSN 6324: Financial Issues in Nursing Administration

MSN 6340: Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Systems in Patient Care Delivery

MSN 6300: Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, and Risk Issues in Patient Care Delivery

MSN 6380: Retaining and Developing a Competent Workforce in Nursing

2.   Purpose of Degree

The purpose of the certificate is to provide graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill advanced practice roles as nurse administrators in healthcare facility or higher education.  Specifically, students will possess the knowledge and skills to function as an effective nurse administrator; one that applies sound, theoretical, evidence-based concepts and strategies to ensure organizational quality and delivery of safe patient care, establishes a professional practice environment, facilitates shared governance with the nursing organization, establishes an interdisciplinary care model for diverse populations in multiple settings, and effectively manages resources.

3.   Institutional Readiness

Currently available University, College, and MSN Program level systems and processes will fully support the needs of students seeking the certificate (i.e., Program Application, Admissions, Registration, Advising, Records, Graduation, etc.).

This certificate program will rely on current professionally qualified full time, part time, and adjunct faculty to teach the nurse administrator courses.

The certificate is for graduate students only and will not impact undergraduate or lower-division education.  Faculty will be deployed such that undergraduate and graduate student needs are met. 

4.   Faculty

The courses currently taught by the MSN faculty and contracted adjunct faculty will be adequate to serve the needs of the certificate program. A total of 10 additional students can be added to these courses, capping enrollment at 20, without requiring the development of additional sections. There is one adjunct faculty currently co-teaching one of the courses for the graduate certificate program. All adjunct faculty must have earned at least a master’s degree in a related field to teach in the Master of Science in Nursing Program. 

No additional faculty members will be hired on a full-time, tenure-track basis to teach the courses. 

5.   Staff

No additional staff is needed to support the certificate.

6.   Library and Information Resources

No additional library resources will be needed to support the certificate.

7.   Admission Requirements

Students who have been admitted to the Weber State University Master of Science in Nursing Program are allowed to pursue the certificate post-graduation.  The MSN Program’s admission decisions are based on undergraduate degree and GPA, work experience, essay writing, letters of recommendation (international students must have a foreign transcript evaluation and have an acceptable TOEFL score). Applications are due by March 1^st each year.

For students seeking the stand-alone certificate, admission decisions will be based on the following: MSN degree from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited institution, GPA, work experience, essay writing, and a letter of intent.  Students seeking the stand-alone certificate must be admitted to the MSN program.

8.   Student Advisement

General advising will be provided by the MSN office staff, enrollment director, and program director. Each student will create a plan of study with the assistance of the enrollment director.

9.   Justification for Graduation Standards and Number of Credits

This certificate surpasses the institutional requirement of 10 credit hours as found in the PPM 11. Certificates at other regional institutions have similar credit hour requirements.

10.  External Review and Accreditation

This certificate program will be subject to accreditation standards of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).  The faculty associated with this certificate will each be professionally qualified to teach in areas to which they are assigned.  Current and projected faculty ratios suggest that the MSN Program will be able to maintain the recommended ratios of academically and professional qualified faculty.

11.  Projected Enrollment

Enrollment will be capped at 10 students per administration track accepted per year for this graduate certificate program. This would result in a total potential enrollment of 20-24 students: 10 certificate students and 10-12 generic MSN students.

12.  Expansion of Existing Program

The Certificate in Nursing Administration is not an expansion of the existing MSN Nursing Administration Program. A total of 10-12 MSN Nursing Administration and Nursing Education students are accepted each year into the MSN program. Core courses therefore have an enrollment of 20-24 students. Specialty courses (nursing administration and nursing education) have an enrollment of 10-12 students. The development of the certificate program will increase enrollment in the specialty courses to 20 students, but will not increase the number of faculty required.

Need

13.  Program Need

The proposed Certificate in Nursing Administration meets requests of numerous students who have completed their MSN with a focus in Nursing Education at WSUSON. There is currently no other institution in Utah offering a post graduate nurse administrator certificate in Utah. Several universities outside the state offer this graduate certificate including the University of Colorado (12 credits) and Walden University (23 credits).

Two of the primary purposes of the post-Master’s certificate in nursing administration include:

• To provide advanced education in nursing administration to nurses who have completed a non-management focused Master of Science in Nursing program and are currently or hoping to hold a position in healthcare administration.
• To expand student enrollment in the WSUSON Nursing Administration Track specialty courses.

14.  Labor Market Demand

Nurses promoted to managerial positions often excel in clinical competency, but lack education in business and managerial concepts. This can be true of nurses who have completed advanced nursing education, including a Master of Science in Nursing degree that did not focus on nursing administration. Additional education in the nurse administrator role will ensure adequate preparation to lead complex healthcare organizations and will provide content and assist with meeting requirements for certification in nursing administration (American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Organization of Nurse Executives)

15.  Student Demand

Students who have graduated from the WSU MSN Education focused program have requested that we offer a certificate in Nursing Administration. Inquiries from interested parties have been fielded by current faculty and the SON Enrollment Director since the inception of the master’s program.

16.  Similar Programs

Similar graduate level certificate programs do not exist in Utah.  There are programs outside of Utah which offer a Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Administration at The University of Colorado, University of California, Los Angeles, Fort Hays State University, Kansas, and Walden University.

17. Collaboration with and Impact on Other USHE Institutions.

No other Utah institutions will be affected by this certificate program. No collaboration has been sought.

18.  Benefits

Weber State University will be seen as a clear choice for Master’s prepared nurses to obtain leadership education.  As the certificate program begins producing graduates, local healthcare employers will view

     the WSUSON as a key partner in preparing nurse leaders.

19.  Consistency with Institutional Mission

The Certificate in Nursing Administration is consistent with the University’s mission in the following ways: 

The WSU mission states that “The University provides excellent educational experiences for its students through extensive personal contact among faculty, staff and students in and out of the classroom.”  The Certificate in Nursing Administration is comprised of five courses that are taught using a hybrid delivery system. This system allows students to attend three on campus face-to-face meetings each semester and then participate in the majority of their learning experiences in an online format.

Moreover, the mission states “To accomplish its mission, the university, in partnership with the broader community, engages in research, artistic expression, public service, economic development, and community-based learning experiences…”  The certificate program will provide MSN graduates with the opportunity to seek professional certification through AONE (American Organization of Nurse Executives Credentialing Center) and the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center).

Program and Student Assessment

20.  Program Outcomes and Assessment

1.       System-wide Assessment of Quality and Effectiveness: Nursing Services and Administration, Nursing Practice, and Delivery of Care: Possess the knowledge and skill to develop, maintain, and evaluate staff and patient data collection systems and processes, systematically evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice and nursing services administration, and foster participation and recognition of staff in multiple types of organizational evaluation committees, teams, and task forces.

2.       Performance Self-Appraisal: Posses the knowledge and skill to evaluate personal performance based on professional practice standards, relevant statues, rules and regulations, and organizational criteria; engage in self-assessment of role accountabilities and identify areas of strength as well as areas for professional practice development, take action to achieve plan for performance improvement.

3.       Professional Knowledge base: Possess the knowledge and skill to demonstrate current knowledge in the administration of healthcare organizations, advance nursing practice and the provision of quality healthcare services, and engage in lifelong learning and ongoing professional development through such activities as education, certification, and participation in professional organizations.

4.       Problem Identification and Decision Analysis: Possess the knowledge and skill to empower and support the professional nurse in analysis of assessment data and decision analysis in collaboration with appropriate departments, assist and support staff in development and maintenance of problem identification / analysis competency, and promotes an organizational climate that supports validation of problem identification and decision analysis.

5.       Outcome Identification and Planning for Continuous Improvement: Possess the knowledge and skill to facilitate participation of registered nurses, other staff members, and patients in interdisciplinary identification of desired outcomes, facilitate registered nurse participation in the monitoring and evaluation of nursing care in accordance with established professional, regulatory, and organizational standards of practice, and foster the establishment and continuous improvement of clinical guidelines, promote integration of clinical, human resource, and financial data to support decision-making.

6.       Implement Delivery of Quality Patient Care: Possess the knowledge and skill to facilitate staff participation in decision-making regarding the design and improvement of systems and processes to ensure patient interventions are safe, effective, efficient, population-relevant, culturally sensitive, appropriately documented, and implemented by the appropriate personnel.

7.       Provision of a Professional Environment: Possess the knowledge and skill to create a professional practice environment that fosters excellence in nursing services, create a climate of effective communication, fosters empowered decision-making, accountability, and autonomy in nursing practice for professional nurses; and assure a work environment of mutual respect for the individual and the profession.

8. Ethical Decision-Making and Practice: Possess the knowledge and skill to base decisions and actions on ethical principles, advocate on behalf of recipients of service and personnel, adhere to and promote the American Nurse Association (2001) Code of Ethics for Nurses, assure compliance with regulatory and professional standards, assure a process to identify and address ethical issues within nursing and the organization, and foster a nondiscriminatory climate in which care is delivered in a manner sensitive to sociocultural diversity.

8.       Collaboration between Nursing, other Disciplines, the Organization, and Community: Possess the knowledge and skill to collaborate with nursing staff at all levels, interdisciplinary teams, executive leaders, and other stakeholders; facilitate and model collaboration among disciplines at all levels to develop and foster relationships that support the continuous enhancement of care delivery and patient and employee satisfaction.

9.       Facilitate Research and Research Utilization in Delivery of Healthcare Services: Possess the knowledge and skill to create an environment that supports and integrates research into nursing and the delivery of healthcare services, promotes the integration of evidence-based practices that enhance effective, efficient, and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes, and facilitates the dissemination of research findings.

21.  Expected Standards of Performance

The learning outcomes listed above were selected based on the combined subject-matter expertise of the members of the WSUSON graduate school faculty. 

Program Curriculum

22.  All Program Courses

INFORMATION PAGE

Did this program proposal receive unanimous approval within the Department? _Yes_   If not, what are the major concerns raised by the opponents?

Explain how this program will differ from similar offerings by other departments.  Also explain any effects this proposal will have on program requirements or enrollments in other departments including the Bachelor of Integrated Studies Program.  In the case of similar offerings or affected programs, you should include letters from the departments in question stating their support or opposition to the proposed program.

A Master’s Degree program must have a minimum of 30 credit hours with a maximum of 36 credit hours.

A Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Integrated Studies must have a minimum of 120 credit hours with a program maximum of 126 hours (This is a state system-wide requirement). Exceptions for the maximum number of program hours are allowed if accreditation issues require a set number of courses within a given program, i.e. Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Radiology.

An Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science must have a minimum of 60 credit hours with a program maximum of 63 credit hours. An Associate of Applied Science must have a minimum of 63 credit hours with a program maximum of 69 credit hours.

Major programs that require a minor will consist of not fewer than 30 credits and not more than 48 credits in the major field. Major programs that do not require a minor shall consist of not more than 63 credits in the major field.

A minor is a program of study generally selected to complement and strengthen a student’s majorand/or enrich the student’s overall educational program.  A minor consists of not fewer than 15 credits.  Courses that are used to satisfy the general education requirements can be used as part of the minimum number of hours needed for the minor requirements, unless prohibited by a particular college or department.

Indicate the number of credit hours for course work within the proposed program. (Do not include credit hours for General Education, SI, Diversity, or other courses unless those courses fulfill requirements within the proposed program.)     ______15______ 

Submit the original to the Faculty Senate Office, MC 1033, and an electronic copy to kbrown4@weber.edu