Registered Nurse to Master of Science in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership Online
Equip yourself with the executive and clinical experience you need to advance as a leader in health care.
Apply by:
12/27/23
Start class:
1/16/24
Program Overview
Learn About Our Online RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership
$23,364
Total Tuition
As few as 24 months
Program Duration
60
Nursing Credit Hours
The Master of Science in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership online program at University of Southern Maine (USM) gives you advanced skills in both nursing practice and business management. You will focus on information technology and quality improvement, nursing theory and leadership, organizational behavior, evidence-based practice, and financial management to gain advanced skills in nursing practice, leadership, and business management.
Apply your knowledge beyond the classroom through 220 hours of practicum experience under the supervision of a preceptor in a practice setting of your choosing. Through experiential learning opportunities, your leadership skills and confidence will evolve as you evaluate organizational issues and put solutions into practice. As a graduate, you will have an important impact in the health care field and join the next generation of health care leaders.
The baccalaureate courses in this program emphasize the clinical reasoning that drives a culture of safety while developing your ability to use evidence-based practice to make decisions for quality outcomes. This portion of the program prepares you for graduate-level work, which teaches you to:
- Demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of nursing, other sciences, humanities, and theory, and integrate this knowledge to manage and improve nursing care across diverse settings
- Communicate effectively and use leadership skills to foster professional relationships that shape and implement system change while also promoting teamwork, a positive work environment, and delivery of high-quality, safe, and cost-effective care
- Translate research into practice through critical appraisal of existing evidence to address challenges, improve practice, and disseminate results
- Utilize technology and information systems to enhance communication, decision-making, and the integration, improvement, and coordination of care
- Use advocacy strategies through the policy process to influence health, health care, and outcomes
- Synthesize broad organizational, financial, economic, client-centered, culturally appropriate concepts to address prevention and population health
- Demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of nursing, other sciences, humanities, and theory, and integrate this knowledge to manage and improve nursing care across diverse settings
- Communicate effectively and use leadership skills to foster professional relationships that shape and implement system change while also promoting teamwork, a positive work environment, and delivery of high-quality, safe, and cost-effective care
- Translate research into practice through critical appraisal of existing evidence to address challenges, improve practice, and disseminate results
- Utilize technology and information systems to enhance communication, decision-making, and the integration, improvement, and coordination of care
- Use advocacy strategies through the policy process to influence health, health care, and outcomes
- Synthesize broad organizational, financial, economic, client-centered, culturally appropriate concepts to address prevention and population health
As a graduate of this RN to MS in Nursing online program, you will be prepared to make an impact in leadership roles and organizational settings such as:
- Nurse Manager
- Director of Nursing
- Clinical Manager
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Clinical Nurse Manager
- Nurse Supervisor
- Nurse Manager
- Director of Nursing
- Clinical Manager
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Clinical Nurse Manager
- Nurse Supervisor
$23,364
Total Tuition
As few as 24 months
Program Duration
60
Nursing Credit Hours
Accreditation
The nursing programs at the University of Southern Maine are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 665 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC, 20001, 202-887-6791.
Need More Information?
Tuition
Earn a Respected Degree Affordably
Our goal is for you to earn a high-quality degree that will help improve your career and income without taking on considerable financial debt.
Tuition breakdown:
$23,364
Total Tuition
$309
Per Nursing Credit Hour
| Program | Per Program |
|---|---|
| RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership | $23,364 |
Tuition breakdown:
$23,364
Total Tuition
Calendar
USM Online Dates and Deadlines
The RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership online program offers convenient multiple start dates each year to accommodate your professional and personal schedules.
Now enrolling:
12/27/23
Apply Date
1/16/24
Class Starts
| Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline* | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | 1/16/24 | 12/27/23 | 12/27/23 | 1/16/24 | 1/15/24 | 3/1/24 |
| Spring 2 | 3/18/24 | 2/28/24 | 2/28/24 | 3/18/24 | 1/15/24 | 5/3/24 |
| Summer 1 | 5/13/24 | 4/24/24 | 4/24/24 | 5/13/24 | 5/15/24 | 6/28/24 |
| Summer 2 | 7/1/24 | 6/12/24 | 6/12/24 | 7/1/24 | 5/15/24 | 8/16/24 |
| Fall 1 | 9/3/24 | 8/15/24 | 8/15/24 | 9/3/24 | 8/15/24 | 10/18/24 |
| Fall 2 | 10/28/24 | 10/9/24 | 10/9/24 | 10/28/24 | 8/15/24 | 12/20/24 |
* The payment deadline for the second session of each term is the same as the first session deadline or ten days from the date of registration.
Now enrolling:
12/27/23
Apply Date
1/16/24
Class Starts
Have questions or need more information about our online programs?
Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?
Admissions
Review the Admission Steps for the RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership
The RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership online program has specific requirements that applicants must meet to enroll. Please read the admission guidelines to ensure you qualify.
Admission Requirements:
- 3.0 Minimum GPA
- Statement of Purpose
- Online Application
- Unencumbered Nursing License
- Online application
- ADN/ASN from an accredited university, with a minimum 3.0 GPA OR diploma in nursing
- Current, unencumbered nursing license
- One statement of purpose/essay (in the online application)
- An undergraduate course in introductory statistics that includes descriptive and inferential statistics completed with a grade of C or higher
- Official transcripts (submitted directly from the granting institution) from all colleges/universities attended
- Students with a minimum undergraduate or diploma cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above may be directly admitted to the RN to MS in Nursing program if all admission criteria is met. Progression to the Master's program requires that the student maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or a B average, for all undergraduate courses taken at the 300/400 level.
- Students interested in the MS in Nursing programs with an undergraduate or diploma GPA of 2.5-2.99 should apply directly to UMFK RN to BSN program. Conditional admission to MS in Nursing program may be granted upon successful completion of 12 credits of 300/400 level courses with a grade of B or better. Progression to the Master's program requires that the student maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or a B average, for all undergraduate courses taken at the 300/400 level.
- Upload your essay in PDF format in the online application or email your essay to [email protected]
- Demonstrate your understanding of the nurse administrator/educator role and reasons for becoming a nurse leader
- Explain your professional goals that will be supported by the Master of Science degree
- Outline the experiences, capacity, and abilities brought to a master's program
- Document your reasons for choosing USM for this program
Official transcripts (submitted directly from the granting institution) and other supporting documents may be mailed or emailed.
Mailing Address:Application Processing Center
University of Maine System
P.O. Box 412
Bangor, ME 04402-0412
Email Address:
[email protected]
This online program is currently offered to students located in the following states: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and South Dakota.
Courses
Preview the Courses in the RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership
For the RN to MS in Nursing – Nursing Administration and Leadership online program, you will complete 24 hours of undergraduate credits and up to 21 hours of General Education credits through the University of Maine at Fort Kent and 36 hours of graduate credits (MSN core and Nursing Administration and Leadership courses) through the University of Southern Maine School of Nursing.
Students may need up to 21 additional General Education credits, to be determined upon transcript review. A block transfer of 69 credits for General Education courses will be awarded with proof of an active RN license.
Students will complete the following required RN to BSN coursework through the University of Maine at Fort Kent:
NUR 301: Promoting Healthy Communities
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces students to the concepts and principles of community-based nursing, wherein the nurse promotes the optimum wellness of individuals, families, and communities to live and work in healthy environments. Provides an evidence and practice-based perspective to examine current and emerging issues in population health. The preferences, values, needs and culture of the community-as-client are considered to ensure safe, competent, and effective care.
NUR 309: Holistic Health Assessment with Lab
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Prepares students with the knowledge, attitude, and skill needed to complete a detailed health history interview and comprehensive health assessment. With a focus on wellness, individual adult health status will be assessed, including physical, emotional, cultural, spiritual factors, from which appropriate nursing diagnoses may be derived.
NUR 312: Conceptual Issues of Professional Nursing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
(Fixed first course.) Promotes the development of professional knowledge, attitudes, and skills as foundational to professional nursing. Students will be introduced to selected concepts, themes, and theories that deepen an understanding of the historical, legal, ethical, and contemporary context of nursing practice.
NUR 342: Health Promotions
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to health promotion and health promotion strategies that can be utilized to improve or enhance health for individuals and families in a variety of settings. The use of evidence-based practice and prominent nursing theories will be explored to aid in the development of practical and relevant interventions for persons from different socioeconomic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Broad course content will include how biological, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, and environmental domains influence physical activity, nutrition, and stress management across the lifespan.
NUR 380: Transcultural Care in Nursing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Addresses the impact that social, political, cultural, spiritual, gender, age, and lifestyle factors have upon the health of individuals and communities. Provides students with evidence-based learning related to the complementary therapies and approaches used by the public and available to nurses that can be used in culturally-appropriate ways to treat illness, prevent disease, and promote well-being. Identifies personally held beliefs and values and responds to the diversity and uniqueness of individuals and populations to provide culturally-sensitive, safe, and effective care.
NUR 401: Health Related Research
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduces students to the conduct of research; research sources, utilization, and dissemination; as well as concepts and principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) as a way to improve nursing practice and healthcare outcomes. Focus of the course is on developing clinical EBP questions; conducting a literature review; and to appraise and apply current, reliable research findings and clinical practice. Standards for the conduct of ethical research in qualitative and quantitative research designs are also reviewed.
NUR 413: Health Care Ethics & the Law
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The focus of the course includes examining ethical and legal issues in the context of nursing and healthcare practice. Students explore the principles of ethical reasoning and decision-making to resolve of ethical dilemmas present in healthcare. Students analyze the ethical obligations, policies, and laws that guide healthcare delivery. Students examine current ethical issues.
HLT 407: Leadership & Management in Healthcare
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Prepares students to assume leadership, decision-making roles, and political awareness within an increasingly complex and changing health care system. Principles of leadership and management are examined in context of their application within current and prospective global health care environments. Role development and values clarification are emphasized.
NUR 302: Pharmacology
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Provides students with knowledge about general principles of drug actions along with nursing responsibilities and accountability in the administration of medication over the lifespan. Using the nursing process, numerous pharmacologic classifications will be discussed including mechanisms of drug actions, key adverse effects, and drug interactions. Genetic and genomic considerations will be examined. Students will develop skills needed for safe practice including calculating dosages and administering various medications.
NUR 435R: Concepts in Patho
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines normal and abnormal human physiologic and pathological processes encountered in clinical practice. Emphasis is placed on the integration of knowledge of pathology, genetic, pharmacologic, and biochemical concepts and disease symptomatology into the delivery of nursing care. 3 credit hours. Prerequisites: BIO 401 or Valid RN license or (for international students) approval to practice nursing in your jurisdiction or instructor permission.
NUR 384: Global Health & Humanitarianism
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Provides an opportunity for students to develop personally and professionally as global citizens by applying their knowledge and skills to examine and address social, economic, political, and environmental factors that influence global health and healthcare challenges through a framework of humanitarianism and service. Introduces students to health disparities that exist in the world and developing countries around the world and fosters student critical thinking and discussion about healthcare and humanitarianism efforts within a global environment. This practicum course satisfies the university general education requirements for global awareness and learning for citizenship, and for nursing students in lieu of NUR 380: Transcultural Nursing. This course is closely tied to the International Medical Relief or related international service programs.
NUR 603: Nursing Theory and Knowledge Development
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Contemporary issues in theory development and the social production of knowledge for nursing are explored in this course. The social and historical context of knowledge development in nursing are examined with an emphasis on the relationship between theory, research, interprofessional collaboration, and nursing practice.
NUR 604: Nursing Research
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The appraisal and use of research and other evidence to provide high quality health care, to initiate change, and to improve nursing practice are the foci for this course. Emphasis is on developing relevant clinical questions, searching for evidence, systematic appraisal of evidence, and determining whether and how to apply the findings. Commonly used research designs and ethical principles to ensure human subject protection are examined. Strategies for organizing evidence and implementing evidenced-based practice changes are explored.
NUR 606: Leadership, Health Policy, and Role
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the complexity of the U.S. Health Care System, international systems, and current efforts directed at health care reform. Past, current, and potential roles of graduate prepared nurses, related to access, equity, and the goals of healthy people are examined. Socio-political, economic, and ethical issues embedded in public policy decisions are explored. Attention is given to the role of graduate-prepared nurses in influencing, creating, and implementing policy for diverse populations across the lifespan. FIXED FIRST COURSE.
NUR 624: Community and Population Based Health
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An interprofessional approach to caring for communities and populations across the lifespan. Major components include concepts of health, levels of prevention, epidemiology, culturally responsive care, global health issues, emergency preparedness, and control of health problems. Community assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation applied to complex health issues.
NUR 614: Leadership in Advanced Nursing Practice
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies required of an effective interprofessional leader working in complex health care environments. Leadership theories are explored that account for individual traits and behaviors, as well as the situational context within the work environment. Principles of management and leadership are contrasted. Leadership practices are appraised that support a culture of caring and mutual respect, vision and innovation, accountability, integrity, and high-quality, patient-centered care. Reflection and appraisal of personal leadership attributes and behaviors are emphasized.
NUR 627: Organizational Theory and Behavior
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course the human factors that exist within a complex health care workplace are explored. Organizational behavior theories and concepts are studied in order to gain insight into individual and group behavior. Among the topics covered are individual perceptions and attitudes, organizational culture, diversity, communication, motivation, leadership, management, power, stress, conflict, group dynamics, and change. Root causes of behavioral workplace problems such as poor communication, lack of employee motivation, poor performance, high turnover, conflict, resistance to change, and stress are examined.
NUR 629: Health Care Operations: Human Resources, Law, and Ethics
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines operational issues in health care management inclusive of human resource management, and legal and ethical issues facing nurse leaders. A range of current legal and ethical issues will be explored. Emphasis is placed on planning, performance, and compliance in the health care environment. The goals are to provide students with practical knowledge to effectively manage at the micro, meso, or macro level.
NUR 633: Health Care Finance, Budgeting and Planning
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course the student will explore essential tools for financial leadership in the contemporary health care arena. Principles of health care economics, third party reimbursement, budget development, variance, and economic evaluation methods, are explored. The relationship between organizational mission, fiscal responsibility, and strategic financial concepts unique to the complex health care environment are examined. Key elements of inter-professional strategic financial planning and budgeting processes will be emphasized. The student will apply financial leadership skills to developing program initiatives to improve quality and address population health needs.
NUR 659: Information Management and Health Care Technology
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an overview of the role of information systems and technology in health care. The emphasis is on how information system/technology can improve the quality and delivery of patient care in a variety of health care settings. Factors that contribute to the adoption of health care information technologies and the challenges regarding their successful utilization are examined.
NUR 692: Quality Improvement
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The purpose of this course is to introduce the principles and practice of quality improvement as practiced in health care settings. The course integrates theory, evidence-based practice, and systems thinking. The content focuses on describing, measuring, improving, and evaluating the quality and safety of health care services. Students develop competencies in identifying opportunities for quality improvement, selecting and using quality improvement tools and measurement methods, and presenting their work in a professional context. Learning occurs through assigned readings, discussions, exercises, and applied practice through an individual quality improvement project.
NUR 661: Nursing Leadership Practicum I
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the first in a sequence of two practicum experiences framed by core role competencies of the nurse leader. Students will explore, analyze, and apply specific theories and strategies of management and leadership to the administrative roles of the nurse across health care systems at the micro, meso, or macro level. A system level organizational assessment and evaluation will be initiated as phase one of the project and students will identify a issue/problem to address in practicum II. Supervision of a preceptor for a minimum of 60 hours in the practice setting is required. Self-reflection on the evolving leader role is emphasized. Prerequisites: NUR 603, NUR 604, NUR 624, NUR 614, NUR 627, 629M, PH 670.
NUR 662: Nursing Leadership Practicum II
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the second in a sequence of two practicum experiences framed by core role competencies of the nurse leader. Students will explore, analyze, and apply specific theories and strategies of management and leadership to the administrative roles of nurses across health care systems at the micro, meso, or macro level. With interprofessional collaboration students will complete the implementation and evaluation phase of their project based on the assessment and problem identification completed in NUR 661. Supervision of a preceptor for a minimum of 60 hours in the practice setting is required. Self-reflection on the evolving leader role is emphasized.
General Education Requirements (21 hours)
In accordance with UMFK policy, all baccalaureate candidates must complete the following General Education requirements. Transcript analysis will be conducted to determine if courses taken prior to admission to UMFK are congruent with the courses of the General Education program.
| General Education Credit |
Credit Hours |
General Education Area |
|---|---|---|
| English Composition II |
3 credits |
Communication |
| Statistics (if not previously completed) |
3 credits |
Quantitative Reasoning |
| Literature |
3 credits |
Literature |
| History |
3 credits |
History |
| Language |
3 credits |
Foreign Language |
| Art/Music |
3 credits |
Visual and Performing Arts or Philosophy |
| Computer Science |
3 credits |
Information Fluency |
Named #2 in the "2020 Best Online Colleges in Maine" rankings by Guide to Online Schools –GuideToOnlineSchools.com
