Master of Science: Nursing Leadership Concentration Distance Education Option With Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology to Enhance Educational Leadership
(updated 7/28/08)
In Fall 2008, California State University, Fullerton, in in cooperation with the Distance Learning Program of Kaiser Permanente's Cross-Regional Patient Care Services, will offer a new two-year
distance-based option in the Nursing Leadership concentration of
the MSN program.
The Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Leadership Concentration (hereafter MSN/Leadership) offers course work and clinical experiences which prepare nurses to expand their career options with a focus on leadership roles at the systems level for positions in administration and education and to create work environments that promote professional nursing. The degree prepares nursing leaders to apply their skills across the health care continuum, from acute care settings to community based agencies. Graduates may work in nursing administration at various levels of management, in a line or a staff position (in a specialized area such as quality improvement, staff/patient education, risk management, research or strategic planning) as well as in academic, consultative and case management positions.
Students gain an advanced knowledge base and skill set that is grounded in the scientific discipline and art of professional nursing. This level of professional education is necessary to meet the needs of a complex and changing health care system and new client demands for optimum outcomes and quality. The degree program is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaborative skills and independent functioning within a focused specialty area, called an MSN concentration.
Nursing Leadership Concentration: Using a nursing perspective, this concentration prepares tomorrow's nursing leaders by focusing on a synthesis of research and knowledge in nursing science, teaching and learning, the social sciences, and business administration. Other areas of focus may include outcomes-based practice, quality improvement initiatives, and strategic management of organizations, health care economics, human resource management teaching/learning strategies and program evaluation. Students will obtain experience through supervised practice in utilizing theory and research in mid-level nurse management positions or other appropriate educational settings where leadership is focused on systems level practice. Foundation or core courses in the MSN/Leadership program address theoretical concepts, ethical and legal aspects of decision making, use of evidence-based practice, the formulation and implementation of health care policy, complex interdisciplinary psychosocial issues and insight into vulnerable population issues. All students complete a project or thesis at the end of their studies.
Cal State Fullerton (CSUF) utilizes top experts in the field in classes designed to facilitate the enhancement of leadership skills in students. Clinical fieldwork in the Nursing Leadership concentration consists of supervised learning experiences working with preceptors in a variety of settings, either in nursing service organizations or academic areas. In order to experience the leadership role, students are required to select a site where they have no direct reporting responsibility and to work under the supervision of a preceptor who is also not within a direct reporting relationship to the student in the workplace.
Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology (Optional) Students in the MSN Nursing Leadership concentration may elect, as an additional option, to complete 3 additional courses (9 units) and gain a certificate in Instructional Design and Technology. This certificate will be offered in collaboration with the Department of Education, and is tailored to prepare nursing leaders with basics in instructional design and technology, including hardware and authoring environments, instructional approaches, and computer-based design principles.
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