The School of Nursing graduate nursing program embraces the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing (2011), National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) Core Competencies (2012), NONPF Population–Focused Core Competencies (2013), NONPF Adult-Gerontology NP Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies (2010), National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies of Nurse Educators (2005) and AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (2006).

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Program Outcomes

By the end of the advanced practice registered nurse program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Knowledge for Nursing Practice:

Synthesize and apply advanced nursing science, theories, and evidence from diverse disciplines to inform innovative and specialized APRN practice across various healthcare settings.

2. Person-Centered Care:

Design, implement, and evaluate advanced, holistic, and culturally sensitive care models that empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve optimal health and well-being.

3. Population Health:

Analyze and address complex population health issues, including social determinants of health and health disparities, to develop and advocate for policies and interventions that promote health equity and improve population health outcomes.

4. Scholarship for Nursing Discipline:

Generate, evaluate, and disseminate advanced nursing knowledge through scholarly inquiry, research, and evidence-based practice initiatives to advance the nursing role and improve healthcare delivery.

5. Quality and Safety:

Lead and implement quality improvement and patient safety initiatives at the system level, utilizing data-driven approaches to optimize healthcare processes, minimize risk, and enhance patient outcomes.

6. Interprofessional Partnerships:

Foster collaborative, interprofessional partnerships with diverse stakeholders to lead and coordinate complex care across healthcare systems, promoting effective communication, shared decision-making, and team-based care.

7. Systems-Based Practice:

Analyze, design, and lead within complex healthcare systems, integrating principles of organizational leadership, healthcare economics, and policy to optimize resource allocation, improve system performance, and advocate for sustainable healthcare solutions.

8. Informatics and Healthcare Technologies:

Utilize advanced information and healthcare technologies to manage data, enhance communication, support clinical decision-making, and improve healthcare outcomes at both the individual and population levels.

9. Professionalism:

Demonstrate advanced ethical decision-making, advocacy, and leadership within the APRN role, adhering to professional standards, promoting social justice, and advancing the nursing profession.

10. Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development:

Cultivate advanced self-reflection, resilience, and leadership skills to promote personal well-being, foster lifelong learning, and effectively lead and influence change within complex healthcare environments.

Approved by GCAAC in May 2025

Master’s of Science in Nursing – Administration Program Outcomes

By the end of the MSN in Administration program, the graduate will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of nursing, other sciences, humanities, and theory, and integrates this knowledge to manage and improve nursing care across diverse settings. (Essentials*: 1, 9) (Competencies**: 2,3,5)
  2. Effectively communicate and use leadership skills to foster intra and inter-professional relationships to shape and implement system change; and promote teamwork, a positive work environment, and delivery of high quality, safe, and cost effective care.(Essentials: 2 & 7) (Competencies: 1,3,4)
  3. Promote and improve quality in organizations through quality improvement practices. (Essential 3) (Competencies: 3,5)
  4. Translate research into practice through critical appraisal of existing evidence to: address problems, improve practice, and disseminate results.  (Essentials: 1,4) (Competencies: 2,3,5)
  5. Utilize technology and information systems to enhance communication, decision making, integration, improvement, and coordination of care. (Essentials: 3, 5) (Competencies: 1,5)
  6. Intervene at the system level through the policy process and use advocacy strategies to influence health, health care, and outcomes.  (Essential 6) (Competencies: 2,3,4)
  7. Synthesize broad organizational, financial, economic, client-centered, culturally appropriate concepts to address prevention and population health. (Essential 8) (Competencies: 2,3)* Essentials refer to:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2011). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Washington, DC: AACN http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/MastersEssentials11.pdf 

** Competencies refer to: 

American Organization of Nurse Executives. (2015). AONE Nurse Executive Competencies. Chicago, IL: AONE http://www.aone.org/resources/nec.pdf

Approved By GCAAC 3.28.2019

Approved by SON Faculty 4.4.2019

Master’s of Science in Nursing – Education Program Outcomes

By the end of the MSN in Education program, the graduate will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of nursing, other sciences, humanities, and education theory, and integrates this knowledge to facilitate learning and improve nursing care across diverse settings (Essentials*: 1, 9; NLN Core Competency**: 1). 
  2. Demonstrate teaching effectiveness in the application of quality principles, in health care and nursing education, to improve patient outcomes. (Essential 3: NLN Core Competency: 6)
  3. Demonstrate leadership skills to shape and implement change in practice and education systems. (Essential: 2; NLN Competency: 2).
  4. Create learning experiences which support cognitive, psychomotor, and affective development. (Essential: 9; NLN Competency: 2).
  5. Demonstrate the ability to formally and informally assess and evaluate cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning. (Essential: 9; NLN Competency: 3).
  6. Utilize technology in the teaching-learning process to support delivery of high quality and safe patient care. (Essentials: 3, 5; NLN Competency: 1). 
  7. Synthesize broad ecological, global, epidemiological, cultural, and social determinants of health in order to integrate evidence-based population principles into the nursing curricula (Essentials: 1, 4, 8; NLN Core Competency: 4). 
  8. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate and engage in collaborative intra and inter-professional relationships at the systems level to develop and implement policies to influence health, health care outcomes, and innovative education practices. (Essentials: 6, 7; NLN Core Competencies: 5, 8)
  9. Translate research into practice through critical appraisal of existing evidence to: resolve education and practice problems; develop evidence-based teaching, assessment and evaluation practices; and disseminate results.  (Essentials: 1,4; NLN Core Competencies: 1, 3, 7)

* Essentials refer to:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2011). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Washington, DC: AACN http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/MastersEssentials11.pdf 

**NLN Core Competencies refer to

National League for Nursing (NLN). (2005). Core competencies of nurse educators. Washington, DC: NLN.

4.9.2015