Nursing, M.S.N. (Nursing Informatics Concentration)

Graduate School Contact:

Don Rice; ricedb@etsu.edu; 423-439-6158

Dr. Judith Rice, DNP, PMHNP, FNP, CS, Interim Director of Graduate Programs

299 Roy S. Nicks Hall
Box 70629
(423) 439-4396
e-mail: riceja@etsu.edu

Dr. Nancy Cameron, DNP, Master of Science in Nursing, TN eCampus Program Graduate Coordinator

2-210 Roy S. Nicks Hall
Box 70659
(423) 439-4874
e-mail: cameronng@etsu.edu

Faculty:

Sally S. Blowers; Sandy Calhoun; Nancy Cameron; Janne Dunham-Taylor; Joellen B. Edwards; Masoud Ghaffari; Lee Glenn; Patricia A. Hayes; Susan Hossler; Frances Jackson; Amy Kaplan; Sharon Loury; Catherin Lauzon; Jo-Ann S. Marrs; Peggy McConnell; Wendy Nehring; Carolyn Merriman; Tamera Pearson; Priscilla Ramsey; Kathleen M. Rayman; Judith Rice; Jennifer Stewart-Glenn; Sharon Trumbley; Pearl Ume-Nwago; Patricia Vanhook; Joy E. Wachs; Jennie Walls.

Application deadlines are as follows:

Fall:  Early Application Deadline-February 1; Final Deadline-April 1

Spring:  Early Application Deadline-July 1; Final Deadline-August 1

Summer:  Early Application Deadline-December 1; Final Deadline-February 1

Master of Science in Nursing TN eCampus Degree Program

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is offered through the TN eCampus Program and is delivered following the standard protocol established for the delivery of TN eCampus courses and programs. The program includes four concentrations: Nursing Education, Nursing Administration, Nursing Informatics, and Advanced Practice. Courses are offered each semester (fall, spring, and summer) through all six Tennessee Board of Regents universities. The program requires completion of 34-46 semester credit hours depending on the concentration. For more information, please visit http://www.tnecampus.org/.

Program Admission Requirements

All candidates must apply to the TN eCampus Program before applying to the home school. The TN ecampus application can be found at http://www.tnecampus.org/.

Admission to the program will be based on competitive selection from the pool of applicants who meet the School of Graduate Studies admission requirements from the designated home school. Additional admission requirements for the Master of Science in Nursing TN eCampus Program include:

1. An unencumbered license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Tennessee or the state in which the clinical assignments are completed.

2. Bachelors degree with an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

3. Successful completion of a 3-semester hour or 4-quarter hour undergraduate level statistics course.

4. Graduate School TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) score requirements vary by TBR universities. ETSU students must meet ETSU English language proficiency standards.

5. Submission of all application documentation required by the Graduate School at the home campus to which the student is referred.

Application requirements will vary slightly among the six TBR universities. Required documentation may include a resume or CV; a discussion of prior professional experience; future career goals; reasons for pursuing graduate study; and recommendations from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional background and experience in nursing practice, specifying in detail the applicant’s capabilities for graduate study and for future advanced nursing practice.

Documentation of the above requirements must be included with the application materials submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. All applications will be reviewed by the College of Nursing Graduate Admissions Committee.

Factors given consideration in the admission decision include the following: Grade Point Average, professional work experience, demonstration of professional commitment through continuing education, professional honors and awards, writing ability, demonstrated interest in primary care in rural settings, and references. A personal interview may be required.

Applicants may obtain a copy of College of Nursing policies pertaining to graduate students, including the substance abuse policy, clinical course requirements, and information on Core Performance Standards from the College of Nursing Office of Academic Programs and Student Services. After admission to the program, students will receive the College of Nursing Student Handbook and must sign forms indicating they have read the College of Nursing policies and agree to abide by them.

Before entrance into clinical courses, students must be licensed or authorized to practice professional nursing in the state in which clinical assignments will be completed, demonstrate evidence of professional malpractice insurance in the amount of $1,000,000/$3,000,000 coverage, have current CPR certification and a knowledge of universal precautions, and comply with the clinical requirements of the College of Nursing. A student may be asked to present evidence of physical or mental health at any time during the nursing program, and continuance in the program may be contingent upon this evidence. Students are required to provide their own transportation to clinical sites.

Progression Standards - MSN-TN eCampus

1. Students in graduate nursing programs must meet the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies to remain in good standing. An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better must be maintained.

2. In addition, a nursing student must achieve a “C” (2.0) or better in every required course in the graduate nursing program. Policies of the School of Graduate Studies for progression will apply.

3. If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, she/he will be placed on academic probation the following semester. If the student does not achieve a 3.0 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of one probationary semester, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Nursing will determine if the student should be dismissed from graduate study or continued on academic probation. No student will be allowed more than two probationary semesters, whether consecutive or cumulative. At the end of a second probationary semester, a student whose cumulative grade point average is still below 3.0 will be dismissed from graduate study.

4. Students whose performance results in a GPA so far below 3.0 as to make it mathematically impossible to attain an overall GPA of 3.0 after one semester may be subject to dismissal without a probationary term.

5. An incomplete grade (“I”) indicates that the student was passing the course at the end of the semester, but due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, was unable to complete the course work for which the “I” is assigned. The “I” grade cannot be used to allow a student to do additional work to raise a deficient grade or to repeat a course. An “I” grade must be removed no later than one calendar year from the time the grade is awarded. Time extension requests for removal of an “I” grade must be submitted to and approved by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies before the allotted time expires. An “I” grade not removed under the guidelines in the Graduate Catalog will be converted to an “F.”

Students enrolled in the Nursing Administration specialty must satisfactorily complete 36 credit hours of coursework. Students in Nursing Informatics specialty must satisfactorily complete 38 credit hours of coursework. Students in the Nursing Education specialty must complete 40 credit hours and students in the Advanced Practice specialty must complete 46 credit hours. Specific courses are required of students who plan to take a national certification examination. All students are required to pass a written comprehensive examination or satisfactorily complete culminating experience in the final semester of the program.

Courses are selected and approved in conjunction with the student’s advisor.

Students enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing - (MSN-TN eCampus) will complete the following core courses and additional specialty nursing courses.

Additional courses required in the Nursing Informatics specialty include the following: