Apr 06, 2025  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing, M.S.N. (Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration)

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:
Jessimine Strauss; straussj@etsu.edu; (423) 439-6158

Dr. Myra Clark, PhD, FNP-C, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
207 Roy S. Nicks Hall
Box 70629
(423) 439-5626
e-mail: clarkml2@etsu.edu

Dr. Judy Rice, DNP, PMHNP, FNP, Concentration Coordinator
208 Roy S. Nicks Hall
Box 70629
(423) 439-4396
e-mail: riceja@etsu.edu

Faculty: Sally S. Blowers; Nancy Cameron; Teresa Carnevale; Myra Clark; Sandy Diffenderfer; Janne Dunham-Taylor; Kimberly Ferguson; Donna Fraysier; Masoud Ghaffari; Lee Glenn; Lisa Haddad; Christine Hall; Jean Hemphill; Janice Lazear; Sharon Loury; Jo- Ann S. Marrs; Carolyn Merriman;Christine Mullins; Wendy Nehring; Lisa Ousley; Victoria Pope; Judith Rice; S. Lee Ridner; Arshak Sargsyan; Terri Schreiner; Candice Short; Sarah Treat; Patricia Vanhook; Florence Weierbach.

The College of Nursing graduate study leading to the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) designed to prepare registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing for advanced nursing practice.

For application terms and deadlines please refer to the College of Nursing website.

Admission Policy

Applicants seeking admission to the Masters of Science in Nursing degree program at East Tennessee State University must fulfill all the requirements for admission to both the School of Graduate Studies and the College of Nursing. The School of Graduate Studies requires that all students submit the following materials:

  • a completed application with payment of a nonrefundable application fee;
  • transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work; and
  • a written essay.
  • International applicants should refer to the International Admissions section of the graduate catalog for additional requirements.

In addition, College of Nursing requirements for admission to the Master of Science degree 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. BSN from a nationally-accredited nursing program.
    OR
    Students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree who hold an unencumbered RN license can be considered for admission into the MSN program but must complete the following bridge courses prior to registration in graduate courses:

NRSE 3525 Health Promotion and Research;

NRSE 4620 Leadership and Professional Practice;

NRSE 3200 Advancing to Professional Practice;

NRSE 3510 Population, Community, and Public Health Nursing

  1. An earned Bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  2. Successful completion of a 3 semester hour or 4 quarter hour undergraduate level Statistics course.
  3. Curriculum Vitae/Resume.
  4. Three (3) professional letters of recommendation. Applicants are encouraged to request references from individuals who can best assess one’s potential for graduate study (e.g. previous nursing faculty if within five (5) years and two (2) professional including current or most recent supervisor.
  5. Submission of all application documentation required by the Graduate School.

Progression Policy

  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 “B” or better in every graduate nursing course. Policies of the School of Graduate Studies for progression will apply.
  3. MSN students who receive less than a “B” in a course will have one opportunity to repeat the course.
  4. 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 Graduate 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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. Students with more than one “I” grade cannot progress in the program.  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.”
  7. MSN students may have grades of “WF” in no more than one semester within an academic year. 
  8. Students who wish to change from part-time to full-time status must submit a written request to the College of Nursing’s Office of Student Services. Request will be approved on an individual basis, taking into consideration the student’s academic performance and available clinical slots.
  9. Students must maintain an unencumbered registered nurse license in all states where they are currently licensed throughout the duration of the graduate program and in the state(s) where they fulfill clinical course requirements. If at any time during enrollment in the graduate program a student’s nursing license becomes encumbered, is suspended, or revoked, the student must immediately report this to the Associate Dean Graduate Programs in the College of Nursing. If a student’s registered nurse license is suspended or revoked, or if a student fails to report any changes in licensure status to the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the graduate program. A student’s ability to continue enrollment in the graduate program with an encumbered license will be reviewed on an individual basis considering the restriction/limitations placed on the student’s practice as a registered nurse by the board of nursing in the state issuing the encumbered license.
  10. Grade Scale: A=93-100; B=84-92; C=75-83; F=less than 75. Grades may be rounded at the discretion of the faculty.
  11. The student is referred to the Graduate Catalog for more detailed progression information.

Nursing, M.S.N. Degree Requirements: 48 credits

Core Requirements 12 credits
Concentration 36 credits
TOTAL 48 credits

Nursing, M.S.N. Core Requirements: 12 credits

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Concentration: 36 credits