Degrees and Requirements
Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing
La Roche University Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) program is designed to offer second degree students the opportunity to enter the nursing profession. The ELMSN can be completed in five semesters and offers on campus learning and hands-on lab and clinical experiences with flexible online coursework.
After graduation, students will be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) and enter the profession as MSN qualified nurses without specialization.
The Entry Level MSN establishes a foundation for graduates to complete a specialized, post-master’s certification program such as:
- Nursing Administration
- Nursing Education
- Clinical Nurse Leader
The Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing program (ELMSN) is approved by the PA State Board of Nursing and accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, INC. (ACEN) 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta GA 30326, 404-975-5000.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ELMSN PROGRAM
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
- Transcripts from educational institutions attended
- Clearances (within 6, months Prior to admission)
- Current basic life support training from the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater (Last 60 credits)
- Completed Department of Nursing health form and physical
- Completion of the following pre-requisites from an approved institution with a C or better within 7 years:
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I (with Lab component)
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II (with Lab component)
- Microbiology (with lab component)
- Chemistry
-
ATI TEAS composite score of 70% or higher and a score of 70% in the English Language and Usage section (taken within the last year). Effective Fall admission of 2024
Summary of Requirements
1st Semester: 15 credits
NURN5101PROF NURSING PRACTICE: ESSENTIALS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student with essential concepts that guide the professional nursing practice. Professional identity, the nursing process, caring, communication and documentation, teaching and learning, as well as, culture and spirituality concepts are explored to develop critical thinking necessary to providing patient-centered care.
NURN5103PROF NURSING PRACTICE: FUNDAMENTALS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student with the fundamental skills in assessment, intervention techniques, and evaluation methods essential to nursing practice. Basic concepts of anatomy, pathophysiology, and microbiology are applied to the foundational skills that guide the student in health promotion and maintenance, reduction of risk potential, as well as, basic care and comfort. The course contains a 90-hour clinical component that allow students the opportunity to develop competency in skills that promote and maintain health, reduce risk, and provide care and comfort.
NURN5103CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5105ESSENTIALS OF PHARMACOLOGY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to prepare the student with the essential concepts and principles of pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics essential for the administration and management of patient medication therapies. Major drug classifications will be explored from the perspective of safe medication administrations. Therapeutic usage and action, dosages, and contraindications will be examined in detail with a focus on drug action and adverse events. Students will apply knowledge of pharmacology in simulation to ensure safe, effective patient-centered care. The course includes a lab-simulation component allowing students the opportunity to practice safe medication administration and effective patient-centered care.
NURN5105LESSENTIALS OF PHARMACOLOGY-LAB
Credits (Min/Max): 1/1
NURN5107INQUIRY AND EVIDENCE IN
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to apply information literacy, clinical inquiry, and evidence to nursing practice. Concepts and information related to the use of scholarly evidence to implement, change or evaluate nursing practice in the provision of quality care will be presented. The nurses' role in evaluating and integrating evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and research will be emphasized.
2nd Semester: 15 credits
NURN5109PROF NURSING PRACTICE: ADULT I
Credits (Min/Max): 4/4
This course is designed to promote development and application of the essential concepts and fundamental skills of the student’s nursing practice to the care of patients experiencing common acute and chronic health conditions. Guided by the nursing process and employing a holistic approach, students apply health promotion, disease management, and restorative techniques associated with the common acute and chronic conditions. The course includes a 90-hour clinical component enabling students the opportunity to apply these essential concepts and skill in practice settings.
NURN5109CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5111SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IN THE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to enable the student to focus on health-related issues of older adults. The course closely examines the unique needs and vulnerabilities of the older adult. Physical and psychological issues and their relation to the determinants of health are examined closely with a focus on an interdisciplinary approach to promote patient autonomy and patient centered care.
NURN5113PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the student with epidemiologic and public health concepts that guide evidence-based practice in the healthcare environment. The science of population-based care inclusive of epidemiology, social epidemiology and evidence-based practice for population health will be presented. An examination of the various conditions occurring within diverse populations that influence health outcomes, policy development, health improvement interventions, and impact health inequities will be included in the course. The use of population health databases, technological innovations and social media to assess, plan and deliver programs to improve health at the local, national, and global level will be explored.
NURN5115QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND SAFETY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course focuses on three main areas impacting quality and safety of nursing care: the national agenda and the economics driving quality initiatives, evidence-based strategies to promote safety and quality, and management of health data to improve aspects of health outcomes. The synthesis of these three important concepts will provide a foundation for the entry level student to make clinical decisions, direct patient care, and promote safety.
3rd Semester: 16 credits
NURN5017COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course focuses on performing a comprehensive health assessment on patients throughout the lifespan and communicating the assessment findings to members of the multi-disciplinary health care team. The course builds on knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment skills previously attained in undergraduate nursing education. Emphasis is placed on the collection, interpretation, and synthesis of relevant historical, genetic, biological, cultural, psychosocial and physical data for the development of a comprehensive and holistic health assessment. Evidence based practice concepts related to health promotion/disease prevention are applied. Diagnostic reasoning skills are developed to determine health and risk status, develop health promotion/disease prevention strategies, and establish priorities of care. This course will incorporate 30 hours of clinical experience with a preceptor focusing on health assessment.
NURN5117PROF NURSING PRACTICE: ADULT II
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to further develop the student's critical thinking and clinical judgment in the use of concepts and skills essential to the care of clients experiencing acute and chronic health conditions. The student will utilize the nursing process, development of holistic and comprehensive nursing assessments, planning, intervention implementation, and evaluation to direct the care of clients to meet optimal outcomes. Aspects of health promotion, disease management, and adaptation to health disorders are also analyzed. A 90-hour clinical component provides the student with the opportunity to utilize the developed concepts and skills in practice settings.
NURN5117CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5119PROF NURSING PRACTICE:MENTAL HEALTH
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed provides the student with concepts related to mental health and psychiatric disorders throughout the lifespan. Students will incorporate professional nursing standards and values to the care of individuals and families experiencing mental health issues and psychiatric disorders. Health promotion, disease prevention, and adaptation to alterations specific mental health and psychiatric disorders will be explored. The 90-hour clinical provides students the opportunity to care for patients and families in the mental health setting.
NURN5119CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5121RESEARCH METHODS
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
In this course, the research process is presented, with emphasis on varying approaches, methodologies, conceptual frameworks, and ethical considerations. The value of scientific evidence and the discipline of nursing as the basis for providing quality care and improving practice is highlighted. Students are afforded the opportunity to critically evaluate nursing research and utilize credible evidence to implement best practices.
4th Semester: 16 credits
NURN5009COMPREHENSIVE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course focuses on the analysis of pathophysiologic and psychologic processes and concepts that serve as the foundation for clinical assessment and pharmacological management of patients with common disease states across the lifespan. This course builds on the foundational concepts of basic anatomy and physiology and the clinical experiences in the medical surgical courses throughout the program. The student will interpret the results of diagnostic and laboratory tests used to diagnose and to monitor changes in selected pathophysiologic and psychologic conditions. The student is guided in assessing the influence of genetics, lifestyle, culture, gender, age, and economic status on the etiology and progression of selected pathophysiologic and psychologic alterations. In addition, current issues related to selected pathophysiologic and psychologic conditions are explored.
NURN5123PROF NURSING PRACTICE: ADULT III
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to develop the student's ability to apply critical thinking and clinical judgement to complex concepts and skills for in complex nursing situations with adult patients and families. Coursework emphasizes nursing assessment, skills, care, and management of adults experiencing complex health alterations. The course includes a 90-hour clinical component to develop the complex concepts and skills necessary for complex patient care.
NURN5123CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5125PROF NURSING PRACTICE:WOMEN & CHILD
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course provides the student with the opportunity to integrate nursing and developmental theories to emphasize family-centered care of pregnant women, newborns, and children. Pertinent physiological, developmental, and sociocultural concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention will be addressed. Nursing care of women through antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum periods and the newborn's adaptation to extra-uterine life will be emphasized. In addition, nursing care of the pediatric patient from infancy through adolescence will be addressed with attention to the following concepts: growth and development, effects of hospitalization, and common acute and chronic disorders. The 90-hour clinical experience provides the student with an opportunity to apply the course's theoretical concepts and implement safe family-centered care to mothers, newborns, and children in selected settings.
NURN5125CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5127HEALTH PROMOTION ACROSS THE
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
The nurse's role in health promotion for individuals, communities or groups is the focus of this course. Models and theories of health promotion, behavioral change and health education will be explored. Determinants contributing to or hindering optimal health are examined. Evidence-based health promotion interventions will be addressed.
5th Semester: 15 credits
NURN5004THEORY AND PROFESSIONAL NURSING
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course provides the foundation for comprehensive nursing practice. Students explore theories from nursing, natural, social, biological, and organizational sciences to frame their future practice. Key concepts are presented regarding leadership, adult learning, communication, professionalism, human diversity, and transition of the nurse to the nursing practice role.
NURN5007COMPREHENSIVE PHARMACOLOGY
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course provides the opportunity for students to acquire complex knowledge and skills in the pharmacologic treatment of commonly encountered health problems and to build on foundational concepts from a basic pharmacology course and experience in the clinical setting. The role of the nurse in collaboration with health team members in providing safe and effective drug therapy will be explored. Principle of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics as well as adverse drug reactions will be incorporated in the decision-making process to assess and monitor drug therapy and to teach patients safe and effective medication administration. The effects of culture, ethnicity, age, pregnancy, gender and economics on pharmacologic therapy will be emphasized. Assessment of the use of herbal and nutritional supplements, nutraceutical, and over-the-counter drugs on prescribed therapies will be addressed. In addition, current issues in drug therapy will be discussed such as the role of the nurse in the current opioid epidemic and the use of medical marijuana.
NURN5012HEALTH POLICY AND GLOBAL
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course focuses on healthcare policy in the United States and the related global health considerations. Students critically examine the national health care agenda and nurging's role in relation to the health of the nation, global health, and global health policy. Federal, state, and local political structure and function are examined along with the hierarchy of political involvement, interest groups and lobbyists, advocacy strategies, ethical issues and the public policy process. An overview of health care finance as it relates to health policy is presented and strategies to influence the regulatory process will be explored.
NURN5129PROF NURSING PRACTICE: NUR PRACTICU -COMPREHENSIVE NURSING PRACTICUM
Credits (Min/Max): 1/1
This seminar and practicum course provides the student with the opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills, and core values of the professional nurse as they transition from student to graduate nurse. Prioritization, delegation, and time management during provision of care will be emphasized. Integration of professional practice standards and effective communication will be highlighted. The 90-hour practicum component of the course enables students the opportunity to apply their nursing knowledge and skills in the clinical settings under the supervision of an RN preceptor.
NURN5129CPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE:
Credits (Min/Max): 2/2
NURN5131NURSING LEADERSHIP
Credits (Min/Max): 3/3
This course is designed to provide the students to the leadership role of professional nursing practice. Students will explore leadership and management theories. Professional concepts such as quality and safety, interprofessional communication and collaboration, delegation, supervision, education, and evidence-based practice are expanded upon with in the concept of leadership. By completion of the course students will identify and develop a clinical based project to improve care or address an ongoing issue within a complex health delivery system.