Bachelor of Science in Nursing, B.S.N. to Master of Science in Nursing, M.S.N. (RN to MSN)

Susan Enfield, M.S.M., R.M., PEL-CSN and Deborah Kuhn Bruley, Ph.D., R.N., RNMSN Directors

Olivet’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program for registered nurses who have earned either an associate’s degree in nursing or a diploma in nursing and desire to advance their personal and professional goals.

Learners will develop professional readiness, cultural sensitivity, and leadership/management skills throughout the program. Learners will also develop, test and evaluate ideas relevant to nursing practice. Learners will learn to be a change agent in the nursing field.

Learners will interact with multidisciplinary representatives in multiple practice settings to explore collaborative best practices. This experience is obtained through practicum hours in both the BSN portion and MSN portion of the program. Learners will be required to obtain and pass a background check and urine drug screening prior to practicum hours in the BSN portion and MSN portion of the program. Learners will graduate with a baccalaureate degree after successful completion of the BSN curriculum including two 500 level courses and may choose to stop or continue on to the MSN program.

The MSN portion provides education and experience in three specific areas: education, management/leadership, and family nurse practitioner. All learners are provided the opportunity to learn the theoretical base of nursing science while participating in practicum experiences that will heighten their professional readiness for their career. In addition, various healthcare settings are utilized for practicums in the three areas.

60-72 hours

Required for BSN degree:

Required Supporting Courses:

Other BSN Guidelines:

Students are limited to withdrawing from, voluntarily or administratively, or failing two nursing courses. Students may not fail more than one Practicum/Project course in the program. Students may not enroll in any nursing course more than two times. In order to progress into Nursing Research and beyond, learners must receive a grade of C (2.0) or higher in each course of the Nursing major and in MTH 120 . A cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required to progress in the Nursing courses and to graduate with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Students must satisfactorily complete a certified background check and drug screen before starting their practicum/project hours. Students will complete a total of 45 practicum/project hours; 15 practicum/project hours in each of the following courses: NRSG 326 - Community Health Nursing , NRSG 443 - Global & Transcultural Nursing , NRSG 467 - Leadership and Issues in Health Care, Law, and Ethics . Students are responsible for obtaining preceptor(s) for the practicum/project hours in NRSG 326 , NRSG 436 (can be same preceptor as NRSG 326 ), and NRSG 467 . All preceptors are required to have a BSN degree or higher.

All general education requirements must be completed prior to the start of NRSG 501 .

Prior to enrollment in the first Masters course, students are required to submit documentation of 2,000 hours of clinical work time as an RN. This can be documented by a pay stub or letter from manager or human resource department, on official letterhead, documenting hours worked as a registered nurse.

Required for MSN degree:

Plus completion of one of the following specialty tracks:

Education specialty track:

Management/Leadership specialty track:

Family Nurse Practitioner specialty track:

Other Program Guidelines:

All MSN students will submit to a criminal background check, physical, and drug screen before starting their practicums. These items must be passed before the start of the practicum. All FNP students are to complete a total of 720 clinical/practicum hours, satisfactorily, by the conclusion of the program. All MSN students in the Education track complete at least 180 practicum hours scored “Satisfactory” by the end of their track specialty and hours must be with a School of High Education focus. This can be accomplished either through an ADN or a BSN program. Your preceptor is required to have an MSN. All MSN students in the Leadership track complete at least 180 practicum hours, scored “Satisfactory” by the end of their track specialty, and hours must have a focus in leadership with a master’s prepared preceptor.

In the MSN program (Education, Leadership/Management, and FNP tracks), no more than one C (including C+) are permitted in the coursework. A second C or C+ requires the learner to repeat one of the two courses. Only ONE repeat of any course due to withdrawal, failure, or a second C is allowed during any of the tracks of the MSN program. A 3.0 Cumulative GPA must be maintained throughout the MSN program and for graduation. All FNP candidates must earn no lower than a B- (83%) in the didactic portion of all FNP courses. Failure to demonstrate meeting any of the standards listed in this section will result in student withdrawal.