The Master of Science in Nursing degree at MTSU helps address a critical shortage of Family Nurse Practitioners with high-quality, affordable, and time-efficient studies. Coursework is completed online, except for clinical rotations through approved preceptors (in the student's home area when possible). Family Nurse Practitioners deliver comprehensive primary health care services to all ages and help provide health care to underserved populations. Full-time or part-time study is available. The program increases access to graduate education for practicing nurses who need time flexibility and for those in remote areas.
Lorrie Richardson (B.S., Nursing, ’97) works full-time as a surgery center’s clinical manager while studying for her master’s at MTSU in the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration with the online program. “The ability to go at my own speed and continue to work while earning my degree made this particular program appealing to me,” she says. “I have also had a lot of encouragement from family and friends to pursue advanced education. The first semester of the program was challenging; however, there is so much assistance that I was able to catch on quickly.” She also has enjoyed being a part of the learning experience for first-year nursing students through a graduate assistantship. Richardson, who may pursue a Ph.D., earned her certification as an ambulatory perianesthesia nurse (CAPA) in 2012. She has worked on the vascular/telemetry floor and in emergency services and ambulatory surgery.
Nurse educator Lisa Murphree became an assistant professor at MTSU after receiving her Master of Science in Nursing in August 2010 through the Regents Online Campus Collaborative. She’s in a clinical track position coordinating and teaching medical surgical clinical, while also working on a doctoral degree. “I very much appreciated the online format of the M.S.N. program, which helped balance family, part-time work, and graduate work,” Murphree says. “The practicum provided a wonderful bridge between school and a teaching position.” She calls the M.S.N. program “challenging, worthwhile, and a good value. The graduate courses in the education track through ROCC have already proven to be great preparation for the Ed.D. for Nurse Educators degree I am pursuing.”
The Master of Nursing programs helps train nurses who seek to practice as advanced clinicians, want to teach in entry-level nursing programs, or wish to manage professional practice workplaces. Graduates may work in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, businesses, private practices, HMOs, schools and community centers
MTSU’s School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree with a concentration of Family Nurse Practitioner.
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
ACEN
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850
Atlanta Georgia, 30326
Tennessee Board of Nursing
665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
Admission requires
Deadline to be fully admitted to graduate studies at MTSU and to have required documents received by MTSU's School of Nursing:
MTSU is currently not accepting out-of-state applicants for the MSN program.
Recent information indicates that the varied requirements in these states is prohibitive, placing an undue financial and administrative burden on the University. Since this situation is not likely to change in the near future, it is recommended that you seek an alternative institution for your graduate study plans.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS tab above.
Students holding a MSN degree may pursue a Nursing Post Masters Certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
The MTSU School of Nursing also offers selected graduate courses which may be transferred to programs offering the Master of Science in Nursing.
Undergraduates in the School of Nursing may pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree via a traditional four-year baccalaureate program, first as a pre-nursing major and then, after three semesters and acceptance to the upper division, as a nursing major.
Nursing Administration Nursing Education Advanced Practice: Family Nurse Practioner
The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.).
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
NOTE: Admission is closed; this program will become inactive Spring 2018.
Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Administration requires
Students are advised to contact the graduate program advisor in the School of Nursing before beginning the application procedure. Applications are due by October 1 for spring admission, February 1 for summer admission, and April 1 for fall admission.
Applicant must
NOTE: All students must first apply to the TN eCampus program at www.tnecampus.org. Students approved and assigned to MTSU will then apply to the MTSU College of Graduate Studies.
Candidate must
Candidate must complete 36 hours in the following course of study:
The School of Nursing also offers selected graduate courses that may be transferred to programs offering the Master of Science in Nursing. Other courses designed to assist individuals to meet the requirements of the State of Tennessee Board of Nursing for a Certificate of Fitness to practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse are also available. Please contact the School of Nursing for further information.
The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.).
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
NOTE: Admission is closed; this program will become inactive Spring 2018.
Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education requires
Students are advised to contact the graduate program advisor in the School of Nursing before beginning the application procedure. Applications are due by October 1 for spring admission, February 1 for summer admission, and April 1 for fall admission.
Applicant must
NOTE: All students must first apply to the TNeCampus program at www.tnecampus.org. Students approved and assigned to MTSU will then apply to the MTSU College of Graduate Studies.
Candidate must
Candidate must complete 40 hours in the following course of study:
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program. Corequisite: NURS 6102. Offers preparation to the advanced practice nurse to conduct focused and comprehensive health assessments of clients across the lifespan. Process of diagnostic reasoning emphasized as the primary means of collecting and analyzing data obtained from the client history, physical examination, and diagnostic procedures. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
1 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program. Corequisite: NURS 6101. Emphasizes the application of advanced assessment techniques in performance of focused and comprehensive health assessments of clients across the lifespan. Clinical analysis and synthesis of physical assessment data and diagnostic reasoning skills developed. Expect to devote approximately 4 hours each week to assignments and activities. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Explores an in-depth scientific knowledge base relevant to selected pathophysiological states confronted by advanced practice nurses. Provides a basis for the foundation of clinical decisions related to selected diagnostic tests and the initiation of therapeutic regimens. Pathophysiology across the lifespan correlated to clinical diagnoses and management. Offered spring, summer, and fall.
3 credit hours
Focuses on pharmacology and therapeutics used in the treatment of selected health conditions commonly encountered by the advanced practice nurse. Emphasis placed on the decision-making process utilized to safely and effectively prescribe and monitor pharmacotherapeutics appropriate to the client situation. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program and NURS 6000. Introduces traditional and contemporary considerations for curriculum planning and design as applied to nursing education. Emphasis placed on curriculum designs and exploration of major research-based theories of adult and nursing education. Concepts applied to a variety of settings and/or levels of education. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program and NURS 6002. Analysis of testing, benchmarking, and evaluating methods in the clinical practice of nursing across classroom, seminar, and electronic formats; includes evaluation methods to ensure competency in the clinical area. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
Select one course from the following:
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN Program. Focuses on advancing the knowledge base of professional nurses on selected acute and chronic illnesses impacting the health of adults. Emphasis on acquiring advanced, specialized knowledge of adult health at a graduate level. Selected research from a variety of disciplines will be analyzed and discussed from theoretical and evidenced-based practice perspectives. Offered spring and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; prerequisites or corequisites: NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, and NURS 6104. Focuses on advanced principles and concepts related to mental health nursing emphasizing the roles and functions of the advanced practice nurse in meeting the needs of individuals/families/groups/communities who are experiencing alterations in psychosocial functioning. Content includes management strategies from the domains of nursing, medicine, and pharmacological therapeutics. Evidence-based practices, research, culture, diversity, ethics, and legal issues integrated. Offered spring semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites or corequisites: NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, and NURS 6104. Focuses on advanced concepts related to multi-organ/system function and dysfunction. Physiology, assessment, pathophysiology, system failure, and clinical management of major body systems addressed. Offered summer semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104. Focuses on the care of women's health issues and the pre, peri, and post natal care of both mother and newborn. Nursing strategies for illness prevention, health promotion, and clinical management of both acute and chronic conditions are addressed. Offered summer semester.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104. Focuses on health maintenance and health promotion for children and their families. Care for children and families experiencing both acute and chronic illness/disabilities are addressed. Offered spring semester.
The School of Nursing also offers selected graduate courses that may be transferred to programs offering the Master of Science in Nursing. Other courses designed to assist individuals to meet the requirements of the State of Tennessee Board of Nursing for a Certificate of Fitness to practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse are also available. Please contact the School of Nursing for further information.
The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) in an online format that includes one concentration: Advanced Practice (Family Nurse Practitioner). Courses are offered each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Advanced Practice: Family Nurse Practitioner requires
Students are advised to contact the graduate program advisor in the School of Nursing before beginning the application procedure. Applications are due by October 1 for spring admission, February 1 for summer admission, and April 1 for fall admission.
Applicant must
Candidate must
Candidate must complete 46 hours in the following course of study:
3 credit hours
Prerequisite or corequisite: NURS 6002; admission to the MTSU MSN program. Provides the theoretical foundations for advanced nursing practice. Focuses on the critical components of contemporary nursing knowledge; explores the nature of theory development in nursing; examines relevance of concepts from basic and applied sciences; analysis and evaluation of nursing and related theories; and relevance of theory in terms of impact on professional nursing practice, individuals, families, and groups as clients in health care systems. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program. Designed to further knowledge in health care policy and how its use impacts the health care delivery system. Within this context students will read about and discuss aspects of health care delivery, access and equity of the health care system, health disparities and how they impact delivery and policy, and how advanced practice nursing can impact health policy. Intended for master level students in the health care arena. Offered spring, summer and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite or corequisite: NURS 6000; admission to the MTSU MSN program. Involves the systematic examination and application of the research process. Concept of evidenced-based practice and its application to nursing critically examined. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission into MTSU MSN program. Provides students with an in-depth understanding of the legal, historical, political, social, and ethical aspects of advanced nursing. Examines traditional and emerging roles for advanced nursing. Offered spring, summer and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Pre- or corequisite: All MTSU MSN nursing courses; NURS 6209 or NURS 6309 or NURS 6410 or NURS 6609. A culminating experience which provides the opportunity to synthesize current knowledge in the major or concentration area of study. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters. To be taken the last semester of study or by permission from the department. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program. Corequisite: NURS 6102. Offers preparation to the advanced practice nurse to conduct focused and comprehensive health assessments of clients across the lifespan. Process of diagnostic reasoning emphasized as the primary means of collecting and analyzing data obtained from the client history, physical examination, and diagnostic procedures. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
1 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the MTSU MSN program. Corequisite: NURS 6101. Emphasizes the application of advanced assessment techniques in performance of focused and comprehensive health assessments of clients across the lifespan. Clinical analysis and synthesis of physical assessment data and diagnostic reasoning skills developed. Expect to devote approximately 4 hours each week to assignments and activities. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
*(NURS 6102 - 60 contact hours which do not count in certification eligibility requirements)
3 credit hours
Explores an in-depth scientific knowledge base relevant to selected pathophysiological states confronted by advanced practice nurses. Provides a basis for the foundation of clinical decisions related to selected diagnostic tests and the initiation of therapeutic regimens. Pathophysiology across the lifespan correlated to clinical diagnoses and management. Offered spring, summer, and fall.
3 credit hours
Focuses on pharmacology and therapeutics used in the treatment of selected health conditions commonly encountered by the advanced practice nurse. Emphasis placed on the decision-making process utilized to safely and effectively prescribe and monitor pharmacotherapeutics appropriate to the client situation. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6602. Focuses on advanced practice nursing and health care management of women in diverse populations. Includes biopsychosocial interactions, affecting women throughout the lifespan. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6601. Focuses on the delivery of advanced nursing care to women. Various clinical settings with diverse populations may be employed for clinical practice. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6604. Focuses on advanced practice nursing and healthcare management of adults and older adults in diverse populations. Includes developmental, physiological, pathological, and psychosocial changes relative to health maintenance, acute and chronic illnesses, and life transitions. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
4 credit hours
Prerequisites: NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6603. Focuses on advanced practice nursing and healthcare management of adults and older adults in diverse populations. Includes developmental, physiological, pathological, and psychosocial changes relative to health maintenance, acute and chronic illnesses and life transitions. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, and NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6606. Focuses on advanced nursing and healthcare management of children and adolescents. Includes developmental, physiological, pathological, and psychosocial changes relative to health maintenance, acute and chronic illnesses, and developmental transitions within the family context. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
2 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6101, NURS 6102, NURS 6103, NURS 6104; corequisite: NURS 6605. Focuses on advanced nursing and healthcare management of children and adolescents. Includes developmental, physiological, pathological, and psychosocial changes relative to health maintenance, acute and chronic illnesses, and developmental transitions within the family context. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
4 to 5 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to the MTSU MSN program; NURS 6000, NURS 6001, NURS 6002, NURS 6003, NURS 6601, NURS 6602, NURS 6603, NURS 6604, NURS 6605, NURS 6606; corequisite: NURS 6990. Focuses on the synthesis of previously gained knowledge and skills in the provision of advanced nursing care to individuals, families, and communities. Emphasis placed on health promotion, disease prevention, and clinical management of clients with common acute and chronic illnesses. Offered spring, summer, and fall semesters.
Total practice contact hours - 975
The School of Nursing also offers selected graduate courses that may be transferred to programs offering the Master of Science in Nursing. Other courses designed to assist individuals to meet the requirements of the State of Tennessee Board of Nursing for a Certificate of Fitness to practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse are also available. Please contact the School of Nursing for further information.
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is currently offering the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track. Family nurse practitioners provide primary care for individuals across the lifespan, and many provide care to indigent and uninsured populations. Our MSN graduates are providing primary care in middle Tennessee and across the country.
Upon successful completion of the Master's program, graduates will:
Richard Meeks
richard.meeks@mtsu.edu
615-494-8657
MSNadvisor@mtsu.edu
615-898-5252
School of Nursing
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 81
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
College of Graduate Studies
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 42
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
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