Nursing M.S.N.

Mission

In concert with the Georgia College & State University liberal arts mission, the School of Nursing is committed to the formation of nurse leaders to engage in evidence-based practice, lifelong learning and civic participation in a health information intensive environment through the development and mastery of clinical reasoning, professional nursing skills and values.

Program Description

Georgia College offers the Master of Science in Nursing degree with an option of the family nurse practitioner role, the nurse educator role, the nurse midwifery role, the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role, or the women's health nurse practitioner role,. Students may elect to complete the program with either a part-time (9 semesters) or a full-time (6 semesters) program of study.

A Post-MSN option is available for those who hold an MSN and are seeking specialization as either a family nurse practitioner, nurse educator, nurse midwifery, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or women's health nurse practitioner. Admission requirements include completing an application and sending all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (no testing is required). An individualized program of study will be developed on the basis of previous coursework completed. For information, contact the School of Nursing Administration Office at 478-445-1076.

Admission Requirements for Regular Admission

Admission is limited to the most qualified applicants.

Agencies where clinical and practical experiences take place require students to undergo a criminal background check, urine drug screen, and to meet the CDC and OSHA standards for healthcare professionals. Students desiring to enter the MSN program should consider these requirements. Agencies may refuse any student based on failure to meet these guidelines or other agency guidelines. Refusal of an agency to accept a student may delay or prevent a student from completing the program. Professional licensing and accrediting bodies may refuse to license/certify individuals who have committed certain criminal acts or other acts or moral turpitude.

Applicants shall:

Hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing from an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited program.

Provide evidence of current unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in Georgia. At least one year of clinical practice is required for consideration, additional clinical experience is preferred.
Have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 undergraduate hours required in the nursing major.
Participate in an interview.

An application is complete when all of the following have been submitted:

Complete application form and non-refundable application fee: $35 online, $40 paper
Three letters of reference from professionals who can speak to the applicant's experience and potential for success in master's studies using the SON form letter located on the web site.
Official transcripts from all previous colleges/universities attended
Current résumé or curriculum vitae
Writing exercise to be completed at time of interview.
Copy of an unencumbered Georgia RN license or Compact RN license

Admission Requirements for Enrichment Status

Georgia College offers an enrichment status for a person who holds a baccalaureate degree and who wants to enroll in graduate courses for purposes of self-improvement or enjoyment. In the School of Nursing, a maximum of nine (9) credit hours is permitted in this status. Enrichment students may enroll in any non-clinical MSN courses. Enrichment students may apply for any semester.

Successful completion of courses taken as an enrichment status student does not lead to admission to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. Students desiring regular admission must apply for regular admission.

Acceptance into a course is dependent upon availability of space and facilities after full-time and part-time students have been registered.

Other Nursing Program Requirements

Have computer access. All MSN majors are expected to be able to use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) when submitting assignments. Graduate students should have proficiency with Microsoft Office, Internet, and e-mail. In addition, graduate students are expected to have updated and enabled virus protection software on their computers. Students may be required to purchase additional software as listed in individual course syllabi.

Complete all required courses for the MSN degree within a period of 7 years from the date the student begins graduate courses at Georgia College. Any course work completed more than 7 years prior to completion of requirements for the MSN degree will be considered outdated and will not be applied toward the MSN degree program. This includes courses that may be transferred in from other institutions.

Clinical Requirements

Prior to participation in any clinical learning rotation, students must submit evidence of health status, immunizations, TB screening, professional liability insurance, RN license, current CPR certification, criminal background checks, urine drug screens and other laboratory tests as specified by clinical agencies, ability to meet technical standards or ask for accommodations, and complete required documents as described in the Nursing Graduate Student Handbook, which is found at http://www.gcsu.edu/nursing. These documents must be updated as required.

Transfer Credits

No more than 9 semester hours of graduate course work in nursing may be accepted from other institutions. All requests for transfer credit must follow the approved protocol by submitting a Reqeust to Equate or Substitute a Course form, available on the Registrar's Office website.

Synthesis Requirement

All students who expect to complete requirements for the MSN degree must demonstrate synthesis of knowledge/skill for their respective areas of specialization prior to graduation. Synthesis will be demonstrated by successful completion of an electronic portfolio. Details are available in the MSN Student Handbook.

In addition, students enrolled in our Advanced Practice Registered Nurse programs will take and pass a written comprehensive practice exam in their last semester of coursework. Details are available in the MSN Student Handbook.

Facilities

The large number of health care agencies in the region makes it possible for the College of Health Sciences to offer a variety of clinical learning opportunities; however, students can anticipate driving up to 100 miles for clinical learning on occasion. Students considering application to the MSN program should be aware that criminal background checks, drug screens, and other laboratory tests can be required by clinical sites.

Career Information

Students completing the MSN degree have opportunities encompassing management, administration, teaching, and advanced clinical positions throughout Georgia and the nation. Career information is available from faculty in the School of Nursing.

National Accreditation

The BSN, MSN, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001, 202-887-6791).

Completing the Master of Science in Nursing Program

Consult faculty academic advisor for development of a Program of Study.

Complete course requirements, maintaining 3.0 GPA.
While enrolled in clinical courses, assure that current clinical documents have been submitted for the student file in the Graduate Nursing office.
Complete synthesis requirement.
Complete a written application for graduation by the date specified in the official University calendar.

Progression

In order to maintain good academic standing with the University and the MSN degree program, students must demonstrate high academic performance. Policies regarding academic performance are found in the Graduate Catalog.

Students must maintain current clinical requirements (see "Clinical Requirements" section above). Please refer to the MSN handbook for a complete list of clinical courses.

Students are expected to earn a grade of no less than a B in all of the MSN clinical courses, no less than a C in all non-clinical courses, and must maintain an overall B average (3.0) in the MSN program. A grade of C or lower in any clinical course requires the student to retake the course to progress. Students who earn a rating of “clinically unsatisfactory” in a clinical course will have a grade of F assigned for that course, regardless of the class average for the semester. Students who earn a rating of "clinically unsatisfactory" in a clinical course will have a grade of "F" assigned for that course regardless of the class average for the semester. Students who earn a clinically unsatisfactory rating due to the question of competence may not progress in the MSN program.

A graduate student whose institutional graduate grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0 at the end of a semester will receive a warning from the University. The program coordinator will determine whether a return to a 3.0 GPA is feasible based on the remaining coursework. If a 3.0 GPA is not feasible, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Students who fail or withdraw from a course must petition for readmission into the MSN Program/concentration. There is no guarantee of readmission to the program/concentration. Students may repeat only one course within the MSN Program. A student may reenter the program/concentration (if approved) only one time.

Procedure for re-entry to the MSN program following a withdrawal or failure

A nursing student who fails or withdraws from a nursing course and desires to continue to pursue a MSN degree or Post MSN Certificate at GC should initiate contact with his/her academic advisor to complete a SON petition for readmission. The petition should include the following: (a) insight into what circumstances contributed to unsuccessful completion of the course; (b) what steps have been (or will be) taken to promote success; and (c) an alternate program of study co-developed with the advisor. The petition should be submitted between the first day of finals week or by the day on which final grades are due for the semester (per academic calendar) in which the failing grade was earned.

The GNC Committee will make a decision regarding approval of the SON petition no later than the first full day of class of the next semester. The final approval of the petition, and the student’s eligibility to re-enter the program is at the discretion of the Director of the GC SON. When petition for re-entry is supported by the GNC and the Director, re-entry remains contingent on space availability in courses identified in the student’s revised program of study.

A student who withdraws (whether voluntary or failure) from the MSN Program re-enters under the most current catalog and SON policies.

Nursing credit earned prior to readmission may or may not count toward progression, at the discretion of the faculty.

GC nursing students are admitted into and progress as a cohort (group). A cohort is admitted to either a six-semester program of study (full-time) or a nine-semester program of study (part-time) each summer semester.
Transferring between cohorts and concentrations will only be considered on an individual basis through the SON petition process.

Post-master’s certificate students are admitted and will begin their individual program of study following a gap analysis by the specific program coordinator for which they are applying.

All candidates for readmission to the MSN program will have their admission status determined by the Graduate Committee of the School of Nursing. Acceptance of previously earned course credits will be at the discretion of the faculty.

Students who have not been enrolled for over a year must complete a new application and submit it to Graduate Admissions. All required courses for the MSN degree must be completed within a period of seven (7) years from the date the student begins graduate courses at Georgia College. Any course work, including transient courses, completed more than seven (7) years prior to completion of requirements for the MSN degree will be considered outdated and will not apply toward the MSN degree program.

Grievances, Appeals, and Petitions

The School of Nursing follows the policies and procedures outlined in the University graduate catalog regarding academic and non-academic grievances and appeals. The GC graduate catalog provides guidance to students and faculty regarding the definition of and process for grievances and appeals. The University distinguishes between a petition and an academic grievance. Students, in consultation with faculty, use petitions to remedy undue hardship and specific inequities that may adversely affect the student’s ability to fulfill the academic requirements of the University. Examples of petitions within the School of Nursing are student requests to change their programs of study. These requests are handled within the School of Nursing.

By contrast, an academic grievance or appeal is an allegation by a student of substantial and/or unjustified deviation, to the student’s detriment, from policies, procedures and/or requirements regarding admission, grading policies, special agreements, instructor’s requirements, and academic requirements of the University. In the majority of situations, the matter is resolved at the instructor level. The process allows for successive review of the grievance or appeal at higher positions within the academic administration chain of command. Records are kept of grievances that reach the level of the Director of the School of Nursing. Readmission to Graduate Studies Students who have not been enrolled for one (1) semester (excluding summer) must contact the Office of Graduate Admissions and update their status before they can enroll for the next semester: Graduate Admissions Georgia College Campus Box 107 Milledgeville, GA 31061 Fax: 478-445-1336