Master’s Direct Entry into Nursing Practice

Overview

The Master's Direct Entry into Nursing Practice (MDE) program offers an innovative path to RN licensure plus master's-level preparation—designed specifically for college graduates with non-nursing bachelor's degrees. This program provides a rigorous, efficient way for career changers to gain the credentials needed for a nursing career, with a focus on advanced competencies and leadership skills that open doors to a variety of academic and career opportunities. Graduates gain master's-level knowledge and enhanced skills in leadership and quality improvement to prepare for practice or future advanced nursing education. Master's-prepared nurses are well-positioned for nursing and healthcare leadership roles that offer a broader scope of responsibilities and higher pay, as well as a pathway to various academic and career opportunities, including Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL), Nursing Education, doctoral programs, nursing leadership or healthcare quality roles, and other advanced nursing specialties.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate competent clinical judgment in providing safe, effective, quality client care.
2. Integrate communication tools, techniques, and technologies to enhance team functioning, well-being, and health outcomes for diverse populations.
3. Create an environment that supports sharing diverse perspectives, interprofessional collaboration, and learning to promote quality patient care.
4. Demonstrate integration of disciplinary knowledge, clinical appraisal of the best evidence, and client values in providing quality nursing care.
5. Engage in self-assessment and reflective practice to improve professional performance in accordance with professional standards.
6. Demonstrate leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities to advocate for promoting social justice and eradicating structural racism and systematic inequity in nursing and society.
7. Use technology and information systems to enhance decision-making in complex healthcare delivery systems to optimize health outcomes.
8. Examine the impact of determinants of health on client care, health promotion, and disease prevention in diverse populations in multiple contexts across the lifespan.
9. Integrate foundational knowledge of healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory environments and have the ability to act as a change agent in care delivery within a complex healthcare system.

Program Goals

1. Successfully complete the National Council Licensure Examination.
2. Gain employment in the clinical area of choice.