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Nursing, M.S.N.
Nursing is an exciting profession that is responsive to changes in health care. An increasing focus on health promotion and maintenance, and technological advancements in the treatment of illness, has placed new demands on health care providers. Professional nurses are needed to provide evidence based solutions to critical problems, improve patient safety through risk reduction, and illness and disease management at the point of care.
Visit the program website for more information.
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11%
West Michigan Job Growth by 2024
Source: EMSI, 2020
Program Overview
The Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree. The M.S.N. prepares professional nurses as advanced generalists to serve as leaders within clinical microsystems in a reformed healthcare system.
Why Study Nursing at Grand Valley?
- Flexibility - all nursing classes offered in a hybrid format to
accommodate working professionals.
- Versatility - graduates will be prepared to provide care in a practice setting, applying advanced knowledge from nursing and related disciplines, improving health care by assuming leadership roles, and contributing to the advancement of the profession.
- Practicality - graduates will have an exceptional blend of clinical, organizational, economic, and leadership skills and be prepared to contribute to health care reform.
- Convenience - courses are offered primarily at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in Grand Rapids.
- The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Grand Valley State University's Kirkhof College of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. www.ccneaccreditation.org.
Location & Format
Classes for the program are a combination of online and in-seat on the GVSU Health Campus, near the Grand Rapids Medical Mile.
Format:Coursework
The curriculum is designed to provide students with the clinical leadership skills essential for the integration of evidence-based practice at the patient-provider interface and coordination of care delivery processes that will improve client outcomes in a cost-effective, fiscally responsible manner. The M.S.N. degree requires 37 credit hours.
Career Options
The M.S.N. prepares nursing graduates to manage complex clinical cases and provide leadership at the point of care, implement evidence-based practice, use technology and informatics to support outcomes measurement and quality improvement strategies, and lead teams in the delivery of health care in multiple settings across the continuum.
Skills Employers Want
The Master of Science in Nursing degree at GVSU will develop the skills you need to land the job you want. Whether the skills are advanced or general, you will build a resume of qualifications that are sure to attract employers. The following skills correlate with those pulled from actual job postings in the nursing field.
- Nursing
- Clinical Nursing
- Acute Care
- Nursing Practices
- Health Administration
- Rehabilitation
Source: EMSI, 2020
Application Deadline
Applications accepted on a rolling basis for the fall cohort. Preferred application deadline is February 1; applications received thereafter accepted based upon space available.
The $30 nonrefundable application fee is waived if the applicant has previously applied to Grand Valley State University. Please visit gvsu.edu/gradapply/.
Admission Requirements
- GVSU graduate application.
- Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs that verify completion of baccalaureate and/or master's program(s) in nursing from CONE- or NLN-accredited schools. GPA will be calculated using all college coursework. 3.0/4.0 is required.
- Current curriculum vitae or résumé.
- Educational and professional goal statement. Statement must articulate an area of focus (advanced generalist, advanced clinical, or administrative practice) and describe how attaining a graduate nursing degree will facilitate goal achievement. Statement should be approximately two typed, double-spaced pages.
- Scholarly writing sample on a specified topic. Applicants will submit this electronically through the application system.
- Interview with KCON faculty.
- Test scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) for applicants whose native language is not English. Only original score reports will be accepted.
Full admission is contingent on the following:
- Current licensure to practice in Michigan
- Successful completion of a required criminal background check and drug screen
- Compliance with health record, immunization, and other KCON graduate program requirements.
Helpful Links
For More Information
M.S.N. Program
gvsu.edu/nursingmsn
301
Michigan St. NE Suite 300
(616) 331-7160
Katherine Moran, DNP, CDE,
FAADE
(616) 331-7160
“Grand Valley's M.S.N. program has enhanced my knowledge of nursing to a systems level by providing a curriculum with a wide range of topics, from nursing in politics to leadership. I look forward to future possibilities of professional growth in several areas in which the Advanced Generalist, with a clinical nurse leader certificate, has prepared me to enter.”
MARIAH HOCKIN, MSN, RN
M.S.N. GRADUATE
M.S.N. GRADUATE
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