MSN Operational Leadership (online)

Program Contact: Carolyn Bradley, 203-582-7975

Graduates of the MSN program are prepared for higher level professional practice and leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings, as well as advanced study at the doctoral level.

The Operational Leadership program prepares nurses for operational leadership roles in healthcare institutions and settings. The program offers courses in health policy, organizational leadership, adult learning strategies, epidemiology, biostatistics, health care finance, informatics, health care management, the uses of data in evaluating practice and human factor analysis. The program also makes use of three courses from the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, and provides 360 hours of practicum experience. Graduates who wish to continue their education are well positioned to pursue a clinical doctorate in nursing. The program provides a portion of the content required for eligibility to sit for board certification in Nursing Professional Development or Informatics, both offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Graduates of this program are prepared to assume positions of management, informatics and leadership in a variety of healthcare settings. Graduates also are qualified to teach undergraduate nursing students in clinical or laboratory courses.

MSN: Operational Leadership (online)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Course Listing
HM 600	Foundations of Health Care Management	3
NUR 500	Biostatistics	1
NUR 514	Epidemiology and Population Health	2
NUR 516	Health Policy and Organizational Systems	2
NUR 538	Applying Data to Practice	2
NUR 540	Educational Principles for the Health Care Professional	3
NUR 542	Introduction to Health Care Finance	2
NUR 543	Capstone	3
NUR 544	Introduction to Informatics	3
NUR 688	Human Factors and Patient Safety	3
OL 601	Foundations of Organizational Behavior and Leadership	3
OL 630	Performance Management and HR Analytics	3
Total Credits		30

Curriculum Note:

The semester-by-semester Learning Pathway for this program is available in the School of Nursing.

The curriculum for this program is subject to modification as deemed necessary by the nursing faculty to provide students with the most meaningful educational experience and to remain current with professional standards and guidelines.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSN program are prepared for higher level professional practice and leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings, as well as advanced study at the doctoral level.

Specifically, graduates will be able to:

1. Incorporate knowledge from the sciences and humanities for improvement of healthcare across diverse settings.
2. Demonstrate leadership abilities encompassing ethical and critical decision-making that embraces a systems perspective.
3. Apply appropriate measurement and analysis methods related to organizational quality and safety.
4. Apply evidence-based findings to resolve practice problems, and serve as a catalyst for change.
5. Use informatics and healthcare technology to integrate and coordinate care.
6. Participate in policy development and advocacy strategies at the system level to influence health and healthcare.
7. Collaborate effectively on interprofessional teams to improve health outcomes.
8. Integrate principles of clinical and population health into care delivery and management.
9. Deliver direct and/or indirect nursing practice interventions at the master’s level of practice.

Admission Requirements

An applicant to the Master of Science in Nursing program must be a registered nurse or NCLEX-eligible nurse and have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better is required.

Applicants should submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. A completed admissions application including a resume and a personal statement addressing the following:
   1. professional goals and motivations,
   2. a nursing experience that has influenced or shaped your practice.
2. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended.
3. Official recent results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for international applicants.
4. Two letters of recommendation from persons with authority to evaluate your professional ability.
5. Proof of current licensure or eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse. 

The preferred application deadline is May 1. Applications will be considered after May 1 on a space-available basis. Candidates may be placed on a waitlist for fall admission should space become available. However, acceptances are not deferred to the following fall and wait-listed candidates need to reapply for the following fall. Exceptions may be made in rare circumstances by the chair of the graduate nursing program. When all application materials are received, an interview with the graduate program director and/or member of the faculty will be arranged for eligible candidates.

All accepted students also will be required to complete a background check and urine drug screen following acceptance and before the start of classes. Acceptances will be conditional until satisfactory completion of both.

Transfer Credits

Graduate course credit completed with a grade of B or better at another regionally accredited institution may be considered for transfer credit in place of a similar course. Courses must be at the same level (i.e., an undergraduate course may not be transferred in place of a master’s level course) and taken within the past five years. Transfer credit is granted upon admission to the program only. The course description and/or syllabus and a copy of the transcript with a request for transfer credit must be sent/emailed to the director of the graduate nursing programs. 

Progression Requirements

According to Quinnipiac University policy, all graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Full-time graduate students are required to achieve a 3.00 GPA each semester. Part-time graduate students must have an overall GPA of 3.00 upon completion of 9 credits and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 thereafter. The grading scale of the Graduate Nursing Program is consistent with that of the university.

A student who earns less than a B minus grade in any nursing course will be required to repeat the course. The student is allowed to repeat the course once at Quinnipiac University provided that the course and the subsequent curriculum sequence are offered and must achieve a B minus or better. The student must achieve a minimum grade of a B minus in all subsequent nursing courses. Failure to meet this requirement will result in dismissal from the program. A student who earns unsatisfactory grades (grade of less than B minus) in two or more nursing courses in any semester is not eligible to repeat the courses and will be required to withdraw from the program.

A student who receives a grade of Incomplete (I) in any nursing courses or practica must meet all course requirements for conversion to a grade before the start of the subsequent semester.

At the end of each semester, the director of online nursing programs reviews the cumulative GPA and academic record of graduate nursing students. The director will notify both the associate dean and the student, in writing, of the student’s failure to meet the academic requirements. Students who are performing at an unsatisfactory level will be: a) placed on probation, b) suspended or c) dismissed. Students placed on academic probation remain in their program but must take specified corrective action to meet program performance standards. Students should meet with their adviser to identify learning strategies to help them accomplish these goals and the student should draft a list or narrative of these strategies, which will serve as a learning contract. A copy of this contract will be placed in the student’s folder and should be reviewed periodically with their adviser. Students must demonstrate a significantly increased GPA at the end of that semester to continue in the program. Students placed on suspension may also need to take specified actions as directed by the academic dean, graduate nursing program director or academic adviser.

Appeal Process

1. A student wishing to appeal a progression decision must write a letter via email to the director of online programs within one week of receiving the inability to progress notice.
2. Appeals will be considered by a Progression Appeals Committee chaired by the associate dean. Results will be communicated in writing to the student via email.
3. A student wishing to appeal a course grade should follow the grade appeal process detailed in the University Catalog.