Master’s of Science in Nursing Offered
PDF Michelle Krzystyniak, Contributor
Pictured above by Katie Esposito: A popular program of study at Lewis University is the Nursing program, which is offered as an undergraduate and graduate major.
A popular major at Lewis University is the nursing program, and it is offered as an undergraduate and graduate major.
The undergraduate and graduate majors do not contrast much, except for the different concentrations offered to study in the graduate nursing program. Nursing students still get their Master’s of Science in Nursing, and they can choose a certain specialization.
“I chose to go to Lewis for my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and I couldn’t be happier with my choice,” said nursing graduate student Joanna Kos. “After I graduated, I got a job, and decided to continue my studies at Lewis to complete my MSN”
The concentrations offered for the MSN are nursing administration, nursing education, adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, doctor of nursing practice and the MBA.
“The MSN concentrations cover everything from patient care, to administration, to education,” said graduate nursing program adviser Nancy E. Wiksten. “They are not medicine-based. They are nursing/healthcare based. Medicine is a distinct specialty.”
Nursing administration focuses on educating students about methods to progress patient services.
With the Nursing Education concentration, students develop skills that will shape them into nursing instructors. Nursing Education is offered in schools or in healthcare organizations.
“Many of the teachers that teach nursing at Lewis went to grad school here at Lewis,” Kos said.
Adult nurse practitioners are prepared to work with adults, while family nurse practitioners are prepared to offer health care to individuals of all ages.
The MBA is a rather new concentration. It is paired up with the M.S.N. degree. With MBA/M.S.N, nursing students learn the facets of health care organization and management alongside the science.
“The MBA in nursing is a popular program among my friends,” Kos said. “A lot of the girls I work with are in or plan on going to grad school to get their MBA in nursing.”
Nursing students often wait a while before going back to complete their M.S.N. For this reason, the graduate nursing program is not as big as the undergraduate program.
“Since there are three undergraduate nursing programs
offered at Lewis, we have more undergraduate applicants than graduate
applicants,” Wiksten said.
“Nobody from my class is in the grad nursing program with me, but there are a lot of people in my classes who came back to complete their M.S.N. after working in a hospital for a couple years,” Kos said. “Some students had to come back because policies changed, but most of them just to complete their M.S.N.”
Those interested in applying to the graduate nursing program should note that there are certain requirements. In order to get accepted to the program, students must have earned their B.S.N, have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
“When I applied, I remember having to have had at least a year of experience working in a hospital,” Kos said. “It worked out, because I was actually working where I always wanted to work. Now, I just need to complete my M.S.N. and I will see where my career will take me next.”
More information about the graduate nursing program, is available at lewisu.edu/academics/nursing/graduate/nursing/index.htm.
Additional educational goals of the post graduate nursing education courses from Lewis University are confidence, independence and
professional identity building.