MSN with CNS Specialties
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 41,280 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* base cost | cost per unit: $860
Introduction
Study Clinical Nursing at Azusa Pacific University
You’ll be prepared to work in acute, primary, or long-term care settings. The Master of Science in Nursing with Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist allows you to concentrate on one of these two clinical areas of content and practice.
Gain Hands-on Experience
- Learn the process of developing and sustaining evidence-based practice in illness management
- Advancing the practice of other nurses and nursing personnel
- Develop organizational or systems modifications to support and improve nursing practice
- Work closely with faculty and clinical preceptors to obtain the theory and practice skills essential for your role
Program Details
The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) specialties offers the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. These two clinical areas of content and advanced practice prepare nurses to work in acute, primary, or long-term care settings.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Financial Aid
Several types of financial aid are available to graduate students. The resources range from federal loans and state grants to, for some graduate programs, fellowships and scholarships.
Military Benefits
Military members—and in some cases their spouses and dependents—qualify for financial assistance covering tuition, housing, and books. Azusa Pacific is a Yellow Ribbon University and Military Friendly School, so you can be confident that you’ll receive the benefits and flexibility you need to complete your education.
Program-Specific Aid
For more details on these scholarships and funding opportunities, as well as other possible resources, please contact the School of Nursing.
Nurse Faculty Loan Program
The Nurse Faculty Loan Program is a government loan program set up to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty by providing loans to students in advanced nursing education programs. Students must be pursuing a MSN or doctoral nursing degree. The NFLP loans will be forgiven—up to 85 percent of the amount received—over a consecutive four-year period if the student commits to serve as full-time faculty at a school of nursing following graduation. Faculty at private universities, state schools, and community colleges are eligible. Students receiving these loans must also complete the nursing education courses prior to graduation.
Curriculum
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Requirements
Academic Core Courses
- GNRS 504 Bioethics and Healthcare Policy
- GNRS 506 Spiritual Concept Analysis in Health Care
- GNRS 508A Research and Theory in Advanced Practice Nursing
- GNRS 613 Graduate Statistics
Academic and Advanced Practice Core Courses
- GNRS 513 Advanced Nursing Practice Role
- GNRS 610 Advanced Pathophysiology
- GNRS 611 Advanced Pharmacology
- GNRS 612 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
Advanced Practice Specialty Courses
- GNRS 520 Theory and Practice of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Nursing Care of Adult-Gerontology Patients
- GNRS 521 Clinical Specialization in the Care of Adult-Gerontology Patients
- GNRS 543 Transitions Across the Care Continuum
- GNRS 548 Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
- GNRS 580 Gerontology
Concluding Courses
- GNRS 597 Comprehensive Examination Directed Study
- - or -
- GNRS 598 Thesis
- - and -
- GNRS 514 Research Proposal Writing
Total Units 48-50
Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Requirements
Academic Core Courses
- GNRS 504 Bioethics and Healthcare Policy
- GNRS 506 Spiritual Concept Analysis in Health Care
- GNRS 508A Research and Theory in Advanced Practice Nursing
- GNRS 613 Graduate Statistics
Academic and Advanced Practice Core Courses
- GNRS 511 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Health Promotion
- or GNRS 612 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
- GNRS 513 Advanced Nursing Practice Role
- GNRS 610 Advanced Pathophysiology
- GNRS 611 Advanced Pharmacology
Advanced Practice Specialty Courses
- GNRS 530 Theory and Practice of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Care of the Pediatric Patient
- GNRS 531 Clinical Specialization in the Care of the Pediatric Patient
- GNRS 543 Transitions Across the Care Continuum
- GNRS 548 Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
Specialized Option Courses
- Select from the following:
- GNRS 589 Adolescent Health Care
- or GNRS 510 Family Theory in Health Care
Concluding Courses
- GNRS 597 Comprehensive Examination Directed Study
- or
- GNRS 598
- & GNRS 514 Thesis
- and Research Proposal Writing
Total Units 48-50
Rankings
- 1 of 79 - Best Western Colleges according to The Princeton Review’s 2024 Best Colleges Guide
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
- Nurse Practitioners - Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
- Registered Nurses - Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
- Acute Care Nurses - Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses - Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.
- Critical Care Nurses - Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.
- Clinical Nurse Specialists - Direct nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary - Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.