Beginning in fall 2009, Lynchburg College will launch a new Master of Science in Nursing for students who have graduated from accredited baccalaureate nursing programs with current unrestricted nursing licenses.
The Department of Nursing in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance will offer the program with emphases in Clinical Nurse Leader and Nursing Education for full- and part-time students.
"This is an exciting time for nursing and for Lynchburg College," said Dr. Angela Taylor, program director. "As emerging health care needs continue to require advanced knowledge in evidence-based practice and technology, the need to prepare nursing leaders and educators will be essential to meet community needs. The newly developed master's program in nursing at Lynchburg College will provide a way for nurses to actively engage in meeting the evolving health care needs of patients and families."
Both the Clinical Nurse Leader program and the Nurse Educator program will require 37 credits for completion. The courses will be provided in an interdisciplinary fashion, incorporating courses from nursing and business. Clinical practicum sites will include hospitals, clinics, and nursing programs in the Central Virginia region.
The emerging role of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in order to address emerging patient care needs, with the primary roles of the CNL being a lateral integrator of health care services, advocate for the patient and the healthcare organization, and quality improvement facilitator. The CNL is an advanced generalist nurse who will continue to provide expert bedside care and provide care management to patients on a unit-based level. The Clinical Nurse Leader program is intended for those nurses who desire to remain in staff nursing positions and aspire to do so with advanced knowledge and education.
The Nursing Education emphasis addresses nursing faculty shortages across the United States as it offers an opportunity to recruit and educate qualified individuals who can assume the responsibilities of faculty and staff development educators. The Nurse Educator role provides opportunities to conduct research and further nursing education science. The Nurse Educator program is intended for those nurses who are interested in pursuing a position as a unit-based educator, a staff development educator, or a nursing faculty member.
Specific information about these exciting new graduate programs can be obtained at www.lynchburg.edu/msn, or by attending the next Graduate Studies Information session on Monday, March 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Alumni House Lounge on the Lynchburg College campus.
For more information, contact Angela Taylor, Ph.D., Program Director, at 434/544-8901 or taylor.a@lynchburg.edu