Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

King University's Master of Science in Nursing degree (MSN) prepares professional nurses for a specialty role in advanced nursing practice, leadership in the nursing profession, and future doctoral study. You'll learn the advanced theoretical knowledge, research and practice skills needed to function in increasingly complex care settings.

CCNE Accreditation

Within our MSN program, you may choose from the following specialization areas, including:

Nursing Administration
Nurse Educator
Family Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner – Post-master’s Certificate
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at King University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The School of Nursing programs are fully approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, and are a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

MSN Student Handbook

To view or download the MSN student handbook, 2017-2018.

Helpful Links for future MSN Students

Nursing Administration

35 semester hours

Prepares the graduate to be successful in mid-level and upper-level management
Concepts and theories related to financial and economic aspects of health care, health care policy, nursing delivery systems, resource management, human resources, program evaluation, and organizational leadership are applied with an emphasis on the interpersonal and visionary attributes of the nurse leader.
Selected clinical, administrative, and research experiences provide the students with the opportunity to function as a nurse executive.

Objectives

Develop strategies to achieve quality outcomes in care delivery with respect to fiscal and human resources.
Apply management theory in the design and implementation of services in a health care system.

Practicum

395 minimum clinical practicum hours

Note: These clinical experiences are accomplished under the guidance of a faculty member and a preceptor in field study and internship courses. All preceptors MUST hold a minimum preparation at the master's level.

Nursing Administration

Nursing Administration Plan of Study

MSN Administration Coursework

To view all required courses for a MSN with an Administration concentration click here.

To view course descriptions click here.

Click here to return to top of page.

Nurse Educator

39 semester hours

May focus on staff development, health education, or preparation of nursing students.
Selected teaching, research and clinical experiences provide the student with the opportunity to focus on a population of interest or a specific educator role.
Application of specialized knowledge and skills related to theories and principles of education, practice and leadership to promote educational outcomes.

Objectives

Develop educational strategies to promote holistic learning in individuals and groups with diverse backgrounds and developmental levels.
Apply teaching and learning theory to the design, implementation and evaluation of learning processes.

Practicum

420 minimum clinical practicum hours

39 semester hours

MSN Educator Plan of Study

MSN Nurse Educator Coursework

To view all required courses for a MSN with a Nurse Educator Concentration click here.

To view course descriptions click here.

Click here to return to top of page.

Family Nurse Practitioner

45 semester hours

a five-semester course of study that builds on baccalaureate knowledge with preparation for advanced practice roles specializing in primary care
Emphasis is placed on evidence-based practice, outcomes management, clinical research, and advanced clinical decision making
graduates are eligible to take the Family Nurse Practitioner certification examination either through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and may apply for an advanced practice nurse license as appropriate in their legal state of practice

The FNP is availabe on ground in Abingdon, Kingsport, and Knoxville.

Concentration Objectives

Provide health maintenance and health promotion services to individuals and families across the lifespan.
Diagnose and treat a variety of common health problems (actual and potential) commonly encountered in primary care settings.
Utilize advanced practice nursing knowledge and clinical skills to help patients to achieve and/or maintain optimal health or to manage chronic conditions.
Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in the provision of safe, patient-centered, effective, and evidence-based primary care services.
Provide knowledgeable and sensitive services to multicultural and diverse patient groups across the lifespan.
Provide holistic care and serve as a patient advocate in accordance with the Christian belief in the dignity and worth of the individual and family.

Clinical Requirements

A minimum of 600 clinical practicum hours are required for the advanced practice role as a family nurse practitioner. Students will gain experience in primary care across the lifespan within settings specializing in Pediatrics, Women's Health, and Care of Geriatric and Adult Populations.

These clinical experiences are accomplished under the guidance of a faculty member and a community-based faculty approved preceptor.

The graduate nursing curriculum consists of courses in three areas of study:

The advanced practice nursing core (required of all students)
The advanced practice specialty core
The nursing clinical and/functional specialization

Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration Requirements

NURS 5002	Advanced Pathophysiology	3 s.hr.
NURS 5004	Advanced Physical Assessment and Health Promotion	3 s.hr.
NURS 5006	Advanced Pharmacology	3 s.hr.
NURS 5018	FNP I Care of Women and Families	3 s.hr.
NURS 5019	FNP II Care of Geriatric and Adult Populations	6 s.hr.
NURS 5023	FNP III Care of Pediatric Population	3 s.hr.
NURS 5024	FNP IV Seminar and Intensive Practicum	6 s.hr.
NURS 5026	Practice Management and Advance Role Development	3 s.hr.
NURS 5990	Comprehensive Assessment	0 s.hr.
	Total Hours:	45 s.hr

MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Plan of Study

Application Deadlines

October 1 application deadline for spring starts
March 1 application deadline for fall starts

FNP Coursework

To view all required courses for a MSN with a FNP Concentration click here.

To view course descriptions click here.

Click here to return to top of page.

Family Nurse Practitioner – Post-master’s Certificate

The School of Nursing will serve students seeking post-master's preparation in the FNP role. Applicants must have completed an MSN from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited program.This program will prepare students for the advanced practice role specializing in primary care utilizing advanced theoretical knowledge and practice skills needed in complex care setting.

Applicants to the post-master's certificate program will be accepted on a space-available basis. A gap analysis (National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 2016) will be performed to evaluate each prospective student's academic history.

Depending on the applicant's current advanced practice status (if available) and transcript evidence of coursework completed for the MSN, an individualized plan of study will be developed. Applicants who have not completed course equivalents to King University's MSN Core will be required to do so.

Total semester hours will typically range from 18-36 and students will typically be required to attain 600 hours of clinical practice. Students will gain experience in primary care across the lifespan within settings specializing in Pediatrics, Women's Health, and Care of Adult and Geriatric populations. Clinical experiences are accomplished under the guidance of a faculty member and an approved community-based preceptor. Upon successful completion of the program, post-master's certificate students will be eligible to take the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Certificate Program Requirements

NURS 5002	Advanced Pathophysiology	3 s.h.
NURS 5004	Advanced Physical Assessment and Health Promotion	3 s.h.
NURS 5006	Advanced Pharmacology	3 s.h.
NURS 5018	FNP I Care of Women and Families	3 s.h.
NURS 5019	FNP II Care of Geriatric and Adult Populations	6 s.h.
NURS 5023	FNP III Care of Pediatric Population	3 s.h.
NURS 5024	FNP IV Seminar and Intensive Practicum	6 s.h.
NURS 5026	Practice Management and Advance Role Development	3 s.h.
NURS 5990	Comprehensive Assessment	0 s.h.
	Total Program Hours:	30s.h.

Click here to return to top of page.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

45 semester hours

A five-semester course of study that builds on baccalaureate knowledge with preparation for advanced practice roles specializing in pediatric primary care from birth through adolescence
Emphasis is placed on evidence-based practice, outcomes management, clinical research, and advanced clinical decision making.
Graduates are eligible to take the Primary Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner exam through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) or the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner certification exam through American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and may apply for an advanced practice nurse license as appropriate in their legal state of practice.

This concentration is a five-semester course of study that builds on baccalaureate knowledge with preparation for advanced practice roles specializing in pediatric primary care. The focus is advance theoretical knowledge and practice skills needed to function in increasingly complex care settings. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based practice, outcomes management, clinical research, and advanced clinical decision making.

Graduates are prepared to assume the role of advanced practice nurse in pediatric primary care from birth through adolescence. At completion of the PNP course of study, graduates are eligible to take the Primary Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner exam through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) or the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner certification exam through American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and may apply for an advanced practice nurse license as appropriate in their legal state of practice.

The PNP program is a combination of on ground and online classes. On ground classes are taught at King's Hardin Valley location in Knoxville, TN.

Concentration Objectives

Provide health maintenance and health promotion services to individuals and families.
Diagnose and treat a variety of common health problems (actual and potential) commonly encountered in primary care settings.
Utilize advanced practice nursing knowledge and clinical skills to help patients to achieve and/or maintain optimal health or to manage chronic conditions.
Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in the provision of safe, patient-centered, effective, and evidence-based primary care services.
Provide knowledgeable and sensitive services to multicultural and diverse patient groups across the lifespan.
Provide holistic care and serve as a patient advocate in accordance with the Christian belief in the dignity and worth of the individual and family.

Clinical Requirements

A minimum of 600 clinical practicum hours are required for the advanced practice role as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Students will gain experience in pediatric primary care across the lifespan within settings specializing in Pediatrics and Women's Health.

These clinical experiences are accomplished under the guidance of a faculty member and a community-based faculty approved preceptor.

The graduate nursing curriculum consists of courses in three areas of study:

The advanced practice nursing core (required of all students)
The advanced practice specialty core
The nursing clinical and/functional specialization

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Concentration Requirements

NURS 5002	Advanced Pathophysiology	3 s.h.
NURS 5004	Advanced Physical Assessment and Health Promotion	3 s.h.
NURS 5006	Advanced Pharmacology	3 s.h.
NURS 5018	Care of Women and Families	3 s.h.
NURS 5020	Pediatric Growth and Development/Health Promotion and Illness Prevention	6 s.h.
NURS 5023	Care of Pediatric Population	3 s.h.
NURS 5025	Seminar and Intensive Practicum - Pediatric Acute Illness and Chronic Disease Management	6 s.h.
NURS 5026	Practice Management and Advance Role Development	3 s.h.
NURS 5990	Comprehensive Assessment	0 s.h.
	Total Hours:	45 s.h.