Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Concentrations

      The College of Nursing offers seven M.S.N. concentrations:

      Details on each concentration’s objectives and curriculum requirements are listed on this page below the shared core courses. Please see the Nursing Graduate Program section of this Catalog for general information such as program admission and degree requirements.

      Core Courses for all M.S.N. students: 

      Credit
      Hours
      NURS 501 Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing 3
      NURS 503 Research in Nursing 3
      NURS 504 Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare 3
      NURS 505 Health Care Policy, Systems, and Financing for Advanced Practice Roles  3
      Total M.S.N. Core 12


      Required clinical core courses for all students in advanced practice concentrations (ACNP, FNP, PNP, NM):

      Credit
      Hours
      NURS 526 Pathophysiology in Advanced Practice Nursing 3
      NURS 539 Advanced Pediatric Health and Development Assessment (PNP) 4
      -or-
      NURS 540 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning (ACNP, FNP, NM) 4
      NURS 543 Pharmacological Principles of Clinical Therapeutics 3
      Total Clinical Core 10


      Students must also complete the requirements for their chosen concentration, as well as a professional paper, applied examination or thesis. If students choose write a thesis, they enroll in six credits of NURS 599 Thesis instead of one credit of NURS 596 Professional Paper or one credit of NURS 597 Applied Examination. The paper or examination is completed in the last term of study.


      ACNP Adult/Gerontology Concentration

      At the completion of the ACNP program, the graduate is able to:

      • Demonstrate knowledge in pathophysiology related to multiple body systems.
      • Perform complete history and physical examinations.
      • Order and understand the significance of results of laboratory and other diagnostic studies.
      • Perform selected diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures.
      • Prescribe pharmacotherapeutics appropriate to the practice setting.
      • Monitor and evaluate the results of therapeutic interventions.
      • Take the ACNP certification examination jointly offered by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
      • Manage complex clients in the acute care setting.

      In addition to the required core general and clinical courses, the ACNP concentration has the following requirements:

      Credit
      Hours
      NURS 560 Differential Diagnosis for Advanced Practice 3
      NURS 561 ACNP Applications to Practice I: Introduction to the Acutely Ill Adult 5
      NURS 562 Complex Patient Analysis and Treatment 3
      NURS 563 ACNP Applications to Practice II: High Acuity Adult Patients 5
      NURS 564 Health Promotion, Protection, and Disease Prevention for Acute, Critical or Chronically Ill Adults 2
      NURS 566 Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Skills 3
      NURS 571 Geriatric and End of Life Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice  2
      NURS 572 Iatrogenesis in the Elderly 3
      NURS 594 Advanced Practice Seminar 1
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Field Work 7
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 35
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 57


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      Community Health Concentration

      This concentration is currently in moratorium and is not accepting new students.

        Credit
      Hours
      NURS 514 Nursing Administration in Health Institutions and Agencies 3
      NURS 516 Advanced Community Health Nursing I 3
      NURS 517 Advanced Community Health Nursing II 3
      NURS 522 Applied Epidemiology to Community Problems 3
      Elective 3
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Fieldwork 4
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 20
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 32


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      Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration

      Full-time enrollment is required.

      At the completion of the FNP program, the graduate will be able to:

      • Facilitate entry of the client into the health care system at the point of first contact.
      • Provide for comprehensive family health care that spans the health continuum and is coordinated and continuous.
      • Assume responsibility for maintaining clinical practice competence.
      • Participate in quality assurance activities in the health care setting.
      • Support the role of nurse practitioner in health care delivery.
      • Use current research findings as a basis for practice and improve health care through participation in research.
      • Collaborate with other health care providers in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating care for individual clients and for target populations.

      In addition to the required core general and clinical courses, the FNP concentration has the following requirements:

          Credit
      Hours
      NURS 541 Antepartum/Postpartum 1
      NURS 542 Ambulatory Pediatrics I 4
      NURS 548 Women's Health 3
      NURS 535 Adult Health I 4
      NURS 536 Adult Health II 5
      NURS 546 Ambulatory Pediatrics II 4
      NURS 594 Advanced Practice Seminar 1
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Fieldwork                                                   7
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 30
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 52


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      Nurse-Midwifery Concentration

      Full-time enrollment is required.

      The nurse-midwifery education concentration is fully accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives' Accreditation Council for Midwifery Education (ACME) through January 2017.

      At the completion of the program, the graduate is able to:

      • Analyze theoretical and empirical knowledge from the sciences and humanities, and apply this knowledge to the care of women and their infants within a family and community context.
      •  Identify the influence of economic, social, and political trends on the effectiveness of health care delivery to women and infants.
      • Provide safe and satisfying primary health care that supports individual rights and self-determination in a variety of settings, with emphasis on underserved and rural client populations. This includes clinical management of normal labor and delivery, care of the neonate, and well-woman care.
      • Apply skills in health assessment, teaching, and counseling, with emphasis on self-help, wellness, and the prevention of illness and disability.
      • Communicate both verbally and in writing with various members of the health care delivery system, including keeping adequate documentation of nurse-midwifery care.
      • Demonstrate collaborative relationships with other health team members and with community groups for the planning, management, and provision of health care for women and their infants.
      • Demonstrate the socialization and conceptual awareness of the role and responsibilities of the nurse-midwife.
      • Demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional growth and the growth of the profession through participation in professional organizations, community, and scholarly activities, such as research, writing, and teaching.
      • Participate in quality assurance activities in the health care setting.
      • Exemplify the ethical and moral obligations of professional service while interacting with clients and society in general.

      In addition to the required core general and clinical courses, the NM concentration has the following requirements:

      Credit
      Hours
      NURS 544 Antepartum/Postpartum 7
      NURS 548 Women's Health 4
      NURS 550 Intrapartum Care 9
      NURS 551 Newborn Care 3
      NURS 552 Evidence-Based Practice in Nurse Midwifery                  1
      NURS 553 Nurse-Midwifery Professional Practice 1
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Fieldwork 7
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 33
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 55


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      Nursing Administration Concentration

      This concentration is currently in moratorium, and is not accepting new students.

      At the completion of the program, the graduate is able to:

      • Apply research findings and concepts from nursing, social science and management areas to problem-solving in health care delivery systems.
      • Incorporate ethical precepts in leadership and management practices in the achievement of clinical goals of the health care system.
      • Examine goals, structures and processes that facilitate knowledge of and dedication to patient safety through quality nursing care delivery.
      • Demonstrate leadership skills necessary for creating an organizational environment where personal and professional development is an expectation.
      • Examine personal and professional accountability for actions and outcomes of self and others related to evidence-based clinical and management practice.
      • Identify problem-solving approaches to issues of organizational conflict and change management.
      • Assist in the design of the basic elements of information management and control systems.
      • Apply concepts of human resource management and development to personnel issues in nursing care systems and health care.
      • Demonstrate beginning competency in business skills, the management of resources, and strategic management.
      • Demonstrate competency in communication and relationship skills with internal and external stakeholders utilizing shared decision-making processes necessary in complex health care setting.
      Credit
      Hours
      NURS 512 Resource Management in Nursing Administration 3
      NURS 513 Administration to Facilitate Quality Clinical Care 3
      NURS 514 Nursing Administration in Health Institutions and Agencies 3
      NURS 595 Advanced Fieldwork 4
      Electives 6
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 20
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 32


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      Nursing Education Concentration

      This concentration is currently not accepting new students.

      At the completion of the program, the graduate will be able to:

      • Develop, analyze and evaluate curriculum, clinical teaching and outcomes of educational programs.
      • Explore and implement a variety of teaching strategies to facilitate student learning.
      • Analyze selected learning theories and their relationship to student outcomes in the classroom and clinical setting.
      • Utilize various tests and measurement methods.
      • Analyze concepts that are physiological and psychosocial components of specialized patient care.
      • Critically review theories from which concepts are drawn that are relevant to the process of providing expert patient care for clients and their families or support networks.
      • Formulate, implement and evaluate nursing strategies within an individually determined specialized area of nursing practice and in nursing education setting.
      • Identify and evaluate health care and educational outcomes.
      • Critically utilize research findings that have relevance for intervening with patients and families and that are the basis for education of nursing students.

      In addition to the required core general courses, the Nursing Education concentration has the following requirements:

        Credit
      Hours
      NURS 558 Brain and Behavioral Correlates of Health and Illness 3
      NURS 559 Physiologic Concepts in Health and Illness 3
      NURS 509 Teaching Nursing 3
      NURS 510 Educational Program Development and Evaluation 3
      NURS 515 Faculty Roles and Professional Issues 3
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Fieldwork 4
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 20
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 32


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      Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Concentration

      Full-time enrollment is required.

      At the completion of the PNP program, the graduate is able to:

      • Work collaboratively with other health care professionals to provide comprehensive care to children and their families and identify those children who require referrals to other health care providers.
      • Provide well-child care and manage children (of all ages) who have acute and/or chronic illnesses.
      • Use current research findings as a basis for practice and improve health care through participation in research.

      In addition to the required core general and clinical courses, the PNP concentration has the following requirements:

        Credit
      Hours
      NURS 542 Ambulatory Pediatrics I 4
      NURS 546 Ambulatory Pediatrics II 4
      NURS 547 Pediatric Chronic Illness/Special Needs 5
      NURS 549 Adolescent Health 3
      NURS 594 Advanced Practice Seminar 1
      NURS 595 Advanced Nursing Fieldwork 7
      NURS 596 Professional Paper 1
      -or-
      NURS 597 Applied Examination 1
      Total 25
      Total for concentration (includes core courses) 47


      Back to Concentration list.


      Courses

      NURS 129. Topics. (1-3 )



      NURS 201. Introduction to Nursing Concepts. (3)



      NURS 220L. Principles of Nursing Practice. (4)



      NURS 224. Application of Growth and Development to Health Care. (3)



      NURS 229. Topics. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



      NURS 238. Pharmacology in Nursing and the Health Professions. (3)



      NURS 239. Pathophysiology I. (3)



      NURS 240. Pathophysiology II. (3)



      NURS 293. Nursing Topics. (1-6)



      NURS 297. Independent Study. (1-3, no limit Δ)



      NURS 303. Health Care Participant. (3)



      NURS 321L. Assessment and Health Promotion. (4)



      NURS 322L. Care of Patients with Chronic Conditions. (4)



      NURS 329. Topics. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



      NURS 332. Evidence-Based Practice. (3)



      NURS 340. Advancement of Professional Nursing. (3)



      NURS 351. Health and Illness Concepts I. (3)



      NURS 352. Health and Illness Concepts II. (3)



      NURS 390. Professional Nursing Concepts I. (3)



      NURS 397. Independent Study. (1-3, no limit Δ)



      NURS 401L. Clinical Intensive I. (4)



      NURS 402L. Clinical Intensive II. (4)



      NURS 403L. Clinical Intensive III. (4)



      NURS 419L. Capstone. (4 )



      NURS 421. Nurse Intern Professional Knowledge Development. (1 to a maximum of 2 Δ)



      NURS 422. Nurse Intern Professional Role Development. (1 to a maximum of 2 Δ)



      NURS *429. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



      NURS 431L. Community Assessment. (3)



      NURS 441. Evidence-Based Application of Health Assessment Skills. (4)



      NURS 442. Nursing Leadership in Health Policy and Systems. (3)



      NURS 447L. Family and Community Health Practicum. . (4)



      NURS 448. Application of Health and Illness Concepts. (4)



      NURS 453. Health and Illness Concepts III. (4)



      NURS 454L. Nursing Synthesis. (3)



      NURS 462. Special Populations in Pediatrics. (3)



      NURS 472. Victimology. (3)



      NURS 473 / 570. End of Life Care. (3)



      NURS 474. Patient Education. (3)



      NURS 476 / 576. Critical Care Nursing. (3)



      NURS 491. Professional Nursing Concepts II. (3)



      NURS 497. Independent Study. (1-3, no limit Δ)



      NURS 498. Honors Study in Nursing I. (3)



      NURS 499. Honors Study in Nursing II. (1-3, may be repeated once Δ)



      NURS 501. Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing. (3)



      NURS 503. Research in Nursing. (3)



      NURS 504. Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care. (3)



      NURS 505. Health Care Policy, Systems and Financing for Advanced Practice Roles. (3)



      NURS 509. Teaching in Nursing. (3)



      NURS 510. Educational Program Development and Evaluation. (3)



      NURS 512. Resource Utilization in Nursing. (3)



      NURS 513. Administration to Facilitate Quality Clinical Care. (3)



      NURS 514. Nursing Administration in Health Institutions/ Agencies. (3)



      NURS 515. Faculty Roles and Professional Issues. (3)



      NURS 516. Advanced Community Health Nursing I. (2-3)



      NURS 517. Advanced Community Health Nursing II. (3)



      NURS 522. Applications of Epidemiology to Community Health Problems. (3)



      NURS 526. Pathophysiology in Advanced Practice Nursing. (3)



      NURS 535. Adult Health I. (4 [3])



      NURS 536. Adult Health II. (3)



      NURS 539. Advanced Pediatric Health and Developmental Assessment. (4)



      NURS 540. Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning. (4)



      NURS 541. Antepartum-Postpartum for FNP. (1 [2])



      NURS 542. Ambulatory Pediatrics I. (4)



      NURS 543. Pharmacological Principles of Clinical Therapeutics. (3)



      NURS 544. Antepartum and Postpartum Care. (1-7, may be repeated once Δ)



      NURS 546. Ambulatory Pediatrics II. (4)



      NURS 547. Pediatric Chronic Illness/Special Needs. (5)



      NURS 548. Women's Health. (1-4, may be repeated once Δ)



      NURS 549. Adolescent Health. (3)



      NURS 550. Intrapartum Care. (1-9, may be repeated once Δ)



      NURS 551. Newborn Care. (1-3 )



      NURS 552. Evidence-Based Care in Nurse Midwifery. (1)



      NURS 553. Nurse-Midwifery Professional Practice. (1)



      NURS 558. Brain and Behavioral Correlates of Health and Illness. (3)



      NURS 559. Physiologic Concepts in Health and Illness. (3)



      NURS 560. Differential Diagnosis for Advanced Practice. (3)



      NURS 561. ACNP Applications to Practice I: Introduction to the Acutely Ill Adult [ACNP Applications to Practice I]. (5)



      NURS 562. Complex Patient Analyses and Treatment. (3)



      NURS 563. ACNP Applications to Practice II: High Acuity Adult Patients [ACNP Applications to Practice II]. (5)



      NURS 564. Health Promotion, Protection, and Disease Prevention for Acute, Critical or Chronically Ill Adults. (2)



      NURS 566. Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Skills. (3)



      NURS 568. ACNP Clinical Topics I. (3 to a maximum of 12 Δ)



      NURS 569. ACNP Clinical Topics II. (3 to a maximum of 12 Δ)



      NURS 570 / 473. End of Life Care. (3)



      NURS 571. Geriatric and End of Life Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice. (2 [3])



      NURS 572. Iatrogenesis in the Elderly. (3 [2])



      NURS 576 / 476. Critical Care Nursing. (3)



      NURS 591. Graduate Problems. (1-6, no limit Δ)



      NURS 593. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



      NURS 594. Advanced Practice Seminar. (1)



      NURS 595. Advanced Nursing Field Work. (1-7, no limit Δ)



      NURS 596. Professional Paper. (1)



      NURS 597. Applied Examination. (1)



      NURS 599. Nursing Thesis I. (1-6, no limit Δ)



      NURS 600. Philosophy of Science in Nursing. (3)



      NURS 601. Theory I: Nursing Knowledge Development. (3)



      NURS 602. Theory II: Substantive Nursing Knowledge. (3)



      NURS 606. Quantitative Methods in Nursing Research. (3)



      NURS 607. Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research. (3)



      NURS 608. Environments of Human Health. (3)



      NURS 609. Family Nursing: Concepts, Issues and Outcomes. (3)



      NURS 610. Nursing Education: Pedagogy and Roles. (3)



      NURS 611. Rural and Cultural Health. (3)



      NURS 612. Clinical Nursing Therapeutics and Outcomes. (3)



      NURS 613. Mixed Methods Research. (3)



      NURS 614. Instrumentation. (3)



      NURS 615. Critical Ethnography and CBPR in Health Care Research. (3)



      NURS 620. Advanced Health Care Statistics I. (3)



      NURS 621. Advanced Health Care Statistics II. (3)



      NURS 624. Behavioral Observation Methods. (3)



      NURS 630. Personal and Social Context of Illness. (3)



      NURS 640. Evidence, Health Policy, and Politics. (3)



      NURS 641. Health Disparities and Policy. (3)



      NURS 642. Applied Health Economics. (3)



      NURS 648. Introduction to Health Policy Field Placement. (1)



      NURS 649. Health Policy Field Placement. (3)



      NURS 690. Ph.D. Seminar. (1-3, no limit Δ)



      NURS 691. Independent Study. (1-3, no limit Δ)



      NURS 693. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



      NURS 699. Dissertation. (3-9, no limit Δ)



      NURS 701. Applied Research in Advanced Nursing Practice. (3)



      NURS 702. Applied Epidemiology in Advanced Nursing Practice. (3)



      NURS 703. Applied Clinical Research in Advanced Nursing Practice. (3)



      NURS 705. The Business and Policy of Practice and Their Influence on the U.S. Health Care System [Financial Economics and the Business of Advanced Nursing Practice]. (3)



      NURS 706. Organizational Systems and Quality Management for Advanced Nursing Practice. (3)



      NURS 713. Applied Pharmacotherapeutics for APRNs. (2)



      NURS 723. Effective Human Resource Management in Health Care Settings. (3)



      NURS 725. Principles of Advanced Nursing Management. (3)



      NURS 726. Leading Organizational Change. (3)



      NURS 727. Health Care Innovations and Informatics. (3)



      NURS 730. Geriatric and End of Life Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice. (3)



      NURS 746. Mental Health Concepts for APRNs. (3)



      NURS 751. Chronic and Complex Illness in Adults. (3)



      NURS 769. Comparative Models of Maternal and Child Health Care Delivery. (3)



      NURS 770. Cultural and Complementary Healing. (3)



      NURS 771. Midwifery Leadership and Change. (1)



      NURS 784. Pediatric Chronic and Complex Illness. (4)



      NURS 791. Independent Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



      NURS 793. Topics. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



      NURS 795. Advanced Nursing Practice Residency [D.N.P. Residency]. (1-10 to a maximum of 10 Δ)



      NURS 796. D.N.P. Capstone Seminar. (1)



      NURS 797. D.N.P. Capstone Project. (1-8 to a maximum of 8 Δ)



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      Office of the Registrar

      MSC11 6325
      1 University of New Mexico
      Albuquerque, NM 87131

      Phone: (505) 277-8900
      Fax: (505) 277-6809