School of Nursing

Dr. Chris Smith, Director
Telephone: (423) 425-1741 or Email Chris-Smith@utc.edu

The UTC School of Nursing values our partners who are an integral part of the education of our students. These outstanding clinical partners make it possible for our faculty help our students to be practice ready. As the School of Nursing continues to grow our program, we are using other ways to educate our students. Our program of simulation continues to be a significant part of our programs.

Because of the dedication of our students and faculty, our NCLEX, ANCC, AANP and NCE pass rates are extraordinarily high. Our students are highly sought after for employment upon completion of their programs. Our program offers the the Masters of Science in Nursing in either the Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Anesthesia concentrations. The FNP and ACNP-AG concentrations use a hybrid delivery method while the NA concentration is offered as a distance learning option for students in Tupelo, Mississippi. Our DNP concentrations, DNP: Post Masters and DNP: Nursing Administration, are offered 100% online. Students enrolled in the DNP: Nursing Administration have the option to enroll in the College of Business to earn a Master of Business Administration as several of the DNP courses are recognized as meeting some of those requirements.

Nursing, M.S.N.

The Master of Science in Nursing prepares professional nurses for advanced practice as educators, administrators, family nurse practitioners, or nurse anesthetists.

Advanced practice nurses are prepared to meet the changing needs of the health care system. The emphasis is on critical thinking and the development of knowledge and skills that translate into expert practice. Graduates are equipped for entry into doctoral study.

Eligibility Requirements for Participation in the M.S.N. Program

Nursing is a practice discipline, with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements. The faculty of the School of Nursing has identified the skills and professional behaviors that are essential to practice as a professional nurse. These are identified as eligibility requirements for participation in the nursing program and are known as Core Performance Standards. These standards are adopted from the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing (SCCEN) and are congruent with the skills presented in the document entitled Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing (2009), a publication of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In order to progress in the nursing curriculum, a student must be capable of performing the duties required of a professional nurse. If these practice standards cannot be achieved by the students, either unassisted or with dependable use of associative devices, the faculty reserves the right to disenroll the student from clinical courses. Potential students are provided copies of the Core Performance Standards upon request. A copy of the Essentials of College and University Education for Professional Nursing is available for review at www.aacn.nche.edu/index.htm.

Admission

Applicants to the Master of Science in Nursing program must meet the general UTC Graduate School requirements of graduation from a regionally accredited college or university with at least a 2.7 GPA. In addition, the following admission requirements must be met:

A baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing from a National League for Nursing or Collegiate Council on Education accredited program.
Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate courses, including completion of three semester hours in statistics, three semester hours in physical assessment, and three semester hours in research.
Current licensure as a registered nurse in Tennessee or eligibility for a Tennessee license. Tennessee license or Nursing compact state license to practice is required prior to clinical course work. Clinical course work in other states may require licensure in those states.
Admission to the UTC Graduate School.
For admission to the Nurse Anesthesia concentration, students must have a minimum of two years of experience as a registered professional nurse in a critical care setting in which they have had the opportunity to develop as independent decision makers, and demonstrate psychomotor skills and the ability to use and interpret advanced monitoring techniques based on a knowledge of physiologic and pharmacologic principles. Current ACLS and PALS certification is required on program entry.
For admission to the Family Nurse Practitioner concentration courses, students must have a minimum of one-year experience as a registered professional nurse in which they have had the opportunity to develop as independent decision makers and to demonstrate competency in clinical practice skills. Applicants with less than one year experience as an RN may enroll in core and support courses while gaining the one-year experience requirement.
Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within the past five years and scores provided.
TOEFL (score 550 or higher) or IELTS (score 6.0 or higher) is required for all applicants whose native language is not English, unless the applicant meets the conditions outlined in “Graduate Admission Tests” under “Admission Requirements” to apply for an exemption to the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.
Recommendations from three individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic and clinical ability.
Résumé or Curriculum Vita and personal statement addressing prior professional experience, future career goals, and reasons for pursuing graduate study and specific areas of interest.
Applicants accepted for admission must complete a background check and drug screening before being fully admitted.

Admission to The Graduate School does not guarantee admission to any M.S.N. concentration. Enrollment may be limited, and the number of qualified applicants may exceed the number of students admitted.

Grades of S/NC

Students in the MSN: Nursing: Anesthesia program which requires 42 hours of practicum credit (NURS 5610, 5620, 5630, 5640, 5650, 5660, 5670, 5680) will be graded on a Satisfactory/No Credit basis. This is a Graduate Council approved exception to the 6 credit hour policy for master’s program students.

Continuation Standards

Continuation in the program is contingent upon satisfactory progress as determined by the School of Nursing Graduate Committee and in conformity with The Graduate School’s continuation standards. Students are required to maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on all course work taken for graduate credit to be eligible for continuation.

Students earning a “C” or less or “No Credit” in any course will be required to repeat the course the next semester that it is offered. Any student who earns a “C” or less or “No Credit” in two courses during their enrollment will be considered for dismissal from the School of Nursing. Students must also meet the standards of the Graduate School related to academic progression. See Graduate School Regulations for Graduate School standards related to academic progression.

All students must maintain current RN licensure, CPR certification and other clinical requirements as outlined in the School of Nursing MSN Student Handbo”)ok during their program of study. Nurse anesthesia students must also maintain ACLS and PALS certification.

Changing Concentrations

The student who is seeking admission to a different concentration must submit a letter to the School of Nursing seeking permission to change the concentration.

If the change is approved, the School of Nursing will notify the Graduate School office. The student should then submit a degree objective change form to the Graduate School.

Program of Study

Students must submit a Program of Study during the first semester of graduate coursework. The Program of Study consist of all core courses and any electives, if known at the time, and establishes the courses the student must take for partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. The Program of Study form is located at www.utc.edu/graduate-school/student-resources/forms.php.

Admission to Candidacy

The Application for Admission to Candidacy is typically filed in the semester prior to a student’s anticipated graduation semester. Please refer to Admission to Candidacy section. To be eligible for admission to candidacy, the student must have completed prerequisite and designated courses as required by the School of Nursing and meet the academic criteria of the Graduate School. The appropriate form may be obtained from the Graduate School Web site at www.utc.edu/graduate-school/student-resources/forms.php.

Transfer Credit

Students wishing consideration of transfer credit should submit a request along with copies of course syllabi and coursework prior to admission to candidacy to the Graduate Program Coordinator. (Also see “Transfer Credit” under “Graduate School Regulations”)

M.S.N. Core Courses

The following are core course requirements for all concentrations in the Master of Science in Nursing program.

NURS 5000 Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

NURS 5010 Nursing Research with Statistical Applications

NURS 5120 Health Policy, Economics and Finance

NURS 5160 Diversity and Ethical Issues in Advanced Practice

Nursing, D.N.P.

The UTC DNP curriculum is based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2006) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. Regardless of the entry point, DNP curricula are designed so that all students attain DNP end-of-program competencies. Because different entry points may exist, the curricula will be individualized for candidates based on their prior education and experience. For example, early in the transition period, most students entering the DNP will have a master’s degree based on the AACN Essentials of Master’s Nursing Education (1996). Graduates of such programs would already have attained many of the competencies defined in the DNP Essentials. Therefore, their program will be designed to provide those DNP competencies not previously attained. The DNP curriculum will comply with accreditation standards specified by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE is officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency and is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate programs in nursing.

Admission to the D.N.P. Program

The first candidates for the degree will be post-MSN students who are certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse administrators, clinical nurse specialists or other nursing specialists.

Admission to the program is accomplished in two steps: admission to the UTC Graduate School and admission to the DNP program.
Applicants to the DNP must meet the general UTC Graduate School requirements of graduation from a regionally accredited college or university.
Applicants must complete a Graduate School Application.
Official transcripts from all schools attended, both undergraduate and graduate, must be sent directly to the Graduate School.
Applicants holding the MSN degree must present a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0-point scale from their highest degree earned or they may present an acceptable MAT or GRE score for consideration if their GPA is below 3.0.
Applicants holding the BSN degree but not the MSN degree must send Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores to the Graduate School and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.
A non-refundable application fee, a resume and a completed DNP application, along with three letters of reference, must be sent to the Graduate School. One of the letters must be from a person familiar with the applicant’s professional nursing practice.
Upon completion and submission of the Graduate School’s requirements, and after admission to the Graduate School, the Graduate School Office will forward all required items to the School of Nursing.
Applicants will participate in the interview process with the DNP Admissions Committee. The School of Nursing DNP Admissions Committee will make a decision for acceptance into the program based upon the overall potential for the applicant’s success in the program. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Director of the School of Nursing and the Dean of the Graduate School for official action.
Applicants must provide evidence of current RN licensure.
For applicants holding the MSN degree, evidence of certification in an advanced practice specialty must be provided.

Retention/Progression Policies

Conform to the “Continuation Standards” as stated in the UTC Graduate Catalog.
Successful achievement of a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above in the doctoral program.
Students earning a “C” or less or “No Credit” in any course will be required to repeat the course the next semester that it is offered. Any student who earns a “C” or less or “No Credit” in two courses during their enrollment will be considered for dismissal from the School of Nursing. Students must also meet the standards of the Graduate School related to academic progression.
Maintain clinical requirements and other policies as published in the School of Nursing DNP Student Handbook.

Dismissal Policies

Students who violate professional or academic policy will be subject to dismissal from the nursing program.

Students found guilty of unprofessional conduct, negligent habits or other causes as specified in the Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations of Registered Nurses will be dismissed from the program.
Students who violate the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics policy will be dismissed from the program.
Students who have a cumulative GPA that falls below 3.0 will be subject to the UTC Graduate Catalog Continuation Standards.
Students earning a “C” or less or “No Credit” in any course will be required to repeat the course the next semester that it is offered. Any student who earns a “C” or less or “No Credit” in two courses during their enrollment will be considered for dismissal from the School of Nursing. Students must also meet the standards of the Graduate School related to academic progression.
A graduate student will be dismissed from the program if they receive a No Credit grade in a clinical course in more than one grading period. A grading period is defined as either Fall, Spring, Summer I or Summer II.

Program of Study

Each doctoral student must file a Program of Study form during the first semester of coursework. A list of all core courses and electives, if known, must be included on the Program of Study form that is routed to the DNP Coordinator. The Program of Study form must be reviewed by the School of Nursing Graduate Program Coordinator and then approved by the doctoral advisor, DNP Coordinator, the Director of the School of Nursing, and the Dean of the Graduate School. If a student fails to file a Program of Study form, he/she may receive a registration hold and timely program progress may be suspended.

Admission to Candidacy

A student will be admitted to candidacy under the following conditions:

successful defense of the DNP Translational Project Proposal
satisfactory progress on the graduate coursework attempted in the Program of Study and a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better
professional and ethical fitness is deemed satisfactory

Upon completion of the above‐noted conditions, the Application for Admission to Candidacy form should be sent to the Office of the Graduate School.

Completion of Program

All doctoral students shall complete all degree requirements for the DNP within a ten-year limit. All doctoral course work and the successful defense of the translational project must be completed within ten years.

DNP Qualifying Examination

The DNP Qualifying Examination will be the student’s successful defense of the DNP Translational Project Proposal. The faculty will determine if a student is prepared and competent to implement the proposed project. To be eligible to defend the project proposal, a student must have completed the first two semesters of the DNP program. The DNP Qualifying Examination/defense of proposal will be graded as approved, conditional approval with changes, or disapproved based on the student’s performance. The student’s DNP Translational Project Committee and the Graduate Academic Coordinator or DNP Coordinator will evaluate the student’s defense of the project proposal. The student must receive a majority approval or conditional approval at the time of the DNP Qualifying Examination/defense of proposal in order to progress in the program. If the student is not successful and the proposal is not approved, the student may repeat the DNP Qualifying Examination/project proposal defense once. If the student fails to receive an approval for the project proposal subsequent to the second attempt, the student may be dismissed from the DNP program.

Translational Project

The translational project in the DNP program demonstrates synthesis of the student’s work, lays the foundation for future scholarship, and relates to a specialized area in advance practice. The final translational project must benefit a group, population or community rather than an individual patient. The translational project proposal must be reviewed and approved by committee members. The culminating project reflects scholarly work that translates evidence into improved practice or health outcomes that affect aggregates. Each doctoral student will disseminate his or her final translational project in a public presentation that is approved by the student’s translational project committee. The student will further disseminate the final translational project in a publishable manuscript under the guidance of the student’s committee.