MS Nursing, Education (RN to MSN Option) Domains of Study

Areas of Study Within the
Master of Science in Nursing—Education (RN to MSN Option)

The WGU MSN (RN to MSN Option) program is based on best practices for effective learning and national standards. It provides the knowledge and skills that enable graduates to expand their knowledge in areas of research, theory, community concepts, health care policy and finance, therapeutic interventions, and current trends.

The following section includes the larger domains of knowledge, which are then followed by the subject-specific subdomains of knowledge.

General Education Domain

The general education domain focuses on basic subject matter knowledge that is typically included in baccalaureate level programs. Evaluation of your previous college transcripts may clear assessment requirements for some areas of the liberal arts domain, which could shorten your program of study by removing assessments. To waive or clear a subdomain, the transcript must show that you have taken equivalent classes in the subdomain content areas and passed those classes with a C grade or higher at an accredited institution of higher education.

Foundations
Focuses on application of grammatical standards, reading skills, basic numeracy and calculation skills, basic algebra skills, basic geometry principles, and basic data and probability skills.

Survey in U.S. and World History
Content includes major themes in world history and United States history; basic economic concepts; and the nature and development of American government.

Language and Communication
Content focuses on collegiate reading skills, basic information retrieval skills, writing skills, and speaking and writing skills.

Literature, Arts, and the Humanities
Content focuses on content, concepts, terminology, methodology, models, and issues within and across the disciplines of the humanities.

Science Specialty Topics

This domain focuses on anatomy and physiology, human physiology, clinical microbiology and biochemistry.

Anatomy and Physiology
These courses focus on the following topics: nervous and sensory systems, circulation and hematology, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, muscular, skeletal and integumentary systems, lymphatic and endocrine systems, the digestive, hepatic, and urinary systems, the reproductive system, support, protection and movement, control and regulation of the systems in the human body, transportation, absorption and excretion, reproduction, growth and maturation and terminology and the body plan.

Clinical Microbiology
This course focuses on the following topics: structure and characteristics of microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, mold, yeast and fungi, protozoa and parasites, pathogenic sources and transmission of organisms, antimicrobial therapy, controlling microorganism growth, and techniques and procedures.

Biochemistry
This course focuses on the following topics: DNA and RNA, amino acids and peptide bonds, protein structure, protein function, myoglobin and hemoglobin, enzymology and catalytic mechanism, carbohydrate metabolism, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and lipids.

Behavioral Science

These courses focus on the principles and concepts of anthropology, sociology and psychology.

Nursing Theory and Practice

This domain focuses on nutrition for contemporary society, community health nursing and nursing leadership experience.

Nutrition for Contemporary Society
This course focuses on basic nutrition, physiology of food digestion, plant derived nutrients, fats: essential for life, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fluid balance, healthy bodily weight, nutrition and physical activity, nutrition through the lifecycle, and nutrition issues: safety and security of food.

Advanced Evidence-Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research
This course focuses on research questions, research sources, the research process and implementing research findings.

Advanced Professional Roles and Values
This course focuses on the nursing profession, nursing theories and models, ethical practice, advanced professional accountability, self advocacy of the nurse, the professional nurse, roles of the nurse, interprofessional practice and the healthcare work environment.

Community Health Nursing Practicum
This course focuses on community health epidemiology, community collaboration, community health programs, policies, resources and services, health promotion, risk reduction and disease prevention, quality of life and functioning, violence in families and communities, environmental and global health issues and emergency response.

Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology
This course focuses on information management and security, leadership in information technology, health information systems, electronic health records, technology supporting quality improvement, and current and future technologies.

Nursing Theory
This course focuses on using internet searches, incorporating data into practice, nursing theories and relevant theories.

Nursing Science

This domain focuses on the following areas of study: applied health care statistics and analysis, evidence-based practice and applied nursing research, professional roles and values, health assessment, care of the older adult, community and population health, information management and the application of technology, and organizational systems and quality leadership.

Health Assessment
This course focuses on analyzing the findings of basic physical assessments of the integumentary system, the eyes, ears, nose and throat, the respiratory system, the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, and lymphatic systems, the gastrointestinal and renal systems, the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, the reproductive system, mental status and head-to-toe assessments.

Care of the Older Adult
This course focuses on compassionate and respectful care, health promotion, maintenance and living environments, the health needs, promoting independence and autonomy while reducing risk factors, and technology-assisted care of older adults. It also discusses the care of adults with alterations in functional ability and palliative and end-of-life care.

Applied Health Care Statistics and Analysis
This course focuses on obtaining and understanding data, probability and the normal probability distributions, hypothesis testing and significance levels, and correlation coefficients and linear regression.

Advanced Evidence-Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research
This course focuses on the following topics: excellence in evidence-based practice, research questions, theory, practice and research, the research process, protection of research participants, translational research, implementing research findings, and communicating evidence-based findings.

Community and Population Health
This course focuses on community health epidemiology, quality of life and functioning, environmental and global health issues, and emergency response.

Advanced Professional Roles and Values
This course focuses on the nursing profession, nursing theories and models, ethical practice, advanced professional accountability, self advocacy of the nurse, the professional nurse, roles of the nurse, interprofessional practice and the healthcare work environment.

Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership
This course focuses on principles of leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, quality and patient safety and healthcare utilization and finance.

Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology
This course focuses on information management and security, leadership in information technology, health information systems, electronic health records, technology supporting quality improvement, and current and future technologies.

Nursing Research Proposal
This course focuses on preparing a proposal for a nursing research project.

MS, Nursing Professional Portfolio Domain

The professional portfolio is a collection of artifacts from your coursework as well as a resume and personal statement to help you market yourself and your strengths.

Role Development for Advanced Nursing Practice

Students will learn how to function effectively within an organization including the use of ethical principles, professional values and beliefs as a framework for nursing practice. Students will apply ethical principles to healthcare delivery and use a decision-making process to resolve ethical dilemmas as well as contribute to the visibility, growth, and quality of the nursing profession. Students will design and implement culturally competent healthcare services using social and epidemiological principles to perform community assessment as well as environmental data to draw inferences. Students will develop and monitor comprehensive, holistic plans for health promotion and disease prevention.

Role Development for Advanced Nursing
This course focuses on nursing roles within organizations, nursing roles within the profession, and nursing values.

Advanced Nursing Ethics and Values
This focuses on ethics and nursing practice, nursing values, ethical decision making, and ethics and healthcare.

Global Health, Human Diversity and Disease Prevention
This course focuses on health variants, community assessment, epidemiological, social, and environmental data, global health, and community health.

Policy, Organization, and Financing

Students will gain an understanding of the legislative and regulatory processes and other factors that influence healthcare delivery in the United States. Students will determine how local, state, national, and international health policies are formed and how health policy impacts clinical practice and healthcare delivery. Students will examine the impact fiscal constraints and allocation of funds has on nursing practice and patient care delivery. Students will explore the changing role of the nurse in an evolving healthcare delivery system.

Healthcare Policy and Financing and Organization of Healthcare Delivery Systems
These courses focus on legislative and regulatory processes, policy development, healthcare delivery systems in the United States and the factors influencing them, the changing role of the nurse, healthcare financing in the United States and the impact of nursing decisions on financing of healthcare.

Nurse Educator Specialization

Students will focus on curriculum development for nursing education programs, students as learners, evaluation of learning, nurse educator roles and responsibilities, and program development and improvement.

Nurse Educator Specialist
This course focuses on curriculum structure and processes in nursing practice settings, server commission and decommission, using technology to support teaching and learning, competency-based education models, learner development and socialization, learner styles, assessment and evaluation strategies, measurement guidelines, interpreting evaluation data, change agent and leader, professional development and scholarship, integrating nurse educator roles in a dynamic environment, development of nursing education programs, program evaluation and revision, program faculty and coaching and development.