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M.S. Nursing – Nursing Informatics (RN-to-MSN Program)

Master of Science Nursing – Nursing Informatics (RN-to-MSN Program)

Good use of data drives the smart decisions that improve patient outcomes—even save lives. Upgrade your RN to MSN and become a nurse informaticist. Use data to drive better patient outcomes.

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Named a Center of Excellence™ in Nursing Education for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development.

NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education 2015-2019

Overview
Your online bridge from RN to master’s-trained informatics nurse.

You became a nurse to make a difference. Change lives. Empower people to take charge of their health. Now, you’re ready for your next step—one that will broaden your skillset, expand your influence, and maximize the positive impact you have on people’s well-being.

WGU’s online, CCNE-accredited RN-to-MSN – Nursing Informatics program prepares you to arm your fellow healthcare practitioners with the data, knowledge, and wisdom to make the kinds of decisions that truly improve care and shape outcomes. This degree program builds on your previous nursing education and experience, beginning with BSN-level coursework and continuing with cutting-edge curriculum designed to make you an in-demand, master's-prepared nursing informatics specialist.

89% of RN-to-MSN grads finish in

1–4 years

WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
See how it works

Tuition per 6-month term is

$3,190

Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. Finish faster, pay less!
See how time is money

Graduates who recommend WGU:

97%

The vast majority of alumni say WGU delivered on its promises. In fact, over 50% of students found WGU thanks to a friend's recommendation.
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Tuition as of January 1, 2018.

Inform the crucial decisions that improve health and save lives.

Informatics nurse specialists play an integral role in enhancing the level of care offered by their healthcare facilities. With an MSN–Nursing Informatics degree from WGU, you will be prepared to deliver and coordinate improved care across multiple settings. Take your nursing career to the next level. Become a nursing informaticist!

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Our curriculum: Developed with input from healthcare industry experts.

The Bachelor of Science Nursing portion of this degree program focuses on contemporary nursing practice. Earning a BSN adds both theoretical and policy depth to the practical knowledge you have as an RN.

Download Program Guide

The MSN portion addresses the complexities of healthcare, access, quality, and costs for diverse populations. In the nursing informatics specialization, you'll master skills like applying systems-thinking strategies to transform data into wisdom and using current technologies to work with teams across disciplines for the development and implementation of health education programs, evidence-based practices, and point-of-care policies.
Core Subject Areas

Lower-division courses may be cleared through transfer credit. Following are some examples:

English Composition I

Survey of United States Constitution and Government

Introduction to Humanities

Introduction to Psychology

Applied Healthcare Statistics

Introduction to Communication

Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan

Introduction to Sociology

See all courses
BSN and MSN Core

Nursing courses that are core to your BSN and MSN degree work include:

Care of the Older Adult

Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing

Evidence-Based Practice

Health and Wellness through Nutritional Science

Organizational Leadership and Interprofessional Team Development

Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice

Essentials of Advanced Nursing Practice Field Experience

Policy, Politics, and Global Health Trends

See all courses
Nursing Science and Informatics

Courses specific to nursing science and your nursing informatics specialty include:

Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership

Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology

Foundations in Nursing Informatics

Informatics System Analysis and Design

Data Science and Analytics

Data Modeling and Database Management Systems

Nursing Informatics Field Experience

Nursing Informatics Capstone

How WGU courses work
A supported, personalized experience.

WGU is unlike any university you’ve experienced before—in the best possible way! Take a look at what we mean:

Faculty Learning Assessment Field Experience Alumni Support

Faculty

SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.

WGU faculty members have one goal in mind: your success. Your Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing guidance and instruction from the day you start to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, exactly when you need it.

Learning

YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.

Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.

Assessment

PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.

WGU measures learning, not time, so each course culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, take the assessment—including the ability to take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home— via webcam, any time of day!

Field Experience

REAL-WORLD: Time in the field.

Most of your program will be completed online but all nursing programs include some learning that occurs in a healthcare facility. Sometimes that will be where you work; other times, it will require placement in a facility near you. We will help you make all the arrangements.

Alumni Support

ALWAYS a Night Owl: WGU for life.

Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.

The accreditation you need, plus respect and recognition.

Healthcare and nursing employers want employees with the credentials that prove they can help improve patient care while streamlining facilities and strengthening their reputations. An important measure of a health degree’s value is whether it comes from an accredited university with programs that have been recognized for excellence by leading healthcare organizations.

Accredited

In addition to WGU's regional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs at WGU are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Respected

“What we need are people who are truly versatile, able to learn efficiently and effectively. ... Those are the kind of people [who] represent graduates of Western Governors University.”
John Steele
Senior Vice President of Human Relations
HCA Healthcare

Recognized

The National League for Nursing named WGU’s nursing programs a Center of Excellence™ in Nursing Education for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development.

Accredited

Respected

Recognized

Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.

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Cost & Time
When we say affordable, we mean it.

$3,190

Tuition per 6-month term

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+$320

Resource and Program Fees, per term

=

=$3,510

TOTAL PER TERM

+$65

One-time application fee

Apply FREE this week

$320 per-term fees include Resource Fee of $145 (covers all e-books and learning resources, saving you hundreds per term) and Program Fee of $175 (covers additional costs specific to this program). This program also requires a one-time Health Professions Student Fee of $350. PLEASE NOTE: This program consists of an undergraduate and a graduate portion. When you complete the RN-to-BSN portion, you will seamlessly transition into the BSN-to-MSN portion. At that time, your tuition will change to $3,750 per term and your fees will be $145 per term.
Control the cost of your program: Our tuition links cost to time.

By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.
Flat-rate tuition of $3,510 per term links cost to time.

By charging per 6-month term rather than per credit hour—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or can learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

Adjust the time and see your costs change

Your time

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There's help if you need it.

Financial aid is available.

WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.

View more about financial aid.

WGU students borrow less than half the national average.

Our goal: You graduate with little or no debt.

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2016 (among those who borrowed) was less than half the national average. WGU’s three-pronged approach to keeping your debt low and your return on investment quick: One, provide useful information and advice on responsible borrowing before enrollment. Two, keep tuition low while you're enrolled. And three, offer degree programs that lead to better-paying jobs after graduation.

Read about our Responsible Borrowing Initiative.

Degree Cost Comparison*

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Other Online Nonprofit University

WGU

Earn your MSN for about half what you’d pay elsewhere.

Low tuition and the ability to accelerate make WGU more affordable than most other schools. When you compare us with other programs, WGU’s RN-to-MSN – Nursing Informatics program offers rigorous curriculum with competitive post-graduation results for around half the cost—or even less!

*Estimates based on July 2017 WGU and comparable universities' tuition data. Learn more about WGU's tuition and how it compares.

Transparent fees and no hidden costs.

The cost of attending college often includes much more than tuition and fees. WGU is designed to be different, and that translates to cost savings everywhere from books to babysitting.

Other universities bury you in unexpected costs. Not WGU.

Click to explore the extra costs:

Tuition Books

Parking Gas

Library / resource fees Babysitter every week for
nighttime classes

WGU

Other online college

Traditional
4 year school

This demonstration shows how various costs—including official fees and incidental costs of attending school—can add up in different learning environments. It's meant as an illustration only.

Scholarships make our already low tuition even more affordable.

Many scholarship opportunities are available. Here are just a few you may be eligible to apply for:

$2,000

WGU Loves Nurses Scholarship

$2,000

Community College Partner Scholarship

$2,500

Healthcare Partners Fund

The affordable, flexible programs offered at WGU put high-quality education within your reach. Start working toward your future.

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Courses & Competencies

An online master’s degree in nursing that teaches the skills employers expect from informatics nurses.

Program consists of:
36 Courses Download Program Guide

At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.

Every course focuses on a set of clearly defined competencies that you must prove you’ve learned—through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s Master of Science Nursing – Nursing Informatics (RN to MSN) curriculum.

That means the things you master at WGU are often directly applicable the next day at work—and it means what you’re doing at work frequently informs the work you’re doing in your courses. It’s all about real-world applicability so every moment spent studying is time well spent.

Courses in this program.

This program consists of the following courses. Some may be waived through transfer from your previous college experience. The rest you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

The first course you take in this program will be unlike any other you complete at WGU. Inter-Professional Leadership & Communication in Healthcare requires participation in online group meetings with faculty and fellow students. Multiple group options are available, so you will work with your enrollment counselor or mentor to determine the group whose schedule works best for you. Learn more about this unique course and how to prepare for it.

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MSN Professional Nursing Core

Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice

In Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice, students will gain application skills by examining syndromes rather than looking at body systems independently. The course includes pathophysiologies, the associated pharmacological treatments, and social and environmental impacts Pathopharmacological Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice is an integrated examination of five common and important disease processes: asthma, heart failure, obesity, traumatic brain injury, and depression. These processes are relevant to advanced nursing practice because of their prevalence and impact on the healthcare system and the health of the nation.

Essentials of Advanced Nursing Practice Field Experience

The Essentials of Advanced Nursing Practice Field Experience course gives you an opportunity to apply leadership knowledge to evaluate a healthcare facility and then recommend an organizational change to improve population health. In this course you will integrate and apply your learning in a clinical experience working with a nurse leader. You will demonstrate and document the following skills: • lead change to improve quality health in populations • advance a culture of excellence through lifelong learning • build and lead collaborative interprofessional care teams • navigate and integrate care services across the healthcare system • design innovative nursing practices • translate evidence into practice

Policy, Politics, and Global Health Trends

Social, political, and economic factors influence policies that impact health outcomes in acute care settings in communities, nationally and globally. Nurse leaders need to understand the determinants of health as well as how legal and regulatory processes, healthcare finances, research, the role of professional organizations, and special interest groups/lobbyists impact health outcomes.This course provides a framework for understanding the organization of healthcare delivery and financing systems in the U.S. and other nations. It addresses how policies are made and factors that influence policies at local, national, and global levels that impact health/wellness and the nursing profession. The roles of values, ethical theories, stakeholder interests, research, and recent legislation related to health policy and health outcomes will be explored. The nurse leader will gain expertise in effecting change through active participation in influencing or developing policies that impact health.

Professional Presence and Influence

Who we are and how we behave affects others. Our professional presence in therapeutic settings can support or inhibit well-being not only in patients, but also in the rest of the health care team, in the family and support system of the patients, and in the health care organization as a whole. This course will help registered nurses manage this impact by recognizing situations and practices that support a positive environment and cultivating actions and responses to achieve and maintain this environment. The growth of self-knowledge will expand nurses’ ability to direct influence in ways that are intended rather than in random or destructive ways.

Organizational Leadership and Interprofessional Team Development

This graduate-level course builds on baccalaureate-level leadership knowledge to develop application skills in complex healthcare environments with diverse teams. Graduates will develop knowledge and competencies in the following areas: leadership theory, systems and complexity theory, advanced communication, and building consensus. Knowledge, skills, and abilities related to creating cultures of safety and leading quality improvement are key parts of this course and of contemporary leadership. Most importantly, students will develop and establish deep understanding of leadership roles within organizations, a central theme in the course. Upon successful completion of this course, Students will demonstrate: • critical decision making, critical analysis, and visionary thinking to lead and affect positive healthcare environments; • the ability to build consensus and communicate a compelling vision that facilitates teamwork.

Comprehensive Health Assessment for Patients and Populations

In this course, students will learn about the principles of health assessment from the individual to the global level. Students will learn to perform a comprehensive functional health assessment that includes social structures, family history, and environmental situations, from the individual patient to the population. This course builds on prior knowledge gained in previous courses and in nursing practice, in areas such as pathophysiology, pharmacology, and epidemiology, and focus on applying this knowledge in various populations with common disorders. This course is roughly divided into three parts: • Advanced health assessment focusing on abnormal findings for common disease. • Integrating health assessment findings into a population, considering such issue as culture, spirituality, and continuum. • Functionality of clients based upon the problems and populations.

Translational Research for Practice and Populations

This graduate-level course builds on your baccalaureate-level statistical knowledge to help you develop skills in analyzing, interpreting, and translating research into nursing practice using principles of patient-centered care and applications to individuals and populations

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Nursing Informatics

Informatics System Analysis and Design

In Informatics System Analysis and Design, a broad understanding of data systems is covered to build upon the Foundations in Nursing Informatics course. The importance of effective interoperability, functionality, data access, and user satisfaction are addressed. The student will be analyzing reports and integrating federal regulations, research principles, and principles of environmental health in the construction of a real-world systems analysis and design project. This course will be directly applicable to healthcare settings as electronic records management has become compulsory for healthcare providers. All of the information in this course will be directly tied to the delivery of quality patient care and patient safety.

Data Modeling and Database Management Systems

This graduate course is designed to engage the student in planning, analyzing, and designing a relational database management system (DBMS) for use by nurse administrators, clinicians, educators, and informaticists. This experience will provide the knowledge needed to advocate for nursing informatics needs within the field of healthcare.

Nursing Informatics Field Experience

In the Nursing Informatics Field Experience, you will complete a hands-on field experience while working with a preceptor in a setting relevant to your professional situation and nursing informatics. Today’s rapidly changing health delivery system requires nurse informaticists to be prepared to effectively lead change and facilitate learning that is dynamic and meets the needs of a diverse student and professional nursing population. To help you develop competency in this area, you will apply methods and solutions to support clinical decisions and improve health outcomes by designing data collection instruments, developing a database management system and analyzing data using statistical and geospatial techniques in a simulated environment.

Foundations in Nursing Informatics

This course addresses the integration of technology to improve and support nursing practice. It provides nurses with a foundational understanding of nursing informatics theory, practice, and applications. Topics include the role of nursing in informatics; use of computer technology for clinical documentation, communication, and workflows; problem identification; project implementation; and best practices.

Data Science and Analytics

This course addresses the interdisciplinary and emerging field of data science in healthcare. Students will learn to combine tools and techniques from statistics, computer science, data visualization, and the social sciences to solve problems using data. Topics include data analysis, database management, inferential and descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and process improvement.

Nursing Informatics Capstone

The Nursing Informatics Capstone is the final leg in your journey to graduation. During this course, you will present evidence of the knowledge and skills you gained during this program by completing a comprehensive evaluation of a health information system. You will develop a multimedia presentation that reviews and reflects on your learning experiences during the Nursing Informatics program. This scholarly presentation is a synthesis that illustrates the acquisition of nursing informatics knowledge, skills, and competencies. Your final presentation should demonstrate how the integration of nursing informatics facilitates the transformation of data and information to knowledge and wisdom in a nursing practice. The presentation will be developed using the best practices for narrated PowerPoint presentations (see the MSN Capstone Presentation section for details).

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Nursing Core

Advanced Standing for RN License

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General Education

English Composition I

English Composition I introduces learners to the types of writing and thinking that are valued in college and beyond. Students will practice writing in several genres with emphasis placed on writing and revising academic arguments. Instruction and exercises in grammar, mechanics, research documentation, and style are paired with each module so that writers can practice these skills as necessary. Comp I is a foundational course designed to help students prepare for success at the college level. There are no prerequisites for English Composition I.

Survey of United States Constitution and Government

This course is an introduction to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. government. Topics include (1) structure and relevance of the U.S. Constitution, (2) structure and function of governmental branches, and (3) political participation and policy making.

Introduction to Humanities

This introductory humanities course allows students to practice essential writing, communication, and critical thinking skills necessary to engage in civic and professional interactions as mature, informed adults. Whether through studying literature, visual and performing arts, or philosophy, all humanities courses stress the need to form reasoned, analytical, and articulate responses to cultural and creative works. Studying a wide variety of creative works allows students to more effectively enter the global community with a broad and enlightened perspective.

Introduction to Psychology

In this course, students will develop an understanding of psychology and how it helps them better understand others and themselves. Students will learn general theories about psychological development, the structure of the brain, and how psychologists study behavior. They will gain an understanding of both normal and disordered psychological behaviors, as well as general applications of the science of psychology in society (such as personality typing and counseling).

Applied Healthcare Statistics

Applied Healthcare Probability and Statistics is designed to help you develop competence in the fundamental concepts of basic mathematics, introductory algebra, and statistics and probability. These concepts include: basic arithmetic with fractions and signed numbers; introductory algebra and graphing; descriptive statistics; regression and correlation; and probability. Statistical data and probability are now commonplace in the healthcare field. You need to be able to make informed decisions about which studies and results are valid, which are not, and how those results affect your decisions. This course will give you background in what constitutes sound research design and how to appropriately model phenomena using statistical data. Additionally, you will be able to calculate simple probabilities, especially based on events which occur in the healthcare profession. This course will prepare you for your studies at WGU, as well as in the healthcare profession.

Introduction to Communication

This introductory communication course allows students to become familiar with the fundamental communication theories and practices necessary to engage in healthy professional and personal relationships. Students will survey human communication on multiple levels and critically apply the theoretical grounding of the course to interpersonal, intercultural, small group, and public presentational contexts. The course also encourages students to consider the influence of language, perception, culture, and media on their daily communicative interactions. In addition to theory, students will engage in the application of effective communication skills through systematically preparing and delivering an oral presentation. By practicing these fundamental skills in human communication, students become more competent communicators as they develop more flexible, useful, and discriminatory communicative practices in a variety of contexts.

Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan

This course introduces students to human development across the lifespan. This will include an introductory survey of cognitive, psychological, and physical growth. Students will gain an understanding in regards to the emergence of personality, identity, gender and sexuality, social relationships, emotion, language, and moral development through life. This will include milestones such as education, achievement, work, dying, and death.

Introduction to Sociology

This course teaches students to think like sociologists, in other words, to see and understand the hidden rules, or norms, by which people live, and how they free or restrain behavior. Students will learn about socializing institutions, such as schools and families, as well as workplace organizations and governments. Participants will also learn how people deviate from the rules by challenging norms, and how such behavior may result in social change, either on a large scale or within small groups.

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Health Sciences

Anatomy and Physiology I

Anatomy and Physiology I examines the structures and functions of the human body. The course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of human anatomy and physiology, including the interdependent operational relationships among them. Students will use a dissection lab to study organ systems of the human body in their healthy state including the digestive, skeletal, sensory, respiratory, reproductive, nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, integumentary, endocrine and renal systems. By examining these organ systems in a healthy state, healthcare professionals are more adept to recognize when a something is functioning abnormally, which is a key component to providing effective care to patients. For nursing students this is the first of two anatomy and physiology courses within the program of study. This course has no pre-requisites.

Clinical Microbiology

Clinical Microbiology introduces general concepts, methods, and applications of microbiology from a health sciences perspective. The course is designed to provide healthcare professionals with a basic understanding of how various diseases are transmitted and controlled. Students will examine the structure and function of microorganisms, including the roles that they play in causing major diseases. The course also explores immunological, pathological and epidemiological factors associated with disease. To assist students in developing an applied, patient-focused understanding of microbiology, this course is complimented by several lab experiments which allow students to: practice aseptic techniques, grow bacteria and fungi, identify characteristics of bacteria and yeast based on biochemical and environmental tests, determine antibiotic susceptibility, discover the microorganisms growing on objects and surfaces, and determine the Gram characteristic of bacteria. This course has no pre-requisites.

Anatomy and Physiology II

This course introduces advanced concepts of human anatomy and physiology, through the investigation of the structures and functions of the body's organ systems. Students will have the opportunity to explore the body through laboratory experience and apply the concepts covered in this course. For nursing students this is the second of two anatomy and physiology courses within the program of study.

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Chemistry Content

Biochemistry

Biochemistry covers the structure and function of the four major polymers produced by living organisms. These include nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. This course focuses on application! Be sure to understand the underlying biochemistry in order to grasp how it is applied. By successfully completing this course, you will gain an introductory understanding of the chemicals and reactions that sustain life. You will also begin to see the importance of this subject matter to health.

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Nursing Theory and Practice

Health Assessment

The Health Assessment course is designed to enhance students’ knowledge and skills in health promotion, the early detection of illness and prevention of disease. To that end the course provides relevant content and skills necessary to perform a comprehensive physical assessment of patients throughout the lifespan. Students are engaged in these processes through interviewing, history taking and demonstration of an advanced-level physical examination. Dominant models, theories and perspectives related to evidence-based wellness practices and health education strategies also are included in this challenging course. Competency is measured through successful completion of two performance tasks. It is recommended that students plan to complete C349 in four to six weeks.

Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research

The Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research course will help you to learn how to design and conduct research to answer important questions about improving nursing practice and patient care delivery outcomes. After you are introduced to the basics of evidence-based practice, you will continue to implement the principles throughout your clinical experience. This will allow you to graduate with more competence and confidence to become a leader in the healing environment.

Health and Wellness Through Nutritional Science

Nutritional ignorance or misunderstandings are at the root of the health problems that most Americans face today. Nurses need to be armed with the most current information available about nutrition science, including how to understand nutritional content of food; implications of exercise and activity on food consumption and weight management, and management of community or population specific nutritional challenges. The Health and Wellness Through Nutritional Science course should prepare nurses to provide support, guidance, and teaching about incorporation of sound nutritional principles into daily life for health promotion. This course covers the following concepts: nutrition to support wellness; healthy nutritional choices; nutrition and physical activity; nutrition through the lifecycle; safety and security of food; and nutrition and global health environments.

Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing Field Experience

This course will assist students to become familiar with clinical aspects of health promotion and disease prevention, applicable to the community health nursing environment. Students will practice skills based on clinical priorities, methodology, and resources that positively influence the health of populations. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills by applying principles of community health nursing in a variety of settings. Students will design, implement and evaluate a project in community health. Students will develop health promotion and disease prevention strategies for population groups.

Advanced Professional Roles and Values

The Advanced Professional Roles and Values course bridges the undergraduate nurse to higher level knowledge and accountability by examining roles of advanced professional practice. Current issues, professional and personal values, and ethical issues are examined along with scholarship and advanced practice roles.

Care of the Older Adult

Care of the Older Adult adapts the concepts from prior coursework to the care of older adults. An understanding of the effects that policy and legislation have on how healthcare systems treat aging patients sets a foundation for improving their care. Students will apply health assessment skills and evidence-based standards in such a way to account for the specific needs of older adults. Emphasis is placed on the importance of maintaining the dignity of older adults by focusing on cultural, religious, spiritual, and communication needs, and by collaborating on care with older adults, families, and caregivers.

Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing

Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing will assist students in becoming familiar with foundational theories and models of health promotion applicable to the community health nursing environment. Students will develop an understanding of how policies and resources influence the health of populations. Focus is concentrated on learning the importance of a community assessment to improve or resolve a community health issue. Students will be introduced to the relationships between cultures and communities and the steps necessary to create community collaboration with the goal to improve or resolve community health issues in a variety of settings. Students will gain a greater understanding of health systems in the United States, global health issues, quality-of-life issues, cultural influences, community collaboration, and emergency preparedness.

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Foundations of Success

Professional Leadership and Communication for Healthcare

The Inter-Professional Communication and Leadership in Healthcare course is designed to help students prepare for success in the online environment at Western Governors University and beyond. Student success starts with the social support and self-reflective awareness that will prepare students to weather the challenges of academic programs. In this course students will participate in group activities and complete several individual assignments. The group activities are aimed at finding support and insight from other students. The assignments are intended to give the student an opportunity to reflect about where they are and where they would like to be. The activities in each group meeting are designed to give students several tools they can use to achieve success. This course is designed as an intensive learning experience. Students will attend group meetings during the term. At each meeting students will engage in activities that help them understand their own educational journey and find support and inspiration in the journey of others.

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Nursing Science

Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership

Nurses serve as clinicians, managers, and mentors to shape the future of healthcare and impact patient care outcomes in positive ways. This course will help students to be more confident and better prepared to assume leadership roles regardless of their position in the healthcare delivery system.This advanced leadership course focuses on the concepts of Patient Safety, Improvement science, balancing cost, quality and access through the triple aim, leadership and patient/family centered care. Students will develop mastery of advanced competencies particularly in patient safety in quality improvement science.

Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology

In this course you will examine complementary roles of master’s level-prepared nursing information technology professionals, including informaticists and quality officers. You will analyze current and emerging technologies; data management; ethical legal and regulatory best-practice evidence; and bio-health informatics using decision-making support systems at the point of care.

Plan to work hard: Program requirements and expectations

The MSN – Nursing Informatics (RN to MSN) degree program is a mostly online program that you will complete by studying and working independently with support and instruction from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 8 competency units (WGU's equivalent of the credit hour) each 6-month term. (Each course is typically 3 or 4 units).

The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.

Request info from an Enrollment Counselor

Download the Program Guide

Special requirements for this program:

While most of your coursework will be completed online, your nursing program includes some requirements—including field experiences—that must be completed in a facility near you, which the university will help you find. And while most of your courses can be accelerated based on your prior knowledge and hard work, some nursing programs begin with a cohort-based course that must be completed via eight scheduled webcam sessions with faculty and fellow students.

We offer degrees for in-demand careers that provide the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Give your résumé the boost it needs!

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Quality you can trust: Curriculum developed with guidance from healthcare employers and experts

Program councils—teams of industry and academic experts—drive the development of our programs, providing input on the competencies a successful graduate needs to master to be successful.
How You'll Learn
A master’s degree in nursing informatics designed to be earned on an RN’s schedule.

Competency-based education puts working nurses in the driver’s seat of their education. As a busy nurse, you need a degree program that's more than simply online—you need a program that truly reflects the realities of your work life and experience. At WGU, your progress is driven by your ability to prove what you’ve learned. How—and how quickly—are largely up to you. Once you’ve mastered the defined competencies (knowledge and skills), you prove what you know through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s MSN – Nursing Informatics curriculum. Other universities' online M.S. programs may give you the convenience of distance learning; WGU's competency-based online programs take that flexibility further—many steps further!

“I hadn’t been in school for so long, but having the work experience from being a nurse, I not only did well, I actually loved it. The courses were practical, and everything made sense.” Keith Plant
B.S. Nursing, 2014

Designed for working nurses

Day shift, night shift, or on-call; flu season or the onslaught of summertime injuries; 5-minute coffee breaks where you’re still on your feet… A nurse’s schedule is never predictable—and not very forgiving. That’s why we focus on making the best use of your time and experience and why we maximize the real-world impact of what you’re learning—so your years as a nurse can help you graduate faster, and the hours of study time you squeeze in actually pay off at work.

Competency-Based Education (CBE)

How it helps you

Efficient

Save time and money by focusing efforts where they matter the most.

No two students are alike—especially working adult students with nursing experience. Students come to school knowing different things, they learn at different speeds, and they have different amounts of time to spend studying. Competency-based education lets you prioritize where to spend your valuable time.

Flexible

Learn on your own terms.

Nurses' schedules are unpredictable. Whatever your week looks like, competency-based learning allows you to study and complete assessments when it fits your life—even if that means taking a proctored test online at 3 a.m.

Results

Know you’re learning real-world skills.

You earn a nursing degree for results—not simply to accrue credits. Competency-based education centers on competencies—the clearly defined knowledge and skills that leading healthcare employers are looking for. How do we know what they’re looking for?

Finish courses by proving what you know, as soon as you’re ready.

With competency-based education at WGU, success is measured by actual learning, not class time. You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through years of work experience.

Your progress through a course is driven by you.

How quickly you learn

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The time you devote to studying

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How much previous knowledge you bring
See it in action

Play this game to see how a competency-based course works at WGU.
competency, noun

Demonstrated knowledge, skill, or ability required to advance in a degree program.

At WGU, course competencies are defined by an expert council, including employers.

For this course, there are 3 areas you need to prove competency in.

Start

First, let's take a pre‑assessment.

Determine what you already know from previous work and education experience, and where you need to focus your studies. Prove your competency in 3 areas in this exercise.

Start Pre-Assessment

Competency 1: Retrieving results...
Competency 2: Retrieving results...
Competency 3: Retrieving results...

Start Course

Second, study course materials.

Click on the free learning resources created by education experts that will help you master the competencies.

E-textbook

Web-based Tutorials

Online Classes

Simulations

Learning Communities

Course Mentors

Ready? Take Assessment

Result:

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Measuring:

Skills

Knowledge

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Your experience pays at WGU.

Why start from square one when you could already be well on your way to a degree?

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Career Outlook
Your nursing informatics master’s will prepare you to drive decisions grounded in sound data.

Once you have completed your MSN – Nursing Informatics degree online, you will have the knowledge and skills it takes to be an outstanding informatics nurse.

And as a nursing informatics specialist, you’ll play a crucial role in elevating the level of care in your facility and in today’s healthcare industry as a whole. You’ll empower your colleagues and management to make decisions, implement policies, and perfect practices that are proven to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

70k

As many as 70,000 nursing informatics specialists/analysts may be needed in the next five years.

—American Medical Informatics Association

Nursing informatics: a fulfilling career that’s in high demand

First things first: What is nursing informatics? Simply put, it’s the juncture of information technology, medical practice, and medical research. It uses data science, statistics, and research to make smart decisions that improve healthcare, providing patients with more timely, personalized care and giving facilities and systems a clearer view of how to improve processes and outcomes. In a survey of 576 healthcare professionals, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society found that respondents overwhelmingly felt informatics nurses had a significant impact on the quality of care patients receive, especially on implementation, optimization, workflow, and patient safety.

Explore a career in nursing informatics.

Get info about an informatics nurse's salary, job outlook, work environment, and more.

LEARN MORE
WGU is a university committed to producing successful grads.

The ultimate test of your degree's value is whether it helps you become an outstanding employee and advance your career. Our happy grads—and their happy employers—confirm that WGU is the path to that kind of degree.
Happy employers

Happy grads

They're Prepared.

Employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.

They Perform.

Employers rated WGU graduates' job performance as very good or excellent.

They Wow.

Employers said their WGU graduates have exceeded their expectations.

They're Confident.

Graduates said the majority of their coursework was related to their jobs.

They're Working.

Graduates are working full-time.

They're Satisfied.

Graduates said their degrees were worth the cost of their education.

Source: 2016 Harris Poll survey of 301 employers; 2016 Harris Poll Online survey of 1,403 new college graduates nationwide compared with survey of 1,207 WGU graduates; WGU--Gallup 2016 Report
“Our partnership with WGU enables our employees to advance their education affordably without interrupting their careers.” John Steele, Senior Vice President of Human Resources,
Hospital Corporation of America

Close the gap between you and your dreams.

Online degree programs start every month.

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Admissions
Your master's degree is within reach. Start enrolling in your online MSN program today.

Next Start Date

Aug 1

Start the 1st of any month—as soon as you complete enrollment!
APPLY TODAY

Get your Enrollment Checklist
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Get your questions answered and take the next step: Talk to an Enrollment Counselor.

866-225-5948
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Your Enrollment Counselor is there to help you make an informed decision.
The first step toward change can be the hardest—we get it. Your "welcoming committee" at WGU is made up of Enrollment Counselors, Admissions Specialists, and faculty members. Your initial interactions at WGU will be guided by an Enrollment Counselor who specializes in the programs you're interested in.

Your Enrollment Counselor is ready with as much help as you may need:

Get your cost and admissions criteria questions answered.

Assess WGU's fit with your career goals.

Get started toward enrollment!

Contact an Enrollment Counselor.
Admission requirements unique to this degree.
To be considered for this master's degree program in nursing, you must:

Possess an associate’s degree or diploma in nursing.

Possess a current, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license.

Submit a résumé and be actively working as an RN at the time of application and enrollment.

Submit to a criminal background check through American Databank. California residents are also required to provide proof of current immunizations. Additional fees apply.

Contact an enrollment counselor
Making an informed admission decision.

WGU seeks to admit individuals who have the capacity and determination to complete a rigorous WGU degree program…and graduate. The admission process is designed to help you and the university reach an informed decision about your likelihood of success.

At WGU we want you to graduate, not just enroll. Consequently, not every applicant is admitted because not every individual is a good fit for WGU’s programs and competency-based, online academic model.
Common questions for College of Health Professions programs.

Do I have to pay the application fee to be admitted?

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Yes. You may talk to an Enrollment Counselor without paying the $65 application fee, but the fee must be paid before you can be admitted. The application fee helps defray our costs associated with admissions, transcript collection, enrolling students, etc. Note: It is against federal regulations to use financial aid for an application fee.

What is the deadline for transcript submission?

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Transcripts must be received by the 1st of the month before your intended start date. WGU requires that ALL official transcripts of previous academic work completed at other colleges and universities be submitted for evaluation.

How does WGU keep its tuition so low?

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As a nonprofit university, WGU doesn’t need to benefit shareholders. Our students are our only focus. We also try to keep our operating costs low. And since we’re an exclusively online university, we don’t need to maintain expensive classroom buildings, a campus, or other non-academic programs.

Should I consider financial aid?

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Using financial aid is a personal decision. When making this decision, you should know that a degree is a great investment in yourself that will pay for itself many times over. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn on average almost a million dollars more over the course their careers compared to those without one. A master’s degree typically has a similar impact on your wallet. You should definitely consider federal financial aid if it means the difference between getting your degree or not. Speak to an Enrollment Counselor to learn more.

Can a graduate of this program get into a nurse practitioner or other post-graduate nursing program?

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Admissions requirements vary widely from program to program and from school to school. Nurse practitioner programs—including Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and post-MSN NP certificate programs—can be among the most competitive. One factor commonly considered for enrollment in post-graduate nursing programs is grade-point average (GPA) from previous college work. The nature of WGU’s competency-based model means WGU graduates do not have a GPA when they earn their degree.

However, other factors beyond GPA are considered by many programs across the country. WGU provides opportunities for students to students to demonstrate excellence beyond a GPA, including participation in nationally recognized honors programs, real-world projects that you complete as part of your program that you can showcase in your post-graduate applications, and letters of recommendation from WGU faculty or leadership.

For any aspiring graduate student, it is important to maximize your own qualities as well as do the research to understand the schools that offer the programs you seek to join.

You can start your research by reviewing this list of post-graduate programs that have admitted WGU alumni in the past. Look on LinkedIn for WGU nursing alumni who have gone on to become nurse practitioners, and check their profiles to see which schools they attended for the MSN or DNP program. Contact the school to ask whether they enroll students from competency-based programs like WGU’s. And talk to your WGU Enrollment Counselor. WGU can provide alumni with a letter they can share with graduate schools, explaining our competency-based model. This letter has helped WGU alumni be accepted into a variety of graduate programs in a number of fields and disciplines.

Have more questions? Find more info here.
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Programs begin the 1st of any month.

New students can begin their first term at the beginning of any month. So you can start when you’re ready, rather than rushing (or waiting) for fall or spring enrollment. There's no need to wait!

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“The enrollment process was seamless. I talked to a gentleman on the phone, and he told me what I would need. I sent my transcripts in. Within three days they were evaluated. It was a really good process.” Robin Hill,
M.S. Nursing – Education

WGU is school on your terms.

School can fit into your life—start working toward your better future now.

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