About the Program
The rapidly changing health care environment requires increased numbers of master’s-prepared nurses who are equipped to creatively participate in multidisciplinary planning for productive practice environments that achieve high-quality measurable outcomes. Master’s degree prepared nurses also formulate patient care models that promote professional nurse autonomy and clinical decision-making.
The graduate nursing programs are based on the values of St. John Fisher College, the Wegmans School of Nursing philosophy, and the American Nurses Association Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. The curriculum is also guided by educational recommendations from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS), the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), ANA Scope and ANCC certification requirements. The curriculum reflects a commitment to the fundamental nature of nursing, which is professional caring for people by providing compassionate, holistic, evidence-based nursing care to diverse populations.
The faculty of the Wegmans School of Nursing is committed to working with the individual needs of the adult learner in planning a program of study that promotes personal balance while successfully completing requirements for the Master of Science in Nursing degree. Nursing faculty values students’ diversity in perspectives, experiences, and learning styles and anticipates that students will engage in self-directed, interactive learning that is characterized by integrity, initiative, and interpersonal growth. The Master of Science in Nursing programs build on the students’ undergraduate education in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the discipline of nursing. The curriculum affords students the opportunity to broaden their commitment to nursing excellence through the integration of professional and personal values in their new role development.
Graduates of the Master's programs are employed in roles consistent with their area of study and are highly respected for their leadership in health care. Students are well prepared for new, expanded roles through dynamic, interactive classroom experiences, as well as through precepted experiences with highly qualified nurses who are certified and practicing in specialties congruent with coursework.
In addition to core course requirements, students in the Nurse Practitioner programs engage in a total of 600 clinical-precepted hours; students in the Clinical Nurse Specialist program engage in a total of 500 clinical-precepted hours of practice. The undergraduate and graduate nursing programs are currently accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an affiliate of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530
Washington, D.C. 20036-1120
Phone: (202) 887-8476
Website: www.aacn.nche.edu
Accelerated Opportunity: B.S. to M.S. Option
Current St. John Fisher College nursing students may petition to complete graduate-level coursework during their senior year of undergraduate study. This offers an accelerated approach for qualified traditional baccalaureate students who wish to pursue graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing. The accelerated options allow specific graduate-level courses to be taken and for one course to fulfill a designated undergraduate requirement. This shortens graduate degree requirements without compromising didactic and clinical learning experiences in the undergraduate program. Students may take advantage of one or both accelerated options.
Note: Approval to take graduate courses does not guarantee admission to the M.S. programs. Students who wish to continue their graduate studies at Fisher must complete the application process for graduate admissions. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for more information.
Students beginning their study of nursing at St. John Fisher College follow the curriculum of the Traditional Nursing B.S. program. They may petition to take courses in the graduate program after all 300-level undergraduate courses have been completed with a GPA in Nursing of 3.30 or higher. Students interested in an accelerated option should consult with their advisors and the graduate program director during their junior year at St. John Fisher College for more information and to obtain the appropriate registration paperwork. Approved traditional baccalaureate students may pursue one or both of the following options:
First Semester Senior Year (S1)
Choose ONE of:
GNUR 505 Family Health for APN's
GNUR 506 Population Health & Epidemiology (2)
GNUR 507 Health Policy (2)
GNUR 508 Healthcare Delivery Systems (2)
–AND/OR–
Second Semester Senior Year (S2)
GNUR 509 Professional and Systems Leadership (3) –in place of–
NURS 446 Nursing Leadership & Patient-Centered Care III, and lab (3)
Enrollment Status
One of: GNUR 505, 506, 507, or 508 is taken along with other required undergraduate nursing courses during the first semester of the senior year. This course is posted as graduate credit, and there is no additional charge for this course as long as the student is full-time in the undergraduate B.S. Nursing program.
GNUR 509 Professional and Systems Leadership (3) is taken during the second semester of the senior year. Students who successfully complete GNUR 509 will not take NURS 446 Nursing Leadership and Patient-Centered Care III and lab (3). The graduate course is posted as undergraduate credit, and there is no additional charge for this course as long as the student is full-time in the undergraduate B.S. Nursing program. The graduate course is added to the student’s graduate transcript at the end of the first semester of graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing.
Accelerated Opportunity: RN to BS to M.S. Option
Current St. John Fisher College RN to BS Online students may petition to complete graduate-level coursework during their undergraduate study. This offers an accelerated approach to R.N. baccalaureate students who wish to pursue graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing. The fast track options allow specific graduate-level courses to fulfill designated undergraduate requirements. This shortens graduate degree requirements without compromising didactic and clinical learning experience. Students may take advantage of one or both accelerated options.
Note: Approval to take graduate courses does not guarantee admission to the M.S. programs. Students who wish to pursue their graduate studies at Fisher must complete the application process for graduate admissions. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for more information.
Students follow the curriculum of the RN to BS Online program and substitute two graduate courses for undergraduate nursing courses. Students with a Nursing GPA of 3.30 or higher may petition to take graduate courses after completing four undergraduate RN to BS courses, by submitting the Petition for Graduate Courses form. Students interested in the fast track options should consult with their academic advisors and the graduate program director as early as possible during their studies at St. John Fisher College. Approved students may pursue one or both of the following options:
- GNUR 507 Health Policy (2) – and– GNUR 508 Healthcare Delivery Systems (2)*
in place of NURS 458 Contemporary Professional Issues (4)
–AND/OR–
- GNUR 543 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)
in place of NURS 459 Capstone Professional Portfolio (3)
*If only one of these 2-credit courses is successfully completed, the student will be required to take NURS 458 Contemporary Professional Issues, and the graduate course will not be posted as undergraduate credit on the student's academic record. The completed graduate course will be added to the student's graduate transcript at the end of the first semester of graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing.
Enrollment Status
GNUR 507 Health Policy (2) and GNUR 508 Healthcare Delivery Systems (2) (when both are completed) and GNUR 543 Advanced Pathophysiology (3) are posted as undergraduate credit on the student’s academic record, and there is no additional charge for these courses for students in the undergraduate RN to BS Online nursing program. The graduate courses are added to the student’s graduate transcript at the end of the first semester of graduate study at the Wegmans School of Nursing.
Progression Policy
Students matriculating in to the Wegmans School of Nursing graduate program must achieve a grade of B (84-86) or higher in GNUR 503, 504, 543, 570, 571, and all clinical courses in order to progress to the next course. If a student does not achieve a grade of B on the first attempt, the student may re-take the course once. If the student does not achieve a grade of B on the next attempt, the student will not be allowed to progress in the program.
Clinical Learning Experiences
The graduate student completes all clinical courses as precepted practicum experiences. The NP programs have a total of 600 clinical hours; the CNS program has a total of 500 clinical hours. Due to the demand for preceptors, the Wegmans School of Nursing cannot permit students to take more than one clinical course/semester. It is the policy of the graduate nursing program that the student’s clinical learning experiences are separate and apart from his or her position of employment. Precepted clinical experiences are in a wide variety of health care agencies. Students are required to sign a formal attestation form which communicates their understanding of the clinical placement process.
In each clinical course, students must be rated as “competent” by the clinical preceptor and faculty site visitor in order to successfully complete the course. Failure to be rated “competent” at the final clinical evaluation will result in a grade of “U” or “F” for the course. Clinical failure can be due to unsatisfactory professional behavior or lack of clinical competence. Earning a grade of “U” or “F” in more than one graduate course will result in dismissal of the student from the graduate program. The grade of “U” is equivalent to a course failure.
Note: At least 50 percent of the clinical hours for Primary Care program students must be in primary care settings.