RN to MSN Course Descriptions

Program Facts:

  • 45 Credits
  • 180 Clinical Hours
  • 135 Clinical Hours for Bridge Work
  • Completion Time: 9 Semesters
  • Online Courses
  • One, 2-day, On-Campus Immersion 

Questions?
Contact: 

Ethan Lewan
Call or Text (509) 313-6243 or (866) 380-5323
Email: gradadmissions@gonzaga.edu

Undergraduate Courses - 15 total credits

Courses are 8 or 16 weeks
The undergraduate bridge courses will take one full academic year (summer/fall/spring).

PHIL 280 – Person and Conduct - 3 credits

Two basic dimensions of philosophical investigation are inquiry into the nature and meaning of our being human (the philosophy of human nature) and inquiry into the right life and conduct of a human being (ethics). This course undertakes these closely related investigations from a personalist perspective.

NURS 320 – Stats for Health Professions - 3 credits

This online course provides an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. It includes the statistical procedures used most frequently to analyze quantitative data for health science and nursing research. Emphasis is placed on the conceptual understanding and correct application of statistical tests, as well as the correct interpretation of statistical results. Some mathematical calculation will be necessary. The ultimate goal will be for the learner to understand statistical reasoning and become familiar with the correct use and interpretation of statistics.

NURS 406 – Nursing Research - 3 credits

This course provides an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research principles and methodologies, including evaluation of research studies and application to practice. Critical analysis of nursing and health care research is emphasized. The course stresses research design, sampling, data collection strategies and ethical considerations in research. Prerequisites: NURS 320

NURS 463 – Community Health - 3 credits


Designed for the licensed registered nurse, this course introduces community-as-partner model as a guide for providing cost-effective, accessible care for families, groups, and populations. Emphasis will be placed on cultural competence, the use of complex adaptive systems to understand the interaction among and between systems within community health practice, epidemiological concepts in the development of effective health policy/programs and ethical dilemmas inherent in the community-as-partner model of practice. Concurrent: NURS 464

NURS 464 – Community Health Practicum - 3 credits

This practicum emphasizes the use of the community-as-partner model to guide community health practice. Students will explore the various dimensions of a healthy community as they actively participate in community health practice that emphasizes assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating cost-effective, accessible care for families, groups and populations within a complex adaptive system. Students will expand their cultural competence, apply epidemiological concepts in the development of effective health policy/programs, and gain an appreciation of the ethical dilemmas inherent in the community-as-partner model of practice. Concurrent: NURS 463

MSN Courses

Courses are 8 weeks

NURS 561 - Information Technology & Data Management - 3 credits

This course explores the many uses of information technology and data management. The course provides learners with the knowledge and skills in information and healthcare technology needed to enhance communication and interprofessional collaboration in the current healthcare environment. The process of locating, accessing, and analyzing information and data is applied to advanced practice roles, enhancing patient safety, quality and outcomes, and improving population health.

NURS 563 – Evidence-Based Practice for Quality and Safety - 3 credits

This course provides learners with a theoretical and practical foundation for identifying and critically appraising evidence from qualitative and quantitative research traditions. The emphasis is on the examination of the essential elements of evidence-based-practice, including the formulation of answerable questions to address quality improvement and safety in a variety of advance practice roles and the systematic search for research evidence that can be used to answer researchable questions.

NURS 565 - Clinical Prevention for Diverse Populations - 3 credits


The focus of this course is on the development of health promotion and disease prevention programs for diverse groups and populations. Selected concepts of epidemiology, broad determinants of health, population health, clinical prevention and cultural competence will be examined as they relate to the design and delivery of equitable clinical prevention and health promotion interventions and/or services to individuals, families, communities, and aggregates clinical populations.

NURS 642A -- Healthcare Quality Improvement and Safety Management - 3 credits

This course prepares nurses as healthcare leaders to acquire the essential skills, values, and principles necessary to facilitate an environment of quality and safety in a variety of complex healthcare delivery settings. Course content focuses on creating highly-reliable organizations and the establishment of a just-culture. The course emphasizes strategies and methodologies in the application of research and evidence-based practices to strive for excellence, improve quality and increase patient safety in all aspects of healthcare. National initiatives and agencies responsible for quality outcome measures and organizational accountability will be explored.

NURS 644A -- Business of Healthcare Management - 3 credits

This course prepares nurses as healthcare leaders to acquire the skills essential to financially manage a variety of complex healthcare delivery settings. Course content focuses on the financial concepts of accounting, budgets, coding, cost allocation, reimbursement, productivity and capital expenses.

NURS 645A -- Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Healthcare - 3 credits

This course prepares nurses as healthcare leaders to apply legal, ethical, and regulatory principles in a variety of complex healthcare delivery settings. Systems theory provides a framework for examining legal and regulatory actions influencing delivery of care, patient and employee rights and responsibilities, quality management, accreditation, and patient safety and risk management. The course utilizes healthcare policy as a framework to analyze, monitor, and maintain legal, ethical and regulatory compliance.

NURS 634A - Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Practicum - 3 credits

This practicum requires students to synthesize knowledge from the didactic courses into practical applications within health organization settings. There is a required two day, on campus immersion.

Organizational Leadership Courses

Courses are 8 weeks.

ORGL 515 - Leadership and Human Potential - 3 credits

The growing emergence of the leader as an organizational change agent will be examined as well as the skills necessary for success. Topics include policy and practice within organizations; selecting, training, motivating, evaluating, and compensating employees; labor relations; and applicable legislation.

ORGL 535 - Listen, Discern, Decide - 3 credits

In this class, you will learn more in-depth concepts of Servant-leadership by learning approaches and practices of listening and discernment as a way of enhancing decision-making capacity. The course begins with a focus on interior and exterior listening. Listening and awareness techniques are then integrated with the principles and practices of discernment. The course progresses from a focus on the individual, to group, to listening and discerning and decision making in organizations and communities.

Required Elective - Choose 1 

ORGL 600 - Foundations of Leadership - 3 credits

This course is a foundation for learning and developing the practice of leadership. It includes investigating various theories of leadership and communication strategies leaders use in their practice. Students explore the self through multiple assessments and reflections, in relationship to individuals, groups and organizations. Students explore personal and relational dimensions of leadership in the context of multiple perspectives and develop a personal leadership growth plan including a personal leadership philosophy. Knowledge of the use of different types of written communication and scholarship is fostered in the Leadership discipline. The paradoxes and ambiguities of leadership are examined in various contexts.

ORGL 530 - Servant Leadership - 3 credits

This course is an examination of the foundation, principles and practice of servant-leadership. Servant-leadership is explored with an emphasis on reviewing the original writings, and on conceptualizing and articulating the philosophy through a clarification of what it is, and why Servant-leadership is relevant. Human development theories are used as theoretical frameworks for identifying criteria to assess servant-leaders and servant-organizations, and for understanding how they develop and function. Dialogue is encouraged as a way of integrating aspects of the philosophy with applied experience and gain insights into the students own leadership approach.

Program information subject to change.