Nursing

Doctor of Nursing Science, DNS
WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Care Management and Leadership Programs, MSN
Nursing International Physicians Program

Doctor of Nursing Science, DNS

Contact: Tommie Nelms, RN, Ph.D., Program Director
Office: Prillaman Hall, Room 3017
Phone: 678-797-2088
Fax: 770-423-6627
Email: tnelms1@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.kennesaw.edu/col_hhs/schoolofnursing/DNS/

The Doctorate of Nursing Science (DNS) is a research-focused applied doctorate and graduates are prepared as scholars with inquiry skills of a researcher, and the leadership skills necessary to influence health processes, outcomes, and policy.

DNS graduates are expected to engage in a variety of career options such as: faculty in schools or colleges of nursing, directors and investigators in nursing-related evaluation programs, leaders in health care delivery settings, and leaders in development of effective health care systems.

Upon successful completion of the DNS program, graduates will be able to:

Synthesize knowledge of the theoretical foundations of nursing and related fields;
Integrate acquired knowledge into a philosophical and intellectual frame of reference that can be applied to nursing education and practice-based solutions to health and health care problems;
Advance the body of nursing knowledge by identifying gaps in the knowledge base of practice, conducting applied research and evaluation of nursing interventions and health care outcomes, and disseminating evidence-based solutions to problems within health care.;
Demonstrate leadership, analytical, and collaborative strategies in the development and implementation of population-based health care models and health care responses to health disparities locally and globally;
Demonstrate leadership, analytical, and collaborative strategies in the development and implementation of innovative and outcome focused nursing curriculum models incorporating nursing, philosophy, and education theories to facilitate student learning and success.

General Requirements for Admission to the DNS Program

DNS admission requires:

Official transcripts of all previous college work, graduate and undergraduate;
Master’s degree with a major in nursing from a nationally accredited institution;
Official GRE scores of 500 Verbal, 500 Quantitative, and 3.5 (minimum) analytic writing (or the equivalent on the newly normed version). GRE scores will be considered from applicants whose scores are more than 5 years old (GRE reporting limit), who can produce “official documentation” of their scores;
A current license to practice professional nursing in the United States. (Nursing credentials of international students will be assessed individually);
A course in statistics;
A course in research at the graduate level;
Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can address the applicant’s abilities to do doctoral level work (hold a doctoral degree or equivalent);
A curriculum vitae or resume;
A written statement of personal and professional interests and goals related to nursing doctoral study (1-2 pages in length);
Personal interview with program faculty.
Two professional letters of reference.

Transfer Credit

If accepted into the program, up to 15 post-master’s graduate semester hours of comparable transfer credit for the DNS may be accepted toward completion of the requirements. Transfer credit will not be accepted for the core course requirements that are central to the program’s distinctive focus. Consequently, transfer credit considerations are typically restricted to elective courses and possibly statistics courses. Decisions about the acceptability of transfer credit will be made on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the doctoral advisor and director of the doctoral program.

WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and the Advanced Care Management and Leadership Programs, MSN

Contact: Marilyn King, Program Director
Office: Prillaman Hall 3035
Phone: (770) 423-6172
Fax: (770) 423-6627
Email: mking71@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.kennesaw.edu/col_hhs/schoolofnursing/Masters/index.htm

The WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program and the Advanced Care Management and Leadership Program are advanced degree programs that build on the background of experienced registered nurses to prepare them to function as advanced caregivers in a variety of leadership roles in the emerging world of collaborative health care.

Housed in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services, the MSN programs maintain close community ties with a variety of health care agencies and providers.

General Requirements for Admission to the MSN Programs

MSN admission requires:

Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited institution with a satisfactory GPA of at least 3.0.
Professional Experience:
1. WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program (Family Nurse Practitioner) requires a minimum of three years full-time professional experience as a registered nurse as documented in a professional résumé. This experience must have occurred within the last five years and have involved direct patient care. Preference will be given to those candidates with a greater amount of professional experience.
2. Advanced Care Management and Leadership Program (Nursing Education Leadership, and Nursing Administration/Health Policy) requires a minimum of one year full-time experience as a registered nurse as documented in a professional resume. Experience must have occurred in the last five years and have involved direct patient care. Preference will be given to those candidates with a greater amount of experience.
Current RN licensure in the state of Georgia.
The GRE is required of all applicants to the MSN program.
A formal statement of personal goals for the program not to exceed one typed page.
An undergraduate physical assessment course.
An undergraduate research course.
An undergraduate statistics course.

International applicants have additional requirements. See Graduate Admission section of this catalog.

Admission decisions are based on overall evaluation of all these elements.

Transfer Credit

Up to 15 quarter hours or nine semester hours of graduate work from other accredited institutions may be transferred. This work must correspond to the Kennesaw State University MSN curriculum. Decisions regarding this transfer will be made by the program director. The credit to be considered for transfer will not be more than five years old at the time the student enters.

Course Repeat Policy

A student may repeat any individual course in the MSN curriculum only once. Earning a grade of less than ”B” in a course the second time it is taken will result in being dropped from the program.

Grades

Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in every course in order to progress in the program.

Petition to Graduate

MSN candidates must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to the semester in which they complete their degree requirements. Petition to graduate forms are available in the program director’s office.

Nursing International Physicians Program

The International MD to Nurse Practitioner admission option allows physicians who graduated from international medical schools with the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree in medicine from an accredited university to complete the BSN requirements in the accelerated program sequence. In the fifth semester of the program students simultaneously begin non-clinical master’s level courses in the WellStar Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Upon graduation with the BSN, passing the NCLEX, receiving licensure as a registered nurse in Georgia, and fulfilling all MSN admission criteria students are fully admitted to the MSN program and complete the clinical courses in the nurse practitioner program. Graduation from the MSN Program allows the student to sit for national certification as a family nurse practitioner. Successful completion of this and other licensure requirements of the Georgia Board of Nursing result in licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. This accelerated track requires intensive study and time commitment. The program can be completed in as few as 8 semesters or 26 months. The program is a combination of two established nursing programs, Accelerated BSN and MSN Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. Further information about both of those programs can be found in the catalog.

General Requirements for Admission to the Foreign Trained Physicians Program

Completed and signed undergraduate application for admission to the university with payment of applicable application fees.
Documentation of completion of a professional degree in medicine as demonstrated by submission of an original transcript along with transcript evaluation by an authorized transcript evaluation service. The degree must be determined to be equivalent to a US Baccalaureate degree in medicine from a regionally accredited university.
Must meet the minimum score required for admission on the TOEFL or IELTS test.
1. Completion of ENGL 1101 and 1102 at a US institution can satisfy this requirement.
Applicants who are not US citizens must meet all international student admission requirements. (Prior to sitting for the NCLEX exam students must be US Citizens, permanent residents, or have proof of valid immigration documents.)
Submission of a formal statement of personal goals for the program not to exceed one type-written page.
Successful interview with faculty and director.
Must meet all published application deadlines.

NOTE: Admission to Kennesaw State University is not a substitute for admission to the WellStar School of Nursing (WSON). WSON admission is an additional process.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements for International MD Applicants

Must meet all Nursing Program Admission Requirements.
Must have a grade of C or better in all BSN Prerequisite Courses.
Must meet all published application deadlines.

Full Admission to the MSN Program requires the following:

Complete BSN requirements and graduate with the BSN with at least a 3.0 GPA.
Successfully complete the NCLEX and obtain licensure as a registered nurse in Georgia.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required of all applicants to the MSN program. GRE scores older than 5 years (GRE reporting limit) will be considered provided the applicant can produce “official documentation” of their scores. MSN-I students must take the GRE prior to beginning MSN courses (4th semester for full-time students).
Undergraduate research course. *
Undergraduate statistics course. *
Two professional letters of reference.

NOTE: Applicants must be aware that the state examining board has the right to refuse to grant a registered nurse license to any individual regardless of educational credentials under circumstances of (1) falsification of application for licensure, (2) conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude; other moral and legal violations specified in the Georgia law.

*Students who have completed the equivalent of an undergraduate statistics course and a capstone research project in medical school may receive credit for NURS 4402 Nursing Research (undergraduate nursing research). Students who produce evidence of a data-based capstone research project may receive up to 4 hours credit for NURS 7746 Research I and NURS 8854 Research II (graduate nursing research). A data-based capstone research project is one in which data were collected from a sample population and data analysis was conducted.

At the Graduate Admissions Web Site complete information and online forms for graduate admissions can be found. http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/

Premium Pricing

The Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program is premium priced. Upon full admission the MSN program, tuition will include the premium price fee. The premium price fee will be added to tuition in the 5th through 8th semester.

Regents’ Policies Governing the Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes

Aliens shall be classified as out-of-state students; provided, however, that an alien who is living in this country under an immigration document permitting indefinite or permanent residence shall have the same privilege of qualifying for in-state tuition as a citizen of the United States.

Nursing Student Progression, Retention and Dismissal Policies and WellStar School of Nursing policies:

It is the student’s responsibility to review and be aware of all Kennesaw State University and WellStar School of Nursing requirements.

Students who do not make a passing grade in a nursing course or who withdraw from the nursing program are not guaranteed re-entry at the next course offering and may only re-enter the program on a space-available basis.

Students who are dismissed from either the undergraduate or graduate nursing program may not be re-admitted to the WellStar School of Nursing.

All policies can be found at:

http://www.kennesaw.edu/chhs/schoolofnursing/

http://www.kennesaw.eduacademicaffairs/acadpubs/acdpub/ucat2007-08/o.health hs(133-148).pdf

http://www.kennesaw.edu/chhs/schoolofnursing/Handbooks/studenthandbook/index/htm

http://wwwkennesaw.edu/prospective/g/catalog.shtml

Prerequisite Requirements

BIOL 2221/lab: Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab

BIOL 2222/lab: Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab

BIOL 2261: Fundamental Microbiology with Lab

CHEM 1151/lab: Fundamentals of Chemistry & Lab

CHEM 1152/lab: Organic-Biochemistry & Lab

MATH 1107: Elementary Statistics

SOCI 2201 or SOCI 2105: General Sociology

PSYC 3305: Life Span Developmental Psychology

Application Deadline: March 1st for Summer Admission

Admission decisions are based on a COMPETITIVE process of evaluation of all admission materials. Due to undergraduate and graduate nursing program space constraints, admissions to this track will be determined each year based on the numbers of graduates or other attrition. Only applicants with completed application packets and those who exhibit the strongest qualities important to nursing will be considered in final admission decisions. Longevity at Kennesaw State University may also be considered. Applicants will be notified by April 15th of their WellStar School of Nursing admission status.