MN: Generalist and
Master of Nursing: Generalist and
Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner
If you were admitted to the program in 2011 or earlier, use the previous regulations.
Note: For new MN:NP student applications (2012 or later), the new regulations below will apply.
The Master of Nursing (MN) program contains two streams: Generalist and Nurse Practitioner.
The Generalist stream prepares nurses to assume leadership positions in the health system. The program prepares nurses to discern emerging trends, anticipate future health care directions, and provide leadership in planning, implementing and evaluating nursing practice, drawing on philosophical considerations, research methods and various tools of analysis. Students may elect to complete a teaching focus.
The Nurse Practice (NP) stream prepares nurses to assume a broader role in the provision of health services to clients of all ages, as family nurse practitioners. It provides theoretical and clinical preparation for nurses whose role will focus on advanced nursing practice. Students in the NP Stream are required to write a comprehensive examination upon completion of their NP courses. RNs seeking initial NP licensure should apply to enrol in the MN: NP stream.
By the application deadline, applicants for admission to both streams in the MN program must be registered nurses who are graduates of a four year Canadian (or equivalent) baccalaureate degree program in nursing from an accredited/recognized university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) in their final 30 credits of graduate or undergraduate study.
MN:NP applicants must have obtained recently, a minimum of 4,500 verified hours of full-time equivalent work experience as a registered nurse prior to application (Statement effective July 1, 2011). Applicants without a BN or BScN are not eligible to apply to the MN:NP program.
For RNs with a degree other than a BN or BScN
For those applicants without a baccalaureate degree in nursing, the following courses (or their equivalent) must be successfully completed before admission to the MN: Generalist program:
| MATH 215 MATH 216 |
Introduction to Statistics
or Computer-oriented Approach to Statistics |
(3) |
| HLST 320 | Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals | (3) |
| NURS 324 | Concepts and Theories in Nursing Practice | (3) |
| NURS 328 | Understanding Research | (3) |
| NURS 434 | Community Health Promotion | (4) |
Both the MN: Generalist and MN: Nurse Practitioner programs are composed of 11, three-credit courses, for a total of 33 credits.
Students enrolled in the MN: Generalist stream may choose from a course-based or thesis-based route.
- Course-based route: Students complete five core courses, four curriculum courses and two elective courses. Students may elect to complete a teaching focus.
- Thesis-based route: Students complete one core course, two curriculum courses, one elective course, and four thesis-related courses.
Students enrolled in the MN: Nurse Practitioner stream must complete a course-based route consisting of two core courses and nine advanced nursing practice curriculum courses. Students who wish to undertake a thesis will be required to take four additional thesis-related courses.
Core Courses
The following courses apply to the course-based route of the MN: Generalist stream:
| NURS 608* | Philosophical Foundations of Nursing | (3) |
| NURS 609 | Historical and Contemporary Trends and Issues in Nursing | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 603 | Facilitating Inquiry | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 607 | Developing Successful Project and Program Proposals | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 611 | Dissemination Strategies (taken in final semester) | (3) |
The following core course applies to the thesis-based route:
| NURS 608* | Philosophical Foundations of Nursing | (3) |
* NURS 608 is designed to be the first course you take in the program.
Curriculum Courses
Students enrolled in the course-based route of the MN: Generalist stream must complete four of the following CNHS graduate courses. Students enrolled in the thesis-based route must complete two of these courses:
| MHST/NURS 601 | Philosophical Foundations of Health Systems | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 602 | Transforming Health Care through Informatics | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 604 | Leadership Roles in Health | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 605 | Demystifying Policy Analysis and Development | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 606 | Health Systems and Services Evaluation | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 610 | Evidence-Based Practice in Health Care | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 618 | Community Development for Health Care Leaders | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 620 | Culture and Health: Critical Perspectives | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 621 | Coaching and Leading: The Human Side of Organizational Change | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 622 | Understanding Organizations: Theory, Analysis and Application | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 623 | Clinical Teaching and Learning | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 624 | Teaching in Health Disciplines | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 695 | Independent Study | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 696 | Independent Study | (3) |
| NURS 519 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Clinical Decision Making | (3) |
| NURS 521 | Pharmacotherapeutics for Nurse Practitioners | (3) |
| NURS 614 | Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing | (3) |
Elective and Thesis Courses
Elective Courses: In addition to the core and curriculum courses, two electives are required in the course-based route. These electives may be completed prior to or concurrently with MHST/NURS 611. These elective courses may include: CNHS graduate courses, as listed in the above table of curriculum courses; other Athabasca University graduate level courses; or pre-approved graduate courses from other universities (refer to Letter of Permission to Complete a Course at Another University).
Thesis Courses: In addition to the core and curriculum courses, students enrolled in the thesis-based route must complete one elective course, two research methods courses (MHST/NURS 711 and either 712 or 713) and two courses during which the thesis will be completed (MHST/NURS 719 (3 credits) and MHST/NURS 720 (12 credits).
| MHST/NURS 711 | Advanced Methods for Health Research and |
(3) |
| MHST/NURS 712 | Advanced Qualitative Methods for Health Research or |
(3) |
| MHST/NURS 713 | Advanced Quantitative Methods for Health Research | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 719 | Thesis I: Proposal Development | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 720 | Thesis II: Conducting, Writing, and Dissemination of Research | (12) |
Students in the course-based route may elect to complete a teaching focus. The teaching focus includes: five core courses as described above, three teaching focus courses (MHST/NURS 623, MHST/NURS 624, and one graduate level teaching/educational theory course from another Centre within Athabasca University or another university), two of the curriculum courses listed above, and one elective course as described above.
| Course-based Teaching Focus |
|---|
| 5 core courses |
| 3 teaching courses |
| 2 curricular courses |
| 1 elective course |
| Total: 11 |
MN Courses: Nurse Practitioner Stream
All courses in the NP stream except NURS 518 are offered in each semester (Fall, Winter, and Spring). NURS 518 is offered in Winter and Spring Session.
Core Courses
The following core courses apply to the MN: Nurse Practitioner stream:
| NURS 608 | Philosophical Foundations of Nursing | (3) |
| MHST/NURS 603 | Facilitating Inquiry | (3) |
Curriculum Courses
The following nine curriculum courses must be completed in the MN: Nurse Practitioner stream. Students are required to attend a one week on-site component in NURS 518 at their own expense.
| NURS 614 | Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing | (3) |
| NURS 518 | Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioners | (3) |
| NURS 519 | Advanced Pathophysiology for Clinical Decision Making | (3) |
| NURS 521 | Pharmacotherapeutics for Nurse Prescribers | (3) |
| NURS 522 | NP: Women and Men's Health | (3) |
| NURS 524 | NP: Children's Health | (3) |
| NURS 526 | NP: Adult Health | (3) |
| NURS 528 | NP: Older Adult Health | (3) |
| NURS 530 | NP: Practice Consolidation | (3) |
Elective and Thesis Courses
There are no elective or thesis courses included in the MN: Nurse Practitioner stream. Students who wish to undertake a thesis as part of the MN: Nurse Practitioner stream will be required to take four additional thesis-related courses, as described for the MN: Generalist stream.
Information effective September 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015.
Updated September 21, 2015
