The two-year, in-person, full-time MSN-E program is designed to position nurses to grow in their careers.
The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) will launch its new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Entry-into-Nursing (MSN-E) program next spring. The two-year, in-person, full-time MSN-E program is designed for those with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing who are interested in changing patient care, improving patient outcomes, and leading health care teams, and it will position nurses to grow in their careers. It will also teach students how to engage in self-care practices, incorporating self-reflection and feedback from others, to promote personal and professional resilience and well-being.
The new program responds to alumni and student feedback to provide a more flexible curriculum while aligning it with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education, which provides a framework for nursing education using a competency-based approach. As part of UMSON’s ongoing effort to overhaul curricula at both the baccalaureate and advanced levels to align with AACN’s Essentials, the new MSN-E program will focus on competency-based education (CBE), a student-centered approach that focuses on demonstrating knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Nursing graduates with the competencies outlined in the Essentials will be well prepared to take the Next Generation NCLEX, the newest version of the National Council Licensure Examination, which is designed to assess clinical judgment in nursing licensure candidates, measuring future nurses’ ability to think critically about how to care for patients. CBE effectively develops critical-thinking and judgment skills in graduates, enhancing their chances of passing the licensing exam and thriving in their nursing careers.
This fall is the final semester in which UMSON admitted students to its nearly 20-year-old MSN Clinical Nurse Leader option; as of spring 2024, UMSON will no longer offer it to incoming students and will offer the MSN-E program instead.