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Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Overview
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The Department of Nursing offers programs leading to the Master of Science (MS) in Adult-Gerontological Health Nursing. The MS degree programs have two options: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Nurse Practitioner (NP). Students in the two degree programs take many of the same courses but focus their course assignments, competency development and clinical hours on the role of choice— as clinical nurse specialists to work with the adult and gerontological populations within the spheres of direct care, nursing personnel, and organizations/networks or as primary care nurse practitioners to work with the adult and gerontological populations to promote health, prevent disease, and manage the care of individuals, their families, and communities.
These programs are designed to meet health care workforce needs and to provide opportunities for graduate-level education. The program requirements are consistent with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) competencies published by the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, the Nurse Practitioner (NP) competencies published by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Competencies and Adult-Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Nurses who successfully complete the programs are prepared to meet the needs of culturally diverse individuals, families, and communities and will have a competitive edge in the changing environment of health care.
Restructuring of health organizations has created new roles for nurses, especially those with master’s-level preparation.
Graduates of the Master’s programs, both teh Clinical Nurse Specialist and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner roles, are eligible for certification as specialists in adult-gerontological health nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and other certifications offered by ANCC and nursing specialty organizations. Graduates of the CNS option are also eligible for certification through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) for the ACCNS-AG certification. Graduates of the CNS and NP option are also eligible for licensing and/or certification from New York State Education Department-Office of the Professions.
All advanced practice nurse programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Phone: 404.975.5000, Fax: 404.975.5020, Email: info@acenursing.org, Web: www.acenursing.org
The Clinical Nurse Specialist program has been approved by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
All advanced practice nurse programs have pending approval from the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA).
Requirements for Progression and Retention
Students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) to be retained and to progress.
Progression: Students must achieve a grade of B in all graduate courses in order to progress. Students must provide verification of three years full-time appropriate clinical experience as a registered nurse in order to progress to the clinical courses.
Grades: For a grade lower than a B, the course must be repeated within one year. Students who do not obtain a passing grade in one course may repeat the course only once. Progression in the program cannot occur until the course is repeated successfully. Courses cannot be repeated more than once. Only one course can be repeated throughout the curriculum.
Withdrawals: No more than two (2) withdrawals are permitted throughout the curriculum. When a second withdrawal is requested, permission must be obtained from the Department Chair by requesting permission for the second withdrawal in writing. Permission may be granted based upon previous academic performance, circumstances, and adequacy of the individual’s plan for success.
Academic Probation: Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation, please see policy in Graduate Catalog and the Academic Policy of the College. Improvement of the GPA may require additional coursework. Students on academic probation are not permitted to progress to the clinical courses.
Dismissal: If the student fails any one of the core (BIO 670, BIO/NRS 682, NRS 702) or role specialization courses (i.e. NRS 720, NRS 721, NRS 722, NRS 723, NRS 735, NRS 736, NRS 737) the student will be dismissed from the program.
Health Documentation
Students taking NRS 721, NRS 722, NRS 727, and NRS 728 must present the following on the first clinical day: a completed copy of the College Health Record that includes annual physical examination, required immunizations, proof of measles and varicella vaccination or a positive titer, PPD test, and drug screen (urine) result. Hepatitis B immunization is highly recommended.
Professional Documentation
Students taking NS 721, and NRS 723 must present the following on the first clinical day: copy of current RN license; copy of malpractice insurance face-sheet showing dates and coverage. Students taking NRS 727, and NRS 728 must present the following on the first clinical day: copy of current RN license; copy of malpractice insurance for NP students with face-sheet showing dates and coverage.
Advisement
Each student admitted to the program will be provided academic guidance and career support. The program coordinator will monitor and evaluate each student’s progress and recommend appropriate counseling and/or academic support services. The faculty members assigned to coordinate clinical role practica will collaborate with agency preceptors to guide students’ progress in clinical settings.
Policy on Transfer Credits
Students may transfer a maximum of nine (9) credits out of the 42 credit total for the Master of Science in Adult-Gerontological Health from an accredited U.S. graduate program which will be applied as follows:
Six (6) credits may be applied towards the two elective requirement with a grade of B or better
Three (3) credits to satisfy one (1) of the following Graduate Nursing Core courses with a grade of B or better:
NRS 701 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing,
NRS 705 Health Organizations, Policy, Finance, and Ethics,
NRS 706 Applied Statistical Thinking and methods in Health Research,
NRS 730 Evidence-Based Nursing for Advanced Practice
Students must complete all remaining nursing or biology coursework through the College of Staten Island-City University of New York as follows:
Graduate Core (Remaining Graduate Core plus)
NRS 700 Transcultural Concepts and Issues in Health Care
NRS 701 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Practice Nursing,
NRS 705 Health Organizations, Policy, Finance, and Ethics,
NRS 706 Applied Statistical Thinking and methods in Health Research,
NRS 730 Evidence-Based Nursing for Advanced Practice
Advanced Practice Core (9 credits)
BIO 670 Pathophysiological Concepts in Health and Illness
NRS/BIO 682 Advanced Pharmacology
NRS 702 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning
Specialty (CNS Role) (12 credits)
NRS 720 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Community Settings
NRS 721 Role Practicum: Adults in Community Settings
NRS 722 Advanced Practice Nursing with Adults in Acute Care Settings
NRS 723 Role Practicum: Adults in Acute Care Settings
A minimum of 500 hours of supervised practice.
OR
Specialty (NP Role) (12 credits)
NRS 735 Primary Health Care I 4 credits
NRS 736 Primary Health Care II 4 credits
NRS 737 Primary Health Care III 4 credits
AND
A minimum of 600 hours of supervised practice.
Requirements
Admission Requirements
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Nursing from an accredited school or a bachelor’s degree in another field, three years of appropriate full-time clinical experience in nursing as determined by the graduate nursing faculty, and completion of required nursing, science, and mathematics courses. A TOEFL score of 550 or higher is required for all students for whom English is a second language.
Applications will be evaluated on an individual basis when all official transcripts and supporting documents have been received. Application deadlines are as follows: October 15th for spring admission. Applicants will be notified by mail regarding their acceptance. Enrollment with matriculated status is contingent upon satisfaction of admission criteria
International Educated Nurse Admission Guidelines
The College of Staten Island (CSI) School of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing welcomes international education nurse (IEN) applicants for the Masters of Science, Post-Masters Advanced Certificate, and Doctorate of Nursing Practice Adult-Gerontological Health programs for either the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PCNP) roles. IENs need to submit the regular graduate application plus meet the following additional requirements as set forth by the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (NYSED-OP) and CSI-CUNY:
English Language Testing
English proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants who have completed a post-secondary university degree in a non-English speaking country must submit either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing (IETLS) scores. These scores must be recent (within the previous two years). Please submit the scores to the Graduate Admissions Office at CSI-CUNY. Information on these tests can found at www.toefl.org or www.ietls.org. Graduate and clinical doctorate nursing student IEN applicants must meet minimum standards on the TOEFL or IETLS as follows:
TOEFL: paper (PBT) score > 550 (total score ranges from 310-677); internet (iBT) score > 79 (total score ranges from 0-120) with a speaking (iBT) score > 25 (total score 0-30)
IETLS: academic exam score of 6.57 overall (total score ranges from 1-9)
Students who have completed a post-secondary university degree in an English speaking country are exempt from the English proficiency requirement. The following list is an example of some countries that are waived:
Antigua & Barbados
Australia
Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada (except Quebec)
Cayman Islands
China (Hong Kong Public Universities only)
Dominica
Fiji
Grenada
Ireland
Jamaica
Liberia
Malawi
New Zealand
Singapore
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
United Kingdom
USA
Academic Credentials Evaluation
All IEN student applicants should have transcripts evaluated from all post-secondary programs attended. All original/official transcripts are to be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office according to CUNY guidelines for assessment of grade point average GPA based on the American 4.0 system.
Nursing Credential and License
All IEN applicants to our graduate and clinical doctorate programs in nursing must have a Registered Nurse (RN) license from a US state (no territories) at the time of application submission. If offered admission you must obtain a RN license from New York before enrollment in any classes. Consult with the New York State Board of Nursing through http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/ and with the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools through http://www.cgfns.org/ for information on how to obtain your RN license in NYS. If you received your RN nursing education and license overseas it may take one to two years for review and testing (English language testing and NCLEX-RN examination) prior to entering the graduate or clinical doctorate in nursing programs.
Currently in New York State all IEN’s who wish to practice nursing and who wish to continue their academic studies in a nursing college, school or university must follow NYSED-OP guidelines for securing a New York RN license:
CGFNS International (formerly the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) must be contacted to verify your nursing education and license credentials according to NYSED-OP. You are to arrange to verify the authenticity of your foreign nursing credentials using CGFNS’s Credential Verification Service for New York State http://www.cgfns.org/services/credential-verification-service-for-ny-state/ . If you are licensed as a nurse in another country you must also request that CGFNS verify your foreign nursing license. You must contact CGFNS directly in order to sign up and pay for the credential verification services. After you sign-up and pay for CGFNS’s services they will send a report regarding your foreign education credentials directly to NYSED-OP. The main website for CGFN is http://www.cgfns.org/ . They provide comprehensive evaluation of credentials, documented English proficiency, and success on the NCLEX-RN exam through successful passing of the CGFNS exam, a predictor of passing the NCLEX-RN exam. Take note that it can take one-year or longer to receive your credentials verification providing you with an “Authorization to Test (ATT)” to then take the NCLEX-RN examination for your NYS license so plan accordingly.
Applicants educated outside the United States may opt to have their transcripts evaluated by the College of Staten Island or to have them evaluated by one of the evaluation services listed below:
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.: www.ece.org/
Evaluation Service, Inc.: www.evaluationservice.net/
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Consultants: www.jsilny.org/
Transcript Research: www.transcriptresearch.com/
Admission Deadlines
All application materials for the Master of Science and Post-Master Advanced Certificate programs must be received by October 15th for spring admission. All application materials for the Doctor of Nursing Practice programs must be received December 1st for fall admission. Please contact the Graduate Studies Admissions office for further details or changes in the admission dates at: www.csi.cuny.edu/graduatestudies.
Clinical Practice Requirements
All applicants (IEN and US educated nursing [USEN] students) to the graduate and clinical doctorate programs in nursing must have a minimum of one year full-time clinical nursing experience as a registered nurse in an appropriate clinical setting working with the adult and gerontological population prior to initiating the application; the experience must be within three years of application. In addition by the time the student is ready to commence the clinical coursework, a total of three years full-time clinical nursing experience is required and must be verified by the applicants employer in writing. For the IEN student a minimum of one of the three years’ experience must be in a US based facility and must be verified in writing by the employer. This requirement is to provide a basic understanding of quality and safety, patient-centered care, teamwork, cultural competence, and collaborative practice standards unique to the US healthcare system.
Interviews
The graduate and clinical doctorate nursing programs admission committee’s reserve the right to interview any applicant to the graduate or clinical doctorate programs in nursing at the College of Staten Island. Telephone or web-based (Skype or Face-Time) formats may be used. If an interview is requested the Graduate Admissions Office will contact the applicant.
Matriculated Status
Admission requirements for fully matriculated graduate status:
Official transcript(s) documenting a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in the nursing courses.
Evidence of successful completion of undergraduate courses (or comparable learning experiences approved by the Graduate Admissions Committee) in nursing research, statistics, and health assessment/physical examination; community health nursing, leadership and management in nursing, general chemistry, and pharmacotherapeutics.
Two recommendation letters supporting the applicant’s potential for completing graduate studies; one must be from a current nursing supervisor or recent professor who can speak to clinical performance.
Personal Statement:
Instructions: All master’s degree applicants must answer questions below. Your personal statement should be 300 words, 2 to 4 pages in length total, double-spaced with one-inch margins, in 12 point font.
We want to know more about you – your life and goals, your challenges and strengths, and the clinical path that you have chosen that has lead you to this point in your career. Imagine that you are writing your autobiography and you are describing your greatest nursing career achievement.
Share specific experiences from your nursing career where your leadership efforts and caring intentions fostered the success of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Describe why you want to advance your career by becoming one of the following advanced practice nurses: clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner. Include a discussion of whether your interests lie in the wellness to acute care continuum or in the primary care realm.
Current RN license to practice in New York State
Non-Matriculated Status
Applicants with exceptional qualifications, but who do not meet all the admission requirements, may be granted admission with non-matriculated graduate status at the discretion of the Graduate Nursing Admissions Committee
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A minimum of 500 hours of supervised practice.
A minimum of 500 hours of supervised practice.