Meet the need for forward-thinking nursing leaders with an RN to MSN.

We’re building nursing industry leaders with our RN to MSN Nursing Administration and Management specialization. The master’s degree program in nursing at Aspen University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Today’s nurses perform increasingly complex roles, requiring advanced knowledge and specialized capabilities. Nurse Executive. Health Coordinator. Nurse Manager—Aspen prepares registered nurses for all kinds of advanced leadership roles.

This specialization equips students with:

  • Practical knowledge of legal, ethical, and cultural issues in healthcare
  • Contemporary management theory and application
  • A focus on hospital management, accounting, and other economic topics
  • Preparation to work in administrative as well as clinical settings
  • Understanding nursing theory and specialized skills
  • Interprofessional practice in today’s complex healthcare environment

Aspen MSN (Nursing Administration and Leadership) graduates can:

  • Create budgets, approve spending, and manage overall finances
  • Control health care quality and safety
  • Perform strategic planning, fiscal management, and evaluation of outcomes
  • Motivate and manage nursing staff and assistant administrators
  • Respond to challenges and trends to lead healthcare innovations
  • Focus on the responsible use of resources
  • Incorporate contemporary technology, practice, and ethics into patient care
  • Transform communities with evidence-based, outcome-oriented leadership
  • Engage in scholarly activities to support nursing innovations
  • Consult and collaborate with teams and direct health care systems

Is this program for me?

If you are an RN who does not yet have a BSN – and need an accredited, adaptable, and affordable online MSN program – then this program is for you!

What is the Capstone Project?

This degree program requires the successful completion of a capstone project. It provides you the opportunity to demonstrate your competency and commitment to ultimately improving health outcomes. Be proud of your Capstone and show off your knowledge!

Practicum courses are performed within a clinical practice or academic setting allowing students to apply concepts under the direct supervision of a Preceptor.

Other RN-MSN Specializations

View the MSN Handbook

For more information about the program, see the Academic Catalog.

Admission Requirements

  • Application – A completed application.
  • Associate Degree in Nursing – Official transcript demonstrating an associate degree in nursing (ADN or ASN) or diploma in nursing, from an institution that is accredited by a CHEA recognized accrediting body or an international equivalent, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater.
  • Registered Nurse Licensure – Current, unrestricted licensure as a registered nurse in the United States, a US territory, or Canada. Registered nurses licensed outside of these areas are not eligible.
  • Nursing Experience – A minimum of one year of nursing experience completed within the past five years.
  • Liberal Arts Courses – Completion of 30 semester credit hours of liberal arts education coursework. Students who are short liberal arts credits may take liberal arts courses while enrolled in the program. All required liberal arts courses must be completed prior to registering for the bridge proctored exam.
  • Military Documentation (Optional) – A copy of the most recent orders; or a copy of DD214 (This can be requested from the National Archives.)

Courses:

    Issues and Trends in Professional Nursing analyzes the impact of economic, demographic and technological forces on health care delivery, and the concerns relating to ethical, legal, and social issues that influence nursing practice. A historical background gives perspective to current nursing problems, and future trends are considered in terms of their impact on roles and practice. Issues impacting professional nursing are examined within a framework set forth by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) five core competencies on quality and healthcare. The potential transformation of nursing practice in response to societal changes will be explored as well as the new opportunities these challenges have for career development.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Concepts and Theories in Nursing provides an introduction to theory and reasoning in nursing. The significance of theory for nursing as a profession is explored, thus providing students with a foundation for professional nursing practice and research. This course provides an overview of theory, theory development, important nursing theories and nursing theorists, as well as a method for critiquing theory. Students are guided to develop a foundation of reasoning skills that are necessary to integrate the components of knowledge, skills, values, meanings, and experiences into nursing practice.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    N492 Community Health Nursing I provides a solid foundation in community and public health nursing concepts and interventions for individuals, families, and communities. Various roles of the nurse are explored in relation to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention with target populations across the lifespan. The impact of political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural concerns on the health of populations is examined. Health promotion and disease prevention concepts are integrated into the multifaceted role of population-focused, community-oriented nursing practice. It is anticipated that at least 30 field experience hours will be required to complete the health promotion project. This course requires 30 hours of field experience. This course must be completed successfully before beginning N493. **Note: Field experience hours must be documented and approved appropriately prior to course completion to successfully pass the course.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    N493 Community Health Nursing II builds upon the foundation provided in N492 Community Health Nursing I. From a theoretical and scientific framework, the concepts of epidemiology and disease transmission, comprehensive assessment of risk factors and health problems, program planning and intervention, environmental health, and collaboration with the interdisciplinary team are explored. The clinical component focuses on developing and evaluating health promotion programs, family assessment, community assessment, and community-based home care within the context of the community. The nursing process is applied with the goal of promoting and preserving the health of populations. This course requires 80 hours of field experience.**Note: Field experience hours must be documented and approved appropriately prior to course completion to successfully pass the course.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Essentials of Nursing Research introduces the steps of the research process and the role of research in the practice of professional nursing. The methods and analytical tools required to critically evaluate nursing research literature are emphasized. Quantitative and qualitative approaches are highlighted. The focus of this course is on accessing and analyzing current nursing research literature to enable the professional nurse to apply research to current practice and issues. The skills of using technology to locate research information are developed, and the essential role of databases is explored. An understanding of ethical research practices is explored. This course prepares students to be critical consumers of evidence based research, and serves as a foundation for graduate-level nursing research courses.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    Health Assessment focuses on the complete health assessment, the nursing process, and its relationship to the prevention and early detection of disease in diverse patients across the life span. The process of health assessment is introduced, including: interviewing, history-taking, and physical assessment. Health assessment occurs within the context of the family and community and incorporates cultural and developmental variations and needs of the patient. Normal findings and cultural and age variations are emphasized. Incorporated throughout the course is the importance of communication and collaboration with patients and health care professionals. This course prepares the professional nurse to apply the concepts, knowledge and skills necessary to complete a health assessment for patients in all age groups, emphasizing the major elements, sequence and methodology of health assessment. This course also serves as a foundation for a graduate-level health assessment course.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    N496 Nursing Leadership and Management provides broad and comprehensive coverage of leadership and management theories and processes that are critical to the creation of a work environment that is efficient, cost-effective, and committed to quality nursing care. The emphasis is on understanding the key skills employed by highly successful nurse leaders/managers such as critical thinking, effective communication, conflict resolution, successful delegation, team building, controlling resources, quality improvement, stress management, utilization of information technology, and leading change. Students are engaged with opportunities to participate in learning activities that integrate knowledge about the activities, roles, and responsibilities of nurse managers/leaders and enable students to practice conceptual, technical, and interpersonal management and leadership skills. This course prepares the student for an entry position into the professional nurse manager role and serves as a foundation for graduate-level leadership and management courses. It is anticipated that at least 10 field experience hours are included in this course.This course requires 10 hours of field experience. This course satisfies the proctored exam requirement for this program.**Note: Field experience hours must be documented and approved appropriately prior to course completion to successfully pass the course.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course introduces students to the historical development, structure, operation, and current and future directions of the major components of the American health care delivery system. It reviews the historical evolution of the health care system's features and examines the ways in which health care services are organized and delivered, the influences that affect health care public policy decisions, factors that determine priorities for the allocation of health care resources, and the relationship of health care costs to measurable benefits. The course enables students to assess the role of organized efforts to influence health policy formulation, and the contributions of medical technology, research findings, and societal values on our evolving health care delivery system.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course contains both theoretical content as well as an examination of processes involved in human behaviors in the healthcare organizational setting. Students will become more aware of the dynamics of group processes and acquire skills (i.e., motivation and leadership skills, conflict management, negotiation skills, etc.) to improve their group performance. This course examines (1) individual behaviors, (2) leadership, and (3) intrapersonal and interpersonal issues. Specific areas included in this course are diversity, perceptions and attitudes, communications, decision-making, power, leadership, motivation, stress and conflict management. Additionally, we will discuss strategies for facilitating learning experiences in a multicultural environment.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course provides an in-depth study of cultural diversity, delineating ethnocultural congruent health-care practices in a pluralistic society. Assessment, planning, and interventions for health promotion and maintenance, illness and disease prevention, health restoration, and health policy are explored. The course examines the meanings of health and illness across ethnocultural groups and communities.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course focuses on the legal and ethical rights, responsibilities, and obligations of the practicing nurse in a changing health environment. It is intended to provide graduate nursing students with the theory, knowledge and application necessary to deal with pressing legal and ethical issues in nursing practice. Learners will develop a framework for working through increasingly complex legal and ethical issues that affect nurses. This framework and broadened perspective will help practitioners recognize and respond to dilemmas within diverse health care settings and nursing roles. This course will provide an overview of regulatory action and the legislative and judicial processes, enabling learners to become familiar with changes affecting the health care system such as patient rights, technological advances, and managed care. Within an ethical framework, ethical and professional issues affecting the individual, the practice of professional nursing, and the profession will be explored.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course covers the history of healthcare informatics, current issues, basic informatics concepts, and health information management applications. Health informatics is the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in health care settings. Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems. This course focuses on the application of health care informatics from a nursing perspective. Based on the Foundation of Knowledge model, this course demonstrates how nursing and healthcare informatics relate to knowledge acquisition, knowledge processing, knowledge generation, knowledge dissemination, and feedback, all of which build the science of nursing.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This course will build on previous informatics knowledge to apply problem-solving skills to complex nursing informatics problems. Healthcare organizations face many issues that will be covered in this course including interoperability, integration, health information exchange, and electronic health records. Applying successful solutions through the lens of quality, meaningful use, education, public health and evidence-based practice will be emphasized. 

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course will help nurse managers to understand and implement processes for management of financial issues in health care. Finance is a complicated and frequently confusing part of providing healthcare in the United States. Regulatory bodies, multiple payer sources, and complicated reimbursement schedules are just of few of the things that contribute to the state of healthcare finance in the 21st century. This course will introduce the concepts of reimbursement based on meeting the needs of the client rather than meeting the bottom line. Budgetary considerations, cash flow, cost to benefit analysis, and salaries are discussed in a forthright and comprehensive manner. Understanding how clients view healthcare and then understanding the role of healthcare payment will assist nursing leaders to make quality decisions that will benefit the patient and the facility. This course will assist the nurse manager to implement financial considerations into quality patient care.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course provides in-depth coverage of strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing the strategic momentum. This course demonstrates how strategic managers can become strategic thinkers with the crucial skills to evaluate the changing environment, analyze data, question assumptions, and develop new ideas. Students will be introduced to methods to develop and document a plan of action through strategic planning and illustrate how, as managers attempt to carry out the strategic plan, they evaluate its success, learn more about what works, and incorporate new strategic thinking into future planning. Diverse strategic situations will be presented in case study format, which enhances the applicability of the concepts.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course in theory and research for advanced nursing practice is designed to develop and refine the knowledge and skills necessary to critique theory and research from nursing and related fields. The focus of this course is on the examination of the research process with applicability to advanced nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on the critique, evaluation, and utilization of nursing and related research that applies to advanced nursing practice and a comprehensive approach to care. Ethical and technological aspects of scholarly inquiry are explored. This course supports the development of the research design, theoretical framework, methods of analysis, and creating an abstract for the capstone project proposal.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This practicum experience focuses on the analysis, synthesis, and application of principles and theories related to nursing administration and leadership. It is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to integrate theory in a context of the nurse executive’s role. During the precepted practicum experience, students observe, analyze, and participate in the role of the nurse executive in a designated health care delivery system. Experiences are designed and arranged by the student and approved by the faculty to provide executive level exposure to nursing administration operations and local business health policies and procedures. Within the asynchronous classroom environment, students will explore concepts pertinent to enactment the nurse executive role, with an emphasis on application of leadership/management theory, effective supervision, problem solving, organizational theory and structure, personnel and operations management, and communication. This course requires 40 hours of practicum experience. This course must be completed successfully before beginning N586AM.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    This graduate-level course focuses on the Administration and Management specialist role through the application of theoretical concepts and strategies for a selected audience and the implementation of a quality improvement project in a health-related setting. Emphasis is on effective communication and sensitivity to the varying needs of the audience. The Administration and Management specialist role will be analyzed and applied in collaboration with a master’s prepared nurse preceptor with experience in this specialty. Evidence-based strategies will be developed into a comprehensive project to engage learners in active learning and implemented to meet mutually determined outcomes. The student will complete an annotated bibliography and the project activities might include but are not limited to: creating a toolkit of resource references, developing a presentation, creating a survey to measure satisfaction with activity, attending professional meetings, writing a publishable article, presenting a topic to patients, creating a webinar, delivery of training modules, developing software to meet a need, developing an advocacy agenda or tool, or proposing a change in practice, process or procedure. This course requires a total of a minimum of 80 hours of Administration and Management practicum experience within a practice environment and must include inter-professional collaboration. Finally, the student will complete the MSN program’s Comprehensive Examination during module seven of this course.

    3 Credits
    Required Books

    The purpose of this individualized learning experience is to enable you to develop an original comprehensive nursing research project on a topic of professional or personal interest. This project-based course is intended to enable you to research, design and develop a substantial original applied project of your own authorship. This project is intended to encourage the application of theories, principles, and processes that you have studied in the Aspen graduate courses to an actual nursing related problem or issue of interest and relevance to you in your professional activities. PLEASE NOTE: Students cannot start the Capstone concurrently with the Practicum, as the Capstone is based upon the data collected from the Practicum.

    3 Credits
    Required Books