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Master of Science—Clinical Nurse Leader

The clinical nurse leader (C.N.L.) master's program option prepares nurses to function as an advanced generalist at the master’s level. The C.N.L. provides leadership for the nursing care of clients at the point of care. A broad based graduate education prepares the C.N.L. to oversee the care coordination of a distinct group of clients—individuals, families, or populations. The curriculum is designed to develop clinically competent C.N.L.s who direct care at the point of service and are able to put evidence-based practice into action to ensure that clients benefit from the latest innovations in care delivery. Emphasis is on the collection and evaluation of client outcomes, assessment of cohort risk, and use of decision-making authority to make change to support quality and safety. The C.N.L. functions as part of an interdisciplinary team by directly communicating, planning, and implementing care with other health care professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners.

The C.N.L. master's program option incorporates professional standards and guidelines from the Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (AACN, 2011), Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice (AACN, 2013), in preparation of the curriculum and evaluation of outcomes. The C.N.L. master's program option includes 500 hours of clinical experience.

The C.N.L. project is designed for the student to meet multiple AACN C.N.L. end-of-program competencies, including but not limited to clinician, educator, risk anticipator, and team manager. The project is designed to facilitate evidence-based organizational change identified through a systematic assessment of the microsystem. Projects integrate best practices, principles of effective leadership and negotiation skills, use of information systems to evaluate patient outcomes, and theories of organizational behavior in the design of the project. Examples of student projects may include evaluating and/or modifying current practice standards, increasing clinical application of evidence-based interventions, or adapting or designing a research based intervention. Students will develop, implement and evaluate the C.N.L. project in the three clinical courses (NRS 593, NRS 595 and NRS 596).

C.N.L. Goals and Program Outcomes

The goals and outcomes of the C.N.L. master's program option reflect the mission of the School of Nursing with the focus on providing and managing quality and effective care at the point of care to individuals, clinical populations and communities. The goals, competencies, and outcomes are in alignment with professional nursing standards and guidelines.

The goals and outcomes of the C.N.L. master's program option are to graduate advanced generalist nurses who:

  1. Demonstrate leadership in the healthcare delivery system by effecting change through knowledge, advocacy and effective communication to achieve quality client outcomes and lateral integration of care for a cohort of clients;
  2. Practice as care environment managers delegating and effectively using systems assessment, nursing, and interdisciplinary team resources and information systems and technology to improve health care outcomes, quality and safety at the point of care;
  3. Manage clinical outcomes for a group of patients through advanced nursing practice utilizing designed care, evidence-based guidelines, and quality care standards, and use of best practices to facilitate client and provider teaching and learning.

C.N.L. Admission Requirements

  1. Bachelor of science in nursing degree from a school of nursing accredited by an appropriate national nursing accrediting body.
  2. Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or above.
  3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal score of 150 or above (500 or above if exam was completed prior to August 1, 2011) and an analytical writing score of 3.5 or above; or a score of 50 or greater on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above are not required to submit GRE or MAT scores. 
  4. TOEFL iBT score of 100 or a IELTS score of 7.5 if native language is not English.
  5. Current unencumbered R.N. license to practice nursing in state of residence.  R.N. licensure in Oregon is encouraged. Additional costs may be incurred for clinical placements outside of Oregon. 
  6. A written statement of personal nursing philosophy and how becoming a nurse leader will help achieve personal and professional career goals.
  7. Two recommendations from persons able to evaluate current competency in nursing and potential for nursing practice as a master's prepared leader.  One from a nursing professor if applicant graduated within five years and one from a practice setting (employer, supervisor); if graduated over five years ago, choose one from the current practice setting (employer, supervisor) who can speak to potential for success in the program. 
  8. A graduate-level statistics course with a grade of B or better in the last five years.
  9. Current résumé.
  10. An admission interview upon request of the School of Nursing.

Degree Requirements

Clinical Nurse Leader Curriculum

NRS 500Methods of Inquiry

3
NRS 501Theoretical and Ethical Foundations for Advanced Roles in Nursing

2
NRS 503Scholarly Writing

1
NRS 534The Role of the CNL

3
NRS 566Resources Management in the Micro Environment

3
NRS 567Communication and Relationships

3
NRS 568Information Knowledge Systems

2
NRS 569Human Population Ecology

3
NRS 570Advanced Clinical Foundations

4
NRS 585Foundations of Integrative Health

1
NRS 587Evidence for Integrative Health

Variable
NRS 589Methods for Improving Practice

Variable
NRS 593Clinical Nurse Leader as Practice I

3
NRS 595Clinical Nurse Leader as Practice II

3
NRS 596Clinical Nurse Leader Residency

6
Total Credit Hours:42

Total credits: 42.  Total credits include 500 clinical hours.

The following C.N.L. courses include the following clinical/lab hours: NRS 570 – 45 lab hours, NRS 593 – 100 clinical hours, NRS 595 – 100 clinical hours and NRS 596 – 300 clinical hours.

Total Credit Hours: 42