Nursing (MSN-Informatics), Master of Science Degree - Nursing Informatics Track
Program Location: Distance Education/Online
Program Semester Credits: 36
Program Length: 6 Trimesters - 24 months
WCU distance education programs may not be available to residents in all states.
Clinical Hour Requirement: this track requires a total of 135 precepted clinical hours.
No longer enrolling effective January 9, 2023 start.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1141.00
West Coast University's Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Nursing Informatics prepares students for an exciting career in the development and management of healthcare information technology, incorporating the tools and skills to design and improve the use of informatics into practice, education, administration and research. This program helps prepare graduates to assist in the creation, analysis, and testing of applications utilized in electronic health records, provide support and training and act as a liaison between all departments involved in the introduction and use of healthcare technology, as well as facilitate the analysis of clinical data for performance improvement programs and enhance the continuity of care.
The curriculum is in alignment with Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) which is focused on education reform and interprofessional community development. The spirit of TIGER is to maximize the integration of technology and informatics into seamless practice, education and research resource development (http://www.himss.org/professional-development/tiger-initiative). Focusing on a multidisciplinary perspective, graduates will be prepared to take on the challenges of integrating science, computer science, and information science to manage and share data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice. As healthcare associations are utilizing technology at an increasing pace, nurse informatics will assume an essential role in the preservation of security and patient privacy while focusing on integrating information with evidence-based practice to enhance the provision of care.
MSN with Nursing Informatics Track Curriculum
| NURS 500 | Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice | 3 |
| NURS 510 | Policy, Organization, and Financing in Healthcare | 3 |
| NURS 521 | Ethics in Healthcare | 3 |
| NURS 561 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 3 |
| NURS 656 | Project Management in Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 540 | Research Utilization | 3 |
| NURS 677 | Intro to Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 655 | Database Systems, Design and Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 658 | Interoperability and Standards | 3 |
| NURS 659 | Implementation, Management, and Evaluation of Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| NURS 675L-A | Health Informatics Practicum I | 1.5 |
| NURS 693A | Culminating Experience I | 1.5 |
| NURS 675L-B | Health Informatics Practicum II | 1.5 |
| NURS 693B | Culminating Experience II | 1.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36.0 |
MSN with Nursing Informatics Track Program Costs
For program costs, please see the Distance Education Tuition and Fees section.