Curriculum

FAQ

Preference is given to New Mexico residents.

The Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nursing Education combines an individually developed focus in a specialty area of nursing practice with a leadership focus in education for the nursing profession. Unique aspects of this concentration include the opportunity for students to work closely with an individual faculty advisor to design a combined clinical/teaching focus that will meet their professional goals. Students are prepared to function as beginning faculty in schools of nursing at the associate- or baccalaureate-degree levels, meet requirements of the New Mexico State Board of Nursing for faculty, and may ultimately assume positions in administration, consultation, research, or policy development. Students may also prepare for nurse educator roles in patient education or staff development. Each student’s program of studies will be individually negotiated with the faculty advisor and will vary based on individual career goals, career plans, and certifications and licensure requirements. The basic concentration can be completed in 32 credits.

Along with the staff nursing shortage in the state, most nursing programs are experiencing a shortage of faculty prepared with the required Master of Science in Nursing. The program of studies assists in meeting the needs of the state as it is offered on-line, so students can continue to live and work in their home areas while pursuing the needed education to maintain and advance their careers.

Programs of studies are individualized to meet students’ professional goals and to provide flexible planning options, including the opportunity to 1) focus on particular adult or pediatric populations of interest, 2) focus on tertiary or community-based settings, 3) concentrate on a functional area of practice in education, and 4) pursue part-time study, if desired.

At the completion of the program students will be able to:

• Develop, analyze and evaluate curriculum, clinical teaching and outcomes of educational programs.

• Explore and implement a variety of teaching strategies to facilitate student learning.

• Analyze selected learning theories and their relationship to student outcomes in the classroom and clinical setting.

• Utilize various tests and measurement methods.

• Analyze concepts that are physiological and psychosocial components of specialized patient care.

• Critically review theories from which concepts are drawn that are relevant to the process of providing expert patient care for clients and their families or support networks.

• Formulate, implement and evaluate nursing strategies within an individually determined specialized area of nursing practice and in nursing education setting.

• Identify and evaluate health care and educational outcomes.

• Critically utilize research findings that have relevance for intervening with patients and families and that are the basis for education of nursing students.