Clinical Nurse Leader- Online (M.S.)

Students graduate as an advanced generalist Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) with a master of science degree. Graduates are eligible to sit for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Clinical Nurse Leader national certification examination. The CNL is a role in the field of nursing designed to provide master's­-prepared, point-of-care nurse leaders with the ability to manage and solve complex patient problems within a systems framework.

Admission Requirements

Registered nurses (RNs) who have successfully passed the NCLEX­-RN, currently hold an unencumbered, active RN license in the United States, and who hold a baccalaureate degree in either nursing or another field can be considered for admission. Applicants are required to have a good academic record and completion of coursework in statistics and research.  The following is required:

1. Unencumbered, active RN license in the United States
2. Baccalaureate degree in nursing or another field
3. Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in associate and baccalaureate programs
4. Nursing experience is preferred but not required for Clinical Nurse Leader and Evidence-Based Practice tracks
5. 3 letters of recommendation

   Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted. Professional references should be substantial, and one academic recommendation is recommended.

6.  Personal Statement. Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:
   1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
   2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

RNs whose baccalaureate degree is in a field other than nursing may apply to the master of science degree in nursing (MS) program and will be considered for the track that is commensurate with their clinical experience based on faculty discretion.

Degree Requirements

Clinical Hours: 500*

*

Clinical hours are completed through the following required courses: NURS 926, NURS 927, NURS 928.

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Masters of Science Clinical Nurse Leader program builds upon the skills of the baccalaureate prepared nurse.

Students entering the CNL Program are expected to:

• Synthesize core knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, and nursing as the foundation of professional practice.
• Integrate knowledge and skills to assess, design, implement, and evaluate nursing care in a safe, compassionate, culturally sensitive, evidence-based manner.
• Engage clients, families, and communities in collaborative decision-making incorporating evidence-based knowledge and anticipatory guidance.
• Employ team leadership and collaborative skills with other health professionals to optimize client and system outcomes.
• Recognize the influence of complex health systems on health care practice and advocate for policies that promote a socially just, patient centered healthcare system.
• Engage in scholarly inquiry to identify, evaluate and integrate the best current practice.
• Integrates health promotion, clinical prevention strategies when providing care at the individual or population level.
• Incorporates principles of patient safety and risk mitigation when using healthcare technology and therapeutics in the provision of care.
• Uses effective written, verbal, and nonverbal communication strategies when engaged in professional practice.
• Embrace professional values embodied in the ANA code of ethics.

At the completion of the Master's nursing program, the graduate student is prepared to:

• Serve in a healthcare leadership and change agent role as part of a diverse, complex,and patient-centered health care system.
• Act as a practice scholar to design, direct and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.
• Use data analytic methods, information systems and technology to evaluate,integrate and apply knowledge that will improve programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems.
• Use translational science and analytic methods to develop, identify, implement, and evaluate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
• Design and implement health promotion and clinical prevention strategies across the health/illness continuum to optimize health and disease management.
• Systematically use improvement methods to monitor and evaluate care processes and outcomes and applies data for continuous improvement and safety
• Advocate for social justice through policy, professional and political engagement.
• Applies leadership principles that support inter-professional practice.
• Act as lateral integrator to design, direct, and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, patient centered care.

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

This is a non-licensure degree program. No additional license is required to practice in this field.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for more information about university programs that lead to professional licensure or certification eligibility.

Apply now

Deadlines

Application fee: $65

Campus: Online

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

References should be substantial with one academic, if available, and two current nursing professionals with graduate education background.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Additional Department Requirements

Applicants are required to have an unencumbered RN license in the United States, degree in nursing or outside nursing, and successful completion of undergraduate statistics and research to be eligible to apply to this program. 

Non-BSN Admission Requirements:
RNs whose baccalaureate degree is in a discipline other than nursing may apply to the master of science degree in nursing (M.S.) program and will be considered for the track that is commensurate with their clinical experience based on faculty discretion.

1. Unencumbered, active RN license in the United States
2. Baccalaureate degree in another field
3. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in associate and baccalaureate programs
4. Nursing experience preferred but not required
5. Successful completion of undergraduate statistics course and undergraduate research course
6. Interview may be requested

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.