Program Description

Evidence-Based Practice

The evidence-based nursing track focuses on developing advanced generalist nursing practice in a focused area of study, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering life-long learning, and preparing students for the leading edge of health care knowledge and delivery. Students strengthen knowledge and skills in clinical decision making, the application of nursing interventions, and their ability to critique and appropriately use evidence as a foundation for practice. In this graduate track, students study nursing as an applied discipline, advancing their knowledge of theoretical perspectives for clinical practice, with an emphasis on leadership; the cultural, social, and political context of health and illness; and quality improvement methodologies. Students are mentored in the enactment of leadership strategies to improve quality care in nursing practice through an intensive clinical practicum.

Requirements for the Program

Degree Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
NURS 901	Health Policy	3
NURS 908	Advanced Physiology & Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan	3
NURS 909	Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan	3
NURS 925	Leadership, Role & Collaboration	3
NURS 944	Health Promotion Theory & Population Health	3
NURS 953	Promoting Quality Management	3
NURS 955	Practicum in Advanced Nursing Practice	3
NURS 956	Capstone Project Seminar	3
NURS 963	Biostats and Epidemiology	3
NURS 968	Foundations of Evidence Based Practice	3
Total Credits		30

Student Learning Outcomes

UNH Nursing Student Learning Outcomes

The goal of the BSN program is to prepare baccalaureate generalist nurses. At the completion of the program, graduates 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.

In addition to the BSN outcomes above, 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 interprofessional practice.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

Fall: April 1
Spring: Nov. 1
Summer: N/A
Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

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 after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester and UNH Non-Degree work.

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must request one official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. International transcripts must be translated into English. 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 are required for any school you earned a degree from, attended for at least one year, or attended for 2 or more semesters. Exceptions to this rule may be approved at the discretion of the program you are applying to and the UNH Graduate School Admission’s office.

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:

Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
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.

Unencumbered, active RN license in the United States
Baccalaureate degree in another field
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in associate and baccalaureate programs
Nursing experience preferred but not required
Successful completion of undergraduate statistics course and undergraduate research course
Interview may be requested

Important Notes

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

International Applicants

Some academic departments recommend that international applicants, living outside of the United States, and planning on pursuing a research based degree, submit a preapplication form before submitting a full application. If your desired program is not on the form, departments prefer a full application be submitted. Preapplication requests will be carefully reviewed and a decision usually provided within 3 weeks. If your preapplication is approved then it is recommended you then submit a full application. If you are currently living in the United States (on a H1B visa, etc.), or you plan on pursuing a professional master’s degree, then you do not need to submit a preapplication.

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.