MN Nursing

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Award: Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

Abbreviated Title: MN

Length: 1 year full time, 2 years part time

Aims of the course

The experienced nurse is required to meet the demands of a range of health serviceswhich have redirected their focus in both hospital and community settings. The nursepractitioner is expected to have high-level clinical competence, to have developedexpertise in an area of specialty, to be able to act as an autonomous professional and todisplay leadership. The Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) is designed to meet theeducational needs of such nurses as they, in turn, are increasingly required to meet thechallenges in the changing health services in which they practice.

Therefore, the overall aim of the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) is to providepreparation for the nurse to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advancedand extended clinical role in a range of specialty areas.

Specific objectives of the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

Of the following objectives, objectives 1 to 6 are core to the other Master of Nursingcourses offered by the Faculty. These common objectives focus on those functions ofsenior nurses that are common whether the nurse is a clinician, educator or manager.In addition to these objectives, there are fours objectives (7-10) that focus on thepreparation of the Nurse Practitioner. Both the core objectives and those focusedtowards the Nurse Practitioner are reflective of the ANMC (2006) CompetencyStandards for the Nurse Practitioner.

The intended student learning outcomes for the course is to:

1. Acquire an understanding of professional nursing practice that transcends any

specific cultural context; in particular, be responsive to the needs of specific cultural

groups, for example, Australian Indigenous persons, persons of different spiritual

backgrounds;

2. Relate their understanding of professional nursing practice to a particular

professional context;

3. Understand the structure and complexities of nursing systems in both a national and

international context;

4. Critically evaluate their practice in ways that advance professional development;

5. Develop the ability to actively contribute to the professional development of others;

6. Interpret health policy and understand factors that influence decisions about health;

7. Provide advanced and extended nursing practice that demonstrates a high level of

ability in complex care situations;

8. Provide safe and ethical advanced and extended nursing practice;

9. Demonstrate autonomous advanced and extended nursing practice within a nursingmodel;


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10. Provide clinical leadership in the development of clinical nursing, health and policy,

and through collaboration with other health professionals.

Course Requirements

The Masters degrees at the UTS, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, normallyrequire the completion of 12 subjects that have three entry/exit points:

Graduate Certificates 4 subjects (24 credit points)

Graduate Diplomas 4 subjects (24 credit points)

Masters 4 subjects (24 credit points)

The Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) is a Masters degree built on the assumption

of entry with a Graduate Certificate specialist qualification (or its equivalent, as specifiedby the NMB (NSW) (2006). Therefore, the course is comprised of eight subjects (48credit points), which combine two elements of study:

Element 1:

A broadening and deepening of understanding of thecontext of health and understanding of the evidencebase for practice;

Element 2:

The specified nurse practitioner competencies

Element 1 is comprised of three compulsory subjects, Issues in Australian HealthServices, Evidenced-based Practice, and Research in Nursing Practice, and an electivesubject. The second element of study comprises four subjects that focus on the nursepractitioner role, as mandated by the NMB (2006) and the ANMC (2006) CompetencyStandards for the Nurse Practitioner. Throughout elements 1 and 2 (eight subjects), thestudent focuses on new specialty clinical knowledge and practice and applies thesubject content to that area.

The four subjects specifically supporting the Nurse Practitioner role (24 credit points)are Advanced Assessment and Diagnosis, Pharmacological Therapies in AdvancedPractice, Law, Ethics and Accountability in Advanced Practice and Complex CaseManagement. See Table 1 for an example of the course structure when a student

completes a sub major in critical care nursing. Detailed discussion of the subjects maybe found in Section 6 later in the document.


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Table 1: Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)

Semester 1 Semester 2

Graduate

Certificate

Issues in Australian Health

Services (CORE)

Elective

Evidence-based Practice

(CORE)

Research in Nursing Practice

(CORE)Element1

Advanced Assessment and

Diagnosis

Nurse practitioner

Concurrent clinical practice -

75 hours

Laws, Ethics & Accountability

in Advanced Practice

Nurse practitioner


75 hoursMasterofNursing

(

NursePractitioner)

Pharmacological Therapies in

Advanced Practice

Nurse practitioner


75 hours

Complex Case Management

Nurse practitioner


75 hours

Element2

* CAP Clinical Accreditation Program: This will have been undertaken in a University accredited Area Health Serviceprogram of clinical learning


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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF NURSING (NURSE PRACTITIONER)

The following general admission requirements apply for entry to a graduate certificatecourse:

A Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Nursing (or its equivalent) ora Diploma of Applied Science [Nursing] (or its equivalent) from arecognised university or other higher education institution andusually a minimum of one-year work experience

OR

A Registered Nurse with extensive relevant work experience andevidence of a general capacity to undertake tertiary study

In addition to the above general requirements, students will be required to meet thefollowing requirements set by the NMB (2006):

1. A minimum of a Graduate Certificate in the area of clinical practicethat is relevant to the nurse practitioner application;

OR

Equivalent knowledge and experience at an advanced practice levelas demonstrated by portfolio and referee reports.

AND2. Minimum of three (3) years experience as a registered nurse, of

which one (1) year full time (or equivalent) experience at anadvanced practice level in the relevant area of clinical practice.

The definition of Advanced Nursing Practice that is employed by the NMB (2006) is theone on which this document is based:

Advanced practice is defined as nursing or midwifery practice thatincorporates an ability to provide care to a range of clients who requirenursing or midwifery care at a level, which demands:

A repertoire of therapeutic responses;

Insightful, sophisticated clinical judgements;

Clinical decision making justified by application ofadvanced knowledge.

(NMB, 2006)


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In order to demonstrate that the entry requirements for the Master of Nursing (NursePractitioner) have been met, applicants will be required to submit the following:

1. A Referees Report from a clinically relevant senior clinicianattesting to the applicants clinical experience in general and theadvanced practice level experience specifically (Verification ofAdvanced Practice Proforma form).

2. A completed Statement of Employment form.

3. Nominated area of practice and specialisation.

4. A report, from the applicant, that reviews how their practice reflectsnursing at an advanced practice level. The paper should addressthe ANF (2005) Competency Standards for the Advanced

Registered Nurse or advanced competency standards related tothe specific clinical specialty. For example, Competency Standardsfor Specialist Critical Care Nurses, 2002; Professional Standardsfor Neuroscience Nurses, 2004.

5. A nominated Primary Supervisor including an explanation for whythe person has been selected.

6. A letter of support from the applicants immediate supervisor.

Selection and Approval of the Primary SupervisorEach Primary Supervisor will be required to submit a curriculum vita. The approval ofthe Primary supervisor will be based on the following:

Minimum qualification at Masters level or deemed equivalence byother achievements and professional activities;

A clinical position in the students work environment that will enablethe person to act as a teacher, and as a professional supervisor;

A statement indicating that they agree to undertake the supervisionof the student in accordance with the role described in the Job

Specification.

All Primary Supervisors will be made Honorary Associates of the Faculty. The Faculty,through the Nurse Practitioner Co-ordinator, will provide any preparation and supportthat the Primary Supervisor may require.

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