Nursing ADN to MS in Nursing

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The School of Nursing, Business and Health Sciences offers a program for students with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) looking to complete their Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Nursing or Master’s of Science (MS) in Nursing. The ADN-MSN program includes a 30-credit BS in Nursing “completion” program that integrates 12 credits of MS in Nursing coursework which can be completed in as few as 12 months. Earning credits that satisfy both the BS and MS in Nursing degree requirements allows students a seamless and accelerated pathway to earning one of six MS in Nursing degree concentrations (Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Specialist-Adult Gerontology, Comprehensive, Family Nurse Practitioner, or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) by completing an additional 18-39 credits, concentration dependent.

Prerequisites for Admission

Applicants seeking admission to School of Nursing ADN-MSN program must meet the following requirements:*

• Earned ADN from a nursing program accredited by a national nursing accreditation body with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.25 on a 4.0 scale for regular admission status.*
• Hold current, unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse.**

*Students enrolled in their final semester of an ADN program meeting academic requirements are encouraged to apply for admission.

**Students recently completing or enrolled in their final semester of an ADN program who have yet to sit for their licensing exam are encouraged to apply for admission; an unencumbered Registered Nurse license is required prior to beginning APNRS 461.

Policies for Admission

Applicants seeking admission to the School of Nursing’s ADN-MSN program may apply any time after the completion of their ADN degree (or during the final semester of their ADN program) by submitting the following materials:

• Completed application through Edgewood College at https://www.edgewood.edu/apply/undergraduate
• Official high school transcripts sent directly to the Admissions Office
• All official transcripts from any post-secondary institutions sent directly to the Admissions Office.

All students who are admitted to the ADN-MSN program must complete a Certified Background Check and meet the health requirements of the agency in which they complete their clinical nursing experience.

Admission Cycle

Students are admitted to the ADN-MSN program using a rolling admissions format.    Candidates for admission are required to submit applications through Edgewood College at https://www.edgewood.edu/apply/undergraduate. Students must submit all official transcripts and reference information directly to the Admissions Office.

Progression in the ADN-MSN Program

In order to progress in the ADN-BS in Nursing portion of the ADN-MSN program, students must maintain an academic cumulative GPA of 2.5 as well as a GPA of 2.5 in all nursing courses. A grade of “C” or better is required in each nursing theory course and a grade of “Pass” in each clinical course is also required for progression.

Students seeking to continue the program toward an MS in Nursing concentration must maintain an academic cumulative GPA of 3.0 as well as a GPA of 3.0 in all nursing courses. A grade of “C” or better is required in each nursing theory course and a grade of “Pass” in each clinical course is required for progression. If these requirements are not met, the student is not eligible to progress in the ADN-MSN program.  In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration requires a separate application which includes two letters of recommendation from nursing supervisors and/or colleagues who can focus on your qualifications for success in the program, a personal statement addressing your ambition to be admitted into the PMHNP program, and an interview.  Admission to the PMHNP concentration is not guaranteed.

Students are required to meet the health requirements of the agency in which they complete their clinical nursing experience.  Students are responsible for their own transportation to clinical sites.

The School of Nursing and all clinical agencies under contract to the School require that every student and faculty member have a background check completed by the Criminal Justice Department of Wisconsin. Background Information Disclosure forms must be completed by students before entry into the ADN-MSN program. Students are responsible for notifying the School of Nursing of any criminal charges or convictions that occur while they are progressing through the ADN-MSN program. Students who have been convicted of certain types of offenses may not be able to participate in clinical placements and therefore will not be eligible to earn a degree in nursing. It is also possible that a student may not be eligible for licensure by the State of Wisconsin or another state licensing authority if certain types of criminal offenses are identified in the background check.

Random alcohol and drug checks may be done in clinical agencies at the discretion of the faculty members throughout the duration of a student’s clinical experiences.

Policies for Repeating Courses

In accordance with College policy, a student may choose to repeat a course taken at Edgewood College to improve a poor or failing grade. Most courses cannot be repeated for additional credit. Only the most recent attempt at the course will be included in the GPA calculation, even if the most recent attempt at a course results in a lower grade. The credits for a course are earned only once, provided at least one of the attempts results in a passing grade. All repeated courses and their grades will appear on the transcript in the terms they were taken and repeated courses will be notes as “R” (Repeated).

In accordance with College policy, if a student repeats a course at Edgewood College that was previously accepted for credit at the time of transfer, the transferred credits are removed from the student’s record. The repeated course grade is used to compute the GPA for the ADN-MSN program. A course required for the ADN-MSN program may be repeated only once for GPA calculation in the nursing GPA.

Individuals may appeal to the School of Nursing any decisions affecting their progression in the ADN-MSN program.

Goals for the Nursing Major

Upon completion of the program, graduates will:

• Integrate the liberal arts into the practice of nursing.
• Apply skills in leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety to provide high quality health care in a systems environment.
• Translate current evidence into the practice of nursing.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology.
• Integrate knowledge of health care policies, including financial and regulatory influences, on the health care system as they relate to quality care.
• Perform communication and collaboration skills consistent with professional standards when working in inter-professional settings to improve health services.
• Assimilate health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the individual and population level.
• Integrate professional standards or moral, ethical, and legal conduct in nursing practice.
• Formulate a personal professional practice model that addresses accountability, continuous professional engagement, and lifelong learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the care of patients, including individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of health care environments.

For those electing to continue with the MS in Nursing program, post BS in Nursing degree conferral, please see Goals for the MS in Nursing Degree.