MSN Handbook

Foundation Courses

The SON offers foundation courses for the MSN program. Foundation courses address critical content needed by all graduate nursing students as outlined by the AACN Nursing Essentials (AACN, 2021). These courses include content on nursing theory, research, evidence-based practice, health policy, and leadership.

Clinical Core Courses

The clinical core courses provide MSN students with advanced clinical knowledge and skills in pharmacology, health assessment, and pathophysiology across the lifespan.

Specialty Courses

The specialty courses build on the foundation and clinical core courses, and upon nursing knowledge and skills learned at the undergraduate level. These didactic and clinical courses prepare students for advanced practice in their specialty field.

Post-Master's Certificate and Graduate Certificate Curriculum

The Post-MSN Certificate (PMC) and Graduate Certificate (GC) curriculum is composed of subsets of the MSN curriculum and will be identified for each student applying to the certificate tracks. Students should work with their Program Director to develop their plan of study.

Academic Plan of Study

Completed in consultation with the Program Director, the Plan of Study (POS) details requirements you must complete in order to earn your MSN, PMC, or GC. The POS reflects the order in which courses should be completed to maximize a student’s potential for successful completion of the nursing track. The POS is the student’s contract with the SON. Students should consult their Program Director for any reason that requires a change in the POS.

Gap Analysis for Post-Master's Certificate for NP Students

PMC students must successfully complete graduate didactic and clinical requirements of an academic graduate NP program through a formal graduate-level certificate or degree-granting graduate level NP program in the desired area of practice. PMC students must meet the same outcomes as the graduate degree, including specialty track requirements. Gap analysis is used to develop a POS that meets the outcomes for the PMC.

Clinical Schedule

It is recommended that students adhere to the Oakland University Academic Calendar. However, it is also understood that students may have the opportunity to continue clinical hours over scheduled breaks in order to obtain the necessary direct hours needed in the program/course.

Any student wishing to complete clinical hours over a scheduled break must communicate this intent to BOTH the clinical faculty and the Faculty of Record (FOR) and it must be approved by the FOR prior to making the arrangement with the clinical site.

Clinical Placements

Graduate students function with increasing autonomy in their clinical practice sites. Consistent with this increasing autonomy, clinical preceptors serve as on-site resource persons to the student in designing and implementing experiences commensurate with the goals of specific advanced nursing practice courses and the student's own goals and objectives. SON faculty are ultimately responsible for evaluation of student experiences and will make site visits to affiliating agencies during clinical courses.

Requirements to Participate in Graduate Level Clinical Experiences

• Graduate students must have up-to-date clinical health requirements as required by each clinical or enrichment site to which they are assigned. These requirements are regulated by the SON; details can be found in the “Clinical Requirements” section below. Each MSN Track has unique placement requirements that will be communicated to students by the clinical department. All requirements must be met in order for the student to begin clinical hours.
• Once a clinical site is identified, students are referred to Nursing Forms in order to obtain Preceptor Forms. These forms must be completed and submitted to the clinical department prior to starting the preceptor approval process for each clinical rotation.

Clinical Requirements

The Health Requirement Packet is found on the SON website by accessing Nursing Forms under Student Resources.  

• Health Requirement Compliance is due by the published dates found on the Clinical Health Requirements. Students are not permitted to attend onsite clinicals out of compliance. *Failure to submit health requirements by the due date can result in administrative disenrollment from the course. Repeated failure to submit health requirements by the due date can result in dismissal from the program for unprofessional behavior.
• Students must then maintain all health requirements without lapse or expiration. 
  • Any student who attends clinical in a noncompliant status can result in forfeiture of their clinical placement and risk success in the clinical course.
  • Note: there is an annual fee for ACEMAPP paid by the student which is necessary for most placements within a health system.
  • Forensic Nursing students are to upload documents into ACEMAPP.
  • Nurse Practitioner students are to upload documents into Typhon.
  • NP students requiring ACEMAPP accounts will need to upload documents to both Typhon as well as ACEMAPP in order to receive clearance to begin any clinical site requiring ACEMAPP.

NOTE:

• Background checks and drug screens must be done no earlier than 45 days before the due date but must be submitted by the due date. Drug Screens and Background Checks must be done through American Databank. Students must access American Databank at oaklandunivcompliance.com and follow directions provided for Graduate (FNP, AG-AC, AG-PC, FN) students.
• Refer all questions regarding health requirements to [email protected].

Liability Insurance 

OU covers all students with liability insurance through Marsh USA, Inc. Coverage is 1 million per occurrence and 3 million per aggregate. If a copy of this insurance policy is needed, students should contact the Program Director of their MSN track. 

ACLS for AG-AC students 

Students in the Adult-Gero Acute Care Track of the NP Program will be required to maintain ACLS certification. 

Health Assessment  

Health assessments may be obtained through your own health care provider or at OU’s Graham Health Center. Health assessments may be scheduled at Graham Health Center by calling (248) 370-2341. Graham Health Center’s hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Be sure to identify yourself as a nursing student when you make the appointment. Take the Health Requirements packet to your appointment.  

Altered and/or Change of Health Status 

Students are required to notify the Program Director, the Faculty of Record (FOR), and the Director of Clinical Operations and Experiential Learning as soon as they find out there is a change in their health status as follows: a) an illness/medical condition or injury that requires the student to miss two or more clinical days and/or requires the use of any supportive medical device (splints, brace, cast, etc.), b) an ER visit or hospitalization for any reason, c) surgery of any kind, or d) any circumstances surrounding a pregnancy that necessitates missing one or more days of clinical. Students who have had a change in their health status as noted above, cannot be returned to a current clinical rotation or placed into subsequent clinical rotations until a written authorization from the student's healthcare provider and a full medical clearance has been submitted to [email protected]. The written authorization (letter of medical clearance) must state the date the student may return to the clinical setting and specifically indicate any restrictions. The submitted letter of medical clearance and the Student Clinical Clearance Form will be reviewed by the Director of Clinical Operations and Experiential Learning who will determine if and when the student is allowed to return to the clinical site, understanding that students must be able to demonstrate the Student Core Performance Standards within the clinical setting.

NOTE: Failure to notify the Program Director, the Faculty of Record (FOR), and the Director of Clinical Operations and Experiential Learning of a change in health status within a timely manner may result in probation or dismissal from the program for unprofessional behavior.

NOTE: Clearance to attend clinical may only be granted by the Director of Clinical Operations and Experiential Learning. The Program Director, course Faculty of Record, or Clinical Faculty are not authorized to grant clearance to attend clinical. Any student who attends clinical without clearance from the Director of Clinical Operations and Experiential Learning will be dismissed from the nursing program for unprofessional and unethical behavior.

Health Insurance 

Students are required to maintain their own health insurance for illness or injury. Information on student health insurance is available through Graham Health Center. Clinical agencies are not required to provide free treatment for students and will bill individuals for use of their emergency or employee health services. OU does not cover any costs associated with student injuries or illness.

Criminal Background Check and Urine Drug Screen Policy 

Rationale and Purpose 

The Oakland University School of Nursing (SON) has determined all students applying for admission and/or who have been conditionally admitted into the SON (Students) must complete both a Criminal Background Check (CBC) and a Urine Drug Screen (UDS). In addition, enrolled SON students may be required to update their CBC and UDS annually and/or periodically at the request and discretion of the SON. Any student who does not comply with this SON CBC and UDS Policy will forfeit their admission/current enrollment status in the SON and must reapply if they wish to be considered for admission/readmission to the SON at a later date.  

The SON’s decision to utilize CBCs and UDSs for admission and continuing enrollment purposes is consistent with the recommendations of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, the policies of most SON clinical affiliates, and State of Michigan and Federal laws (Laws), respectively. 

Under the applicable Laws, individuals who will regularly have direct access to or provides direct services to patients or residents in a health facility or agency that is a nursing home, county medical care facility, hospice, hospital that provides swing bed services, home for the aged, home health agency or adult  foster care facility, may not be granted clinical privileges if the individual has been convicted of certain felonies or misdemeanors (Crimes). Depending on the crime, the period of exclusion from clinical privileges may be permanent, or for 15, 10, 5, 3, or 1 year(s). Crimes that may preclude the granting of  clinical privileges for some period of time and therefore clinical placements include, for example, felonies and misdemeanors involving: the intent to cause death or serious impairment of a body function; cruelty or torture; criminal sexual conduct; abuse or neglect; the use of a firearm or dangerous weapon; diversion or adulteration of a prescription drug or other medication; home invasion; embezzlement; negligent homicide; retail fraud; larceny; assault; fraud; theft; and the possession or delivery of a controlled substance. The SON also maintains a no tolerance policy for substance abuse. A positive UDS precludes admission and continuing enrollment in the SON, and precludes eligibility for clinical placements.  

Most SON clinical affiliates require that Students be eligible to be granted clinical privileges under the Laws and have a negative drug screen before a Student will be accepted for a clinical placement.  

Criminal Background Check Procedure

All Students must obtain a Criminal Background Check (CBC) at the Student’s own expense. The results of the CBC must be uploaded to Typhon or ACEMAPP by the published deadline date and will be reviewed by the Clinical Operations Department.

In addition, any currently enrolled student who has been convicted of a crime must contact the SON  Clinical Operations Department immediately. Conviction of a crime may preclude continued enrollment in the SON and/or eligibility for clinical placement. 

Students may also be required to obtain additional CBCs by the SON’s clinical affiliate at which they are accepted and will be at the student’s own expense.

Urine Drug Screen Procedure  

All Students must obtain a UDS at the Student’s own expense. The results of the UDS must be uploaded to Typhon (NP Program) or ACEMAPP by the published deadline date. A negative UDS is a requirement to begin the nursing program. Additional negative UDS may be requested to verify continued enrollment and eligibility for clinical placement. Students may also be required to obtain additional UDSs by the SON’s clinical affiliate at which they are accepted and will be at the student’s own expense. 

Confidentiality of Information  

All information relating to Student CBCs and UDSs, whether obtained prior to or after admission, or after the information has been used, will be stored and managed in confidence by the SON and University Representatives. The principles of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, specifically those at CFR §99.31 regarding disclosures to individuals and entities determined to have legitimate educational interests, are incorporated into this SON CBC and UDS Policy and will govern access to such confidential information. Therefore, generally, all information contained in the student’s self-reported information, if any, and the information in the CBC and UDS reports will be stored and maintained in confidence (Confidential Information). Specifically, any information that is unrelated to decisions about admission, continued enrollment and clinical placements; and information entered by the student regarding the student’s criminal history in the SON’s application, or otherwise shall be Confidential Information:  

All such Confidential Information will be maintained in and by the SON in a separate file, apart from a Student’s academic file, for seven (7) calendar years from the date a student’s application was first received by the SON if the student was ultimately admitted, and eighteen (18) calendar months from the date a student’s application was first received by the SON if the student was ultimately not admitted.  

Limitation of Effect and Other SON Policies and Procedures  

This SON Criminal Background Check and Urine Drug Screen Policy deals only with admission, continued enrollment, and clinical placement decisions for students whose CBCs and/or UDSs reveal information of concern. This SON Criminal Background Check and Urine Drug Screen Policy is not intended to, nor does it address other policies or procedures for the admission, continued enrollment, or clinical placement decisions for applicants or Students with medical, physical, psychiatric, or other conditions or disabilities.  

The SON may develop and use, and periodically revise or discard, forms designed to manage this SON Criminal Background Check and Urine Drug Screen Policy (i.e. authorizations, decision trees, forms, and other written materials).

Procedure for Graduate Clinical Rotations

Please read the following procedure for clinical rotations. Any violation in the procedure or incomplete information could result in delay or denial of a clinical rotation. 

ACEMAPP Rotations for Preceptors Employed by a Health System 

If your preceptor is employed by a health system, the rotation may need to be arranged via ACEMAPP. Most health systems in Southeast Michigan require rotations to go through ACEMAPP. Preceptors should note their employment with a health system when filling out the Preceptor Packet. If the preceptor is employed by a health system that requires the use of ACEMAPP, the Clinical Department will submit the request after receipt of the Preceptor Packet.  

The student will be notified of the approval status and an ACEMAPP account will be created for the student if needed. The student must upload all health requirement documents, complete ACEMAPP assessments, and site-specific modules a minimum of 3 weeks before the start of the rotation. Full compliance is required in order to begin.

An ACEMAPP rotation request will not be submitted if the student’s health requirements are not up to date. In addition, students will be required to pay the associated fee for ACEMAPP, this fee is required to be paid annually.

Transportation 

Students are responsible for providing their own transportation for all clinical experiences.  

Use of Agency Resources 

Fulfillment of course requirements includes compliance with clinical agency rules and regulations regarding the use of the agency resources and materials. Failure to return books or materials to an agency may result in a “hold” being placed on future registrations at OU. 

Dress Code

Graduate students are expected to meet the dress code requirements of the affiliating agency in each clinical course. Students are required to wear an OU name badge and SON emblem on their uniform and/or lab coat (optional) during all SON clinical/simulation/laboratory and off-site experiences. The SON emblem must be permanently adhered (i.e., sewn) on the left sleeve of every lab coat. The emblem should be centered on the left sleeve with the top of the emblem two inches below the shoulder.

Recommended Safety Guidelines for Clinical Experiences

Approved by Faculty Assembly on January 22, 2009 

These guidelines have been developed for the safety of students in clinical experiences and are not  intended to be all-inclusive: 

1. Maintain a car in good condition.
2. Carry and learn to use a map and/or street guide, a computer search for directions, or a GPS  navigation system to obtain directions to clinical locations.
3. Know the location of gas stations within the neighborhood where you are working. 
4. It is recommended students have a cell phone available; however, cell phones should be turned off during clinical experiences.
5. When making home visits or visiting alternate agencies, leave schedule and agency information with the instructor and notify the instructor of any changes in schedule. Call the instructor if you have any suspicions that the community site is unsafe.
6. Carry phone numbers to call the agency and/or faculty member in case of difficulty.
7. Keep car doors locked at all times. 
8. All valuables should be left in a safe place or preferably not carried at all during clinical rotations.
9. All field visits or other learning activities are to be scheduled during designated days and hours  unless approved by the clinical instructor in advance. 
10. A visible and unobstructed OU name badge is to be worn at all times by every student. 
1. The OU name badge is obtainable prior to the first clinical experience within the ID Card Office in the Oakland Center.
2. Out of state students can receive instructions on receiving a badge via email from the Program Director.
11. Any concerns that the student has about safety, security or client assignment should be discussed with the faculty member. 
12. At no time shall a student transport clients and/or family members in their personal vehicle. 
13. All absences and/or anticipated tardiness are to be reported to the clinical faculty personally in a timely manner. 
14. Clothing accessories (e.g., ties), jewelry (earrings) etc. should not be of the type that can be utilized by clients to cause injury to the client or student. 
15. When arriving or leaving a clinical site, be alert and aware of your surroundings.
16. Be familiar with the agency safety policies where you are working. 

Track Specific Clinical Information

NP Clinical Information  

The Consensus Model guides clinical experiences in the NP Program. Clinical experiences must be approved by NP Program Leadership to ensure adequacy for certification. Students are required to have a variety of experiences with the population(s) of their specialty.

General Guideline for Identifying NP Preceptors 

Students are encouraged to find their own clinical placement, however the SON will facilitate placement. In addition, the SON offers assistance with identifying a preceptor as needed. 

The preferred preceptor is a nurse practitioner. Students who identify a preceptor without NP credentials may be denied placement if/when an appropriate NP preceptor is available.

In accordance with the request of our clinical partners and health systems, students should not reach out to Nurse Educators, Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Managers or other leaders to request their assistance in identifying a preceptor.  

NP Clinical Hours

Each student must complete a minimum of 210 direct patient contact hours within each clinical course for a total of 630 direct hours to meet the program requirements. Direct hours include patient hours and consult with preceptor time. Students may not complete shifts that exceed 12.5 clock hours. Hours should be spread out over the semester in order to apply didactic learning in the clinical setting.  

FN Clinical Information  

Clinical courses provide students with a variety of experiences building upon the theoretical content received in the complementary didactic course. Each student will complete a minimum of 500 clinical hours during the course of the program. Clinical experiences will be determined by the program director and course faculty of record. Clinicals may be completed in small groups or individually and will be completed at agencies identified as community partners.  

FN clinicals are offered via observation and precepted clinical experiences. Observational experiences are those in which the student participates indirectly in the activity- these are generally experiences not entailing direct patient care. Precepted clinical experiences are those in which the student works one-on-one with a forensic nurse, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), physician, or other expert in the field of inquiry during the delivery of direct care and services. Precepted clinical experiences will be offered in NRS 6785. FN students must utilize a Forensic Nurse, APRN, physician, or other approved practitioner as their clinical preceptor. Clinical experiences will depend upon availability of community resources from semester to semester.

Overview of the Process

As stated by the American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) in The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing, “The master’s-prepared nurse examines policies and seeks evidence for every aspect of practice, thereby translating current evidence and identifying gaps where evidence is lacking. These nurses apply research outcomes within the practice setting, resolve practice problems (individually or as a member of the healthcare team), and disseminate results both within the setting and in wider venues in order to advance clinical practice. Changing practice locally, as well as more broadly, demands that the master’s-prepared nurse is skilled at challenging current practices, procedures, and policies” (2011, p. 15).

In order to prepare students to identify gaps and translate evidence into practice, the OU SON has developed a three (3) course sequence that students complete: NRS 5322 (Introduction to Nursing Scholarship), NRS 5312 (Theory and Translational Research in Advanced Nursing Practice), and NRS 6398 (Graduate Project). In NRS 5322, students are introduced to foundational principles such as scholarly writing, inquiry, and dissemination methods. In NRS 5312, students link critical components of theory and research as they apply to advanced nursing practice. In NRS 6398, students develop a Graduate Project (GP) that addresses a phenomenon of clinical importance specific to their advanced practice-nursing role.

NRS 6398 Requirements

Students must complete and secure faculty signature on the Graduate Project Approval Form (Appendix A) at the beginning of the semester in which they are first registered for NRS 6398. Students will not be able to begin work on any aspect of their GP until this form has been completed and signed by course faculty. Students should maintain a copy of the Graduate Project Approval Form for the duration of their time in the program.

Students are expected to follow the Graduate Project Sequence (Appendix B) when completing their project. The number of students permitted per project will not exceed two (2) students and will be at the discretion of the faculty for the course.

NRS 6398 Completion

Students are expected to complete NRS 6398 in one semester. If a student does not complete the GP as outlined in the Graduate Project Sequence in one semester, they must register for additional credits of NRS 6398 until the project is completed. Once the GP has been completed as approved by course faculty, the Title Page (Appendix C) should be submitted to course faculty for signature. A copy of the completed GP Title Page signed by course faculty must be submitted to the Assistant for the Program Directors.

Once the student successfully meets the requirements outlined for NRS 6398, a grade of satisfactory “S” will be awarded. Students that do not meet these requirements will receive a grade of unsatisfactory “U”.

Writing Style

The GP should follow the writing style outlined in the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Students are expected to familiarize themself with APA format.

Suggested Timeline for GP Progression and Completion