Nursing informatics in a registered nurse graduate program

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Graduate Studies
• Nursing Informatics

Background:

• Many Registered Nurses (RNs) seek advanced education but face challenges balancing professional and personal responsibilities.
• Experienced nurses without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) often lack clear pathways to graduate programs.
• Northeastern University's RN to MS Program offers an innovative solution for these nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the experiences of RN applicants participating in the admission process for the RN to MS Program.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the faculty-designed seminar and portfolio development as admission components.
• To assess the integration of Nursing Informatics and computer competency within the graduate curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of applicant experiences within the RN to MS Program admission process.
• Utilized a faculty-designed seminar and word processing software for portfolio development.
• Evaluation of the Nursing Informatics component and its curriculum integration.

Main Results:

• The study focused on the admission process for RN applicants to the graduate program.
• Applicant experiences with the seminar and portfolio development were analyzed.
• The integration of Nursing Informatics and computer competency was a key evaluation point.

Conclusions:

• The RN to MS Program provides a structured graduate education pathway for experienced RNs.
• The admission process, including the seminar and portfolio, is designed to assess readiness for graduate study.
• The program emphasizes the critical role of Nursing Informatics in contemporary nursing practice.