Medical institutions equip nurses with new competencies and skills to provide evidence-based care to their patients. This essay examines the curriculum for a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practice. This program broadens the learner’s theoretical knowledge in nursing. The curriculum also equips learners with the best leadership concepts and practices. The program “presents a set of programmatic outcomes in nursing practice” (Keating, 2010, p. 64). The program equips learners with new skills such as disease management, patient examination, and treatment. Such abilities ensure every student provides quality care to his or her patients. Practitioners with an MSN should also be ready to meet the changing conditions and expectations of every client. Many educational programs encourage learners to improve their competencies in improving the quality of nursing.
The programmatic outcomes and the educational contents of a Master of Science in Nursing differ slightly from those of a BSN. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing incorporates a number of sciences, humanities, and liberal arts (Masters, 2011). The program educates individuals without previous knowledge or training in nursing. Such learners get the best theoretical foundations in nursing. These learners also acquire the best communication and decision-making skills from the learning process (Keating, 2010). These nurses also become critical thinkers. The learners are encouraged to visit various health facilities during their senior years. Some core courses include “pediatric and adult care, community health, disease management, management, family planning, nurse leadership, and home health care” (Nilson, 2010, p. 75).
An MSN and a BSN in Family Nurse Practice offers similar concepts and lessons. Every MSN improves the nursing practice of nurses with BSNs. The targeted outcomes include “development in healthcare systems, evidence-based nursing strategies, research, and nursing theory” (Billings & Halstead, 2011, p. 53). The learners also get new skills in clinical and laboratory practice. These courses “ensure every learner develops new competencies in disease management, pharmacology, health management, and advanced health assessment” (Billings & Halstead, 2011, p. 57). The curriculum ensures the graduates provide quality care without the guidance of their physicians. The learners also get clinical placements in order to improve their nursing skills (Masters, 2011). An MSN emphasizes the core values and skills in healthcare. Every MSN student should have the required background in nursing.
A Master of Science in Nursing is impossible without a BSN. The above discussion explains why nurses cannot offer quality care without the required academic knowledge. A BSN ensures “every learner possesses the required clinical competencies and nursing skills to provide quality care to different vulnerable populations” (Nilson, 2010, p. 88). The program presents the best educational content and curriculum to make every student a player in the healthcare environment. These ideas will prepare learners for their MSN programs. Such students will select various fields depending on their career expectations and qualifications. These two programs “build upon another in order to produce qualified nurses who can transform the nature of healthcare practice” (Bain, 2004, p. 186). Students should embrace the best nursing competencies and concepts in order to achieve their objectives. The curriculum prepares these students to become skilled providers of quality care and support in different health organizations. According to Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2011, p. 93), “the success of every MSN program depends on the effectiveness of the BSN”.
Reference List
Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2011). Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty. New York: Saunders.
Keating, S. (2010). Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Nursing. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Masters, K. (2011). Nursing Theories: A Framework for Professional Practice. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Nilson, L. (2010). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. New York: Jossey-Bass.