Media contact:
Fran Jackson
617-333-2970
fjackson@curry.edu
For Immediate Release
Milton, MA --
Curry College is proud to announce the launch of its new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program.
Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in April, the new MSN program is the fourth graduate program at Curry College.
“Our growing number of graduate programs reflects the academic strength, responsiveness, and vitality of our institution,” says Dr. Ruth Sherman, Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies.
“Curry College has developed this new program based on our changing community and societal needs,” reports Dr. Sherman. “There is a significant demand and growing need for nursing education programs at all levels – programs which provide entry into the nursing field, programs for degreed individuals who are seeking a fast track into nursing, and programs which provide career advancement opportunities for nurses. Curry College offers all of these nursing education options.”
The Curry College MSN is designed to develop an advanced level of competence in general nursing, and focuses on educating Clinical Nurse Leaders (CNL®). This new nursing role was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and other nurse leaders to improve the quality of patient care and better prepare nurses to thrive in the current and future health care system.
Dr. Elizabeth Kudzma, a longtime, highly valued faculty member at Curry who has held roles in regional and national nursing associations including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Accreditation Review Committee, and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Nurse of the Future Committee, will lead the program as Director.
“CNL® s are nurses who are accountable for patient care at the bedside, but who also use evidence-based practice to evaluate protocols, make risk analyses, and serve as a catalyst for system change and quality management of their environment,” explains Dr. Kudzma.
“The CNL® is a generalist master’s role and the ultimate goal is to have CNLs available for each institutional unit. The creation of this new role is a paradigm change to system safety and how nurses work within the system. It’s a shift from nurses at the bedside focusing on individual level patient safety to more system safety and situational awareness.
“For example, a unit-based CNL® who notes that patient falls are more likely to occur in patterns will explore why this is happening, explore the fall pattern and seek solutions which will safeguard future patients. The Clinical Nurse Leader will seek to implement preventative actions throughout the unit or organization as appropriate.”
The Curry College program features a cohort format where students learn with the same group of peers proceeding step-by-step throughout the program. Classes will meet one day a week for 15 weeks over five semesters with summers off. The full MSN program can be completed in two and a half years. The first cohort will begin in Fall 2008 on the Milton campus. The program will also be offered at the Plymouth campus beginning in Fall 09. The application deadline for the Fall 2008 MSN program is August 1. The next information session will be held at the Milton campus on Tuesday, July 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to take AACN’s Commission on Nurse Certification’s CNL® certification exam. The Curry College MSN also includes traditional elements necessary to pursue a doctoral education in Nursing.
For more information, please visit the MSN website or contact Judith Hammond, coordinator for MSN Admission, at 617-333-2243.