MSN & NP Program Information

For MSN & NP Students

• Clinical Requirements

  DeSales University students must comply with general health and background safety checks that are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and by individual clinical agencies. These requirements may change over time. Students are expected to remain in compliance with all of these health and safety requirements or risk being unable to practice clinical and progress in the program.

  Prior to the start of the clinical practicum, MSN students receive a letter from the Graduate Clinical Liaison of the Division of Nursing providing direction for completing health requirements. The financial costs associated with clearances, immunizations, and examinations are the responsibility of the student. 

• Essential Standards and Functional Capabilities for Graduate Nursing Students

  It is both an expectation and a requirement that all DeSales University Graduate Nursing Students be able to meet and perform the essential standards and functional abilities of graduate nursing students while in the classroom and/or the laboratory and clinical settings.  This requirement is included in the DeSales University MSN and DNP information files in Blackboard.  In addition, these essential standards and functional abilities are referred to when evaluating a student’s admission and progression abilities to provide safe patient care as part of individual clinical course outcomes.

  “A qualified individual with a disability is protected from discrimination on the basis of their disability.  A qualified individual with a disability is an individual who has both a substantial impairment and meets the skills, experience, and education requirements of the position held or desired and who can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations.

  Regardless of the disability, the individual must be able to perform ‘Essential Functions of the Job.’

  Functions are considered essential if:

  • The employee/students in the position are required to perform these functions;
  • They are functions that would fundamentally change the job if removed;
  • The position exists to perform these functions;
  • A limited number of other employees are available to perform the functions; or
  • The functions are highly specialized, and the person in the position is hired for his or her special expertise or ability to perform the function.”

  - American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1/4/01, “Guidelines for accommodating students with disabilities in schools of nursing.”

• Student Support

  You'll have plenty of support as a student in the MSN Program at DeSales. Information about all available resources can be found on the Academic Support & Resources page.

  New Student Orientation

  The DeSales MSN program includes a thorough online orientation to the curriculum, policies, procedures, technology, and course methods.

  HelpDesk

  The DeSales HelpDesk will guide you through any problem you are experiencing with a DeSales technology system. 

  • helpdesk@desales.edu
  • On campus: "HELP" (x4357) 
  • 610.282.1100 ext. 4357

  Center for Educational Resources and Technology (CERT)

  CERT provides free instructional workshops and support to help you get the most out of your distance learning experience.

  • cert@desales.edu
  • On campus: "HELP" (x4357) 
  • Off campus: 610.282.1100 ext. 4357

  Trexler Library

  Access to Trexler Library is available both on-campus and online. The Library maintains an extensive collection of medical books in electronic format that are available through our online catalog.

  Cooperative library agreements exist between DeSales and two major consortial partners. Trexler Library's collection is augmented by the collections available at all Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) institutions. Trexler Library is also a member of LYRASIS, the nation's largest regional library consortia. This enables students to retrieve resources not held at the DeSales library or other LVAIC institutions.

  Extensive healthcare resources available from Trexler Library include:

  • Cochrane Reviews
  • Joanna Briggs Institute
  • CINAHL Plus Full-Text
  • PsychINFO
  • EBSCO Health Source: Nursing Academic Edition
  • Epocrates
  • Nursing Reference Center
  • PubMed 

• Student Learning Outcomes

  The graduate programs in nursing focus on preparing professional nurses as collaborative colleagues in delivering, planning, policy making, and directing of health care. Students will gain an advanced core of knowledge in the areas of primary, secondary, and tertiary care, as well as in health care administration.

  The MSN program prepares graduates who:

  • Exemplify Christian humanism through practice excellence in the arenas of quality, safety, direct and indirect care, and professional accountability.

  • Model ethical behaviors and apply ethical principles to clinical decisions, team collaboration and conflict resolution.

  • Engage in scholarly activities through the implementation of evidence based practice to improve health outcomes.

  • Apply innovation strategies for delivering population-based care for vulnerable and diverse populations.

  • Participate in policy development to influence health and health care.

  • Apply leadership strategies to create collaborative relationships with patients, interprofessional teams, the healthcare system, and professional organizations.

  • Integrate advanced nursing skills into improvement of clinical outcomes, ensuring inclusion of patients and family members as part of the team.

  • Integrate the use of information systems and health care technologies to support and improve clinical outcomes.

  • Integrate improvement science and interdisciplinary theories to support culturally sensitive and evidence-grounded practice decisions.

  • Apply communication theory and skills to promote high quality, safe patient care.

  • Create a personal philosophy and professional development plan for future practice that acknowledges intentions for life-long learning.

  Upon successful completion of the MSN programs of study, students are eligible to become certified in their specialty area through examinations offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, International Association of Forensic Nurses, and/or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

• Graduate Withdrawal Refund Policy

  Refund on Withdrawal

  A refund of tuition payments will be made to a student who withdraws from a course. In all cases, credits will be calculated from the date the student completed the official withdrawal form, and the rebate will be based on the schedule shown below. 

  Refunds apply to tuition only. If a student is allowed to enroll by use of the deferred payment procedure, any funds due the University are immediately due and payable upon withdrawal.
  
  Withdrawal during the add/drop period is 100% of tuition refunded. The schedule below is for withdrawal after the first class after the close of the add/drop period. 

  The refund policy is based upon the number of classes held up to 
  the date of withdrawal.

  • • Withdrawal after 1st class: 80% of tuition refunded
  • • Withdrawal after 2nd class: 65% of tuition refunded
  • • Withdrawal after 3rd class: 50% of tuition refunded
  • • Withdrawal after 4th class: 25% of tuition refunded
  • • Withdrawal after 5th class: No refund