Master of Science in Nursing – Forensic Nursing
The University is not accepting applications and is not actively enrolling for this degree.
The MSN in Forensic Nursing is not eligible for TIV (federal student aid) or military funding. Other methods of financing are available: Cash, Monthly Payment Plan, etc.
The forensic nursing concentration will be exposed to the diverse opportunities for nurses to work with law enforcement for the public good. A course on corrections familiarizes the nurse with current issues in correctional systems that impact both patients, victims, and their families. The student will be given an opportunity to create a practicum and capstone that focuses on the type of forensic nursing most desired. The graduate of this program can work in corrections, legal consulting, sexual assault nurse examination, community violence prevention, or in other ways that work with law enforcement.
Applicants must meet the general GRADUATE REQUIREMENTS.
Please refer to the University Catalog for Tuition and Fees.
This program is designed to be completed in about 24 months.
For more information about program requirements, completion, and licensure, refer to the University Catalog.
View the course schedule for this program: MSN – Forensic Nursing Degree Plan.
Core Requirements:
This course focuses on the role and accountabilities of advanced practice nurses. Emphasis is on historical and contemporary contexts, major themes and theories crucial to successful development; execution of and leadership in advance practice nursing. Focus is also on the impact and evolution, certification, legal issues, ethics, best practices, standards, standardized procedures, prescriptive authority, and professional activities inclusive of advanced practice nursing roles.
This course will analyze major nursing theories and explore theories from related fields. This course will apply the knowledge of nursing theory to evidence-based practice in domains of clinical, research, leadership, management and education. Students in this course will explore in depth the core concepts of Jean Watson's Caring Science Theory. The student will develop a personal theoretical framework for their practice of advanced practice nursing- clinical practice, education, or administration.
This course is designed to prepare the advanced practice nurse for utilization of existing knowledge to provide high quality health care, initiate change and improve nursing practice incorporating the principles of caring science. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of research and evidence, problem identification within the practice setting, awareness of practice outcomes, and the clinical application of evidence based practice. Reasoning and critical thinking will be applied to explore qualitative and quantitative research methods. Understanding of statistical methods and critical analysis of data for the purpose of validating evidence will be integrated into course content. Integration of knowledge from the humanities and science within the context of nursing science will be discussed. The student will define a clinical problem and design the evidence based practice project approach that will be developed in MSN600 Evidence Based Capstone Project.
This course will focus on providing students with the skills to navigate the challenges and opportunities that confront nursing leaders in complex healthcare environments. Techniques to develop successful leadership methodologies will include the use of multiple technology platforms, social media, e-leadership along with other emerging tools for the optimization and development of the nurse leader. Emphasis will be placed on the responsibilities of the nurse leader to understand and drive health policy at the local, state, national and international level. Advanced nursing leadership to ensure nursing workforce diversity for optimal outcomes of patients and healthcare delivery teams and advocacy for vulnerable populations will be explored.
This culminating integrative course provides the opportunity for students to develop and design an innovative evidence based project (PICO-T) that was identified and defined in MSN563. The capstone project must be founded in evidence based practice and either be supported by evidence in peer-reviewed literature or provide outcomes in identifying the effectiveness of the project. The students will be guided in the process of evidenced based project development, including formulation of goals and objectives, refinement of project design, implementation strategies, development of tools, data collection, identification of resources and evaluation. Through group discussion, students will participate in a process of peer consultation and critique in support of project refinement. Faculty will supervise students in developing their capstone project in conjunction with other educational resources that are selected by the students. The faculty will advise and approve the final project according to students specialty area. The projects may include electronic practice portfolio, a quality improvement project, an evaluation of a new practice model, clinical practice project, poster presentation, and manuscripts submitted for publication.
Advanced Practice Requirements::
The focus of this course for advanced practice nursing students is to expand upon basic health assessment skills and includes strategies for history taking and for physical, functional, developmental, and psychosocial assessment that recognizes and includes normal individual, cultural, and developmental variations and pathophysiological changes across the lifespan. Comprehensive and focused data collection and physical examination strategies culminating in a differential diagnosis will be addressed. An overview of appropriate protocols for performing health screening, ordering, performing, and interpreting laboratory, radiographic, and other diagnostic data, as well as verbal case presentation, documentation and record keeping is included. Students will complete a full head to toe assessment.
This focus of this course for advanced practice nursing students is to apply concepts of pathophysiology from the cellular level to disease process for assessment of patients with a variety of conditions across clinical settings. The concepts and principles of normal physiology, pathophysiology, and genetics are emphasized. Current research is used to explore disruptions in normal physiological functioning. The impact of positive health behaviors on pathophysiology is addressed. A systems approach and psychophysiological interrelationships are used to analyze the disease processes and their causative factors. The course stresses critical thinking and decision-making in clinical settings based on these concepts.
The focus of this course for advanced practice nursing students is to expand theoretical and evidence-based knowledge and promote synthesis of pharmacotherapeutic concepts across the lifespan. The application of knowledge of pharmacological principles to prevent and/or treat specific conditions will be emphasized from a systems approach. Iatrogenic problems caused by the pharmacologic agents will be explored. Drug classifications, cost-effective drug therapy, management and monitoring of therapy including over the counter and herbal preparations and educating/counseling strategies will be included. Ethical, legal, cultural considerations and safety standards of pharmacotherapeutics will be discussed in relationship to the advanced practice nursing role. Legalities and regulations around prescription-writing privileges will be addressed, including standardized procedures and furnishing numbers. The course is also designed to meet the California BRN pharmacology course requirements for the NP to furnish drugs or devices pursuant to the business and professions code, Section 2836.1.
Concentration Requirements:
This course provides an introduction to forensic nursing science, and the role the forensic nurse plays in the bridge between medical and legal components. The course presents the evolution of forensic nursing and explores the various roles and responsibilities of the forensic nurse in a variety of healthcare and non-traditional settings. The forensic nursing specialty has evolved in part from society’s need to reduce and prevent interpersonal violence and criminal behavior. In both criminal and non-criminal incidents requiring investigation, there is a gap between the medical/forensic medical information and law enforcement/investigative agencies and the criminal justice system. This course will provide the framework for bridging this gap and students will uncover the potential for nurses to apply forensic nursing expertise in variety of settings and multidisciplinary environments.
This course will provide students with an understanding of the American correctional system. It covers various topics, including the history and law of corrections, punishment, and rehabilitation of offenders, correctional practices ranging from probation to prison, and correctional trends. To begin, this course provides an overview of corrections, including the early history of correctional thought. Later, correctional law and the punishment of offenders will be examined, including the various types of correctional clients. Correctional practices, including jails, probation, intermediate sanctions, and community corrections, are explored. Corrections also covers incarceration, including the prison experience for men and women. This course reviews issues related to institutional management and programs, as well as once offenders are released from incarceration. This course explores supervision of offenders in the community, as well as corrections for juveniles. It also covers various trends, including incarceration, race and ethnicity, and the death penalty. Finally, surveillance and control in the community are discussed,
This graduate-level course focuses on the Forensic Nursing specialist role through the application of theoretical concepts and strategies for a selected audience and the implementation of a quality improvement project in a health-related setting. Emphasis is on effective communication and sensitivity to varying needs of the audience. The Forensic Nursing specialist role will be analyzed and applied in collaboration with a master’s prepared nurse preceptor with experience in this specialty. Evidence-based strategies will be developed into a comprehensive project to engage learners in active learning and implemented to meet mutually determined outcomes. The student will complete an annotated bibliography and the project activities might include, but are not limited to: creating toolkit of resource references, developing a presentation, creating a survey to measure satisfaction with activity, attending professional meetings, writing a publishable article, presenting a topic to patients, creating a webinar, delivery of training modules, developing software to meet a need, developing an advocacy agenda or tool, or proposing a change in practice, process or procedure. This course requires a total of a minimum 120 hours of Forensic Nursing practicum experience within a practice environment, must include inter-professional collaboration and a minimum of 20 hours (included in the 120 hours) of direct-care experience. This course satisfies a practicum requirement for this program and is not eligible for transfer credit.