Outcomes

Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist MSN

Upon graduation, students will demonstrate mastery of the 3 Spheres of Impact: 5 Roles of the CNS:

Sphere of Impact: Client

Advanced Practitioner

• Demonstrate critical thinking and sound scientific reasoning skills in clinical decision-making for the adult-gerontology population.
• Improve patient outcomes through application of advanced cognitive, psychomotor, cultural, and physiological principles in assessment, diagnosis, monitoring, management and evaluation of human response to acute and chronic illness, surgical intervention or the wellness continuum related to changes in life processes.
• Develop comprehensive nursing care plans/critical pathways based on current theories, evidence-based practice, safety, efficacy, standards of care, and advanced clinical knowledge and expertise processes.

Sphere of Impact: Nurse and Nursing Practice

Educator

• Identify and implement process/system interventions to decrease risk of iatrogenic injuries.
• Apply adult learning theory/principles to enhance practice skills and knowledge of clinical staff.
• Provide anticipatory guidance for expected and potential rapidly changing and complex situational events.
• Develop, coordinate, implement and evaluate an educational program for clinical staff and/or patient education.

Scholar (Evidence-Based Practice)

• Expand the scientific base of nursing practice by utilizing, facilitating, and conducting research-based/evidence-based clinical projects.
• Explore practice protocols, ensuring ethical and legal practices are maintained throughout the process.
• Apply a theory-based conceptual framework to guide practice.
• Critically analyze the literature and apply evidence-based concepts in the management of the adult-gerontology population in the clinical setting.
• Contribute to the scientific nursing literature by presenting and publishing scholarly works.
• Disseminate recent innovations and evidence-based practice findings that are relevant to practice and patient outcomes.

Sphere of Impact: Organization/System

Consultant

• Utilize clinical expertise to collaborate and/or consult with members of the health care team regarding patient outcome variations.
• Serve as nursing expert in support of an inter-professional team in planning care for the adult-gerontology population.
• Incorporate the role of clinical expert, educator, scholar (EBP/researcher), and manager in the application of change theory during the consultation process.

Manager/Leader

• Perform departmental systems review to identify, develop, implement and evaluate programs in support of patient safety, patient outcomes, efficiency and/or productivity.
• Provide leadership in building an inter-professional team for collaborative relationships and innovative partnering practices in support of program development.
• Utilize financial and resource principles to formulate budgetary, staffing, supply, capital equipment management, and cost containment strategies.
• Evaluate implications of federal health care policy as they relate to health care professionals, clients, ethics and the delivery of care within the practice setting.

  *“client” represents patient, family, community, group, and population

AG-CNS MSN Program outcome requirements

• Comply with the GSN requirements for graduation.
  • 24 months of full-time study
  • Complete required number of program courses, credits and clinical hours
  • Complete the DNP Portfolio
• Comply with program requirements for graduation.
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or above and in good academic standing
  • Achieve the minimum grade required in each course and a "Pass" in all clinical components
  • Obtain a minimum of 500 clinical hours in the population/role of the AG-CNS and over 900 total clinical hours
  • Must be eligible to sit for national certification exams
  • Maintain specialty certification (e.g., CNOR, CCRN, CEN)
  • Maintain certification in BLS and ACLS (PALS, NRP optional) throughout the program
  • Recommended for graduation by the AG-CNS Program Director

Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist DNP

AGCNS DNP Program–Specific Terminal Competencies

Upon completion of the AG-CNS DNP program the graduate will demonstrate mastery of the CNS Spheres of Impact and Roles of the CNS:

Sphere of Impact: Client

Advanced Practitioner

• Use advanced clinical judgment and critical thinking skills to diagnose client conditions related to disease, health and illness within cultural, ethnic, behavioral and other contexts across the lifespan.
• Implement client assessment strategies to improve patient outcomes through application of advanced cognitive, psychomotor, cultural, and physiological principles in assessment, diagnosis, monitoring, management and evaluation of human response to illness, surgical intervention or changes in life processes
• Conduct evidence-based, comprehensive specialty focused assessment of client health care needs, integrating data from multiple sources which could include the client and inter-professional team members with consideration given to safety, efficacy, standards of care, and advanced clinical knowledge and expertise.
• Design, implement and evaluate a broad range of evidence-based interventions for clients, which may include prescribing and administering pharmacologic and/or other therapeutic interventions.
• Advocate for the integration of client preferences and rights including consultation for complex health care needs utilizing a broad range of scientific and humanistic theories in support of health care decision-making among the interprofessional team.

Sphere of Impact: Nursing and Nursing Practice

Educator

• Identify and implement process/system interventions to decrease risk of iatrogenic injuries.
• Provide leadership to the inter-professional team to enhance practice skills and clinical knowledge in translating evidence to practice.
• Promote professional growth and develop inter-professional teams through the enhancement of direct care competencies including decisive responses to rapidly changing and complex situations.
• Apply principles of teaching/learning and health literacy to design, provide, and evaluate client and inter-professional education.

Scholar (Evidence-Based Practice)

• Integrate evidence-based principles/concepts from databases, benchmarks, and epidemiologic data to evaluate and improve system level programs and outcomes.
• Explore practice protocols, ensuring ethical and legal practices are maintained throughout the process.
• Apply theory based conceptual frameworks to guide practice.
• Critically analyze, synthesize and disseminate evidence supporting best practice to advance client care and health care delivery to improve the health of populations.
• Translate and disseminate evidence-based practice findings to guide clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.

Sphere of Impact: Organization/System

Consultant

• Utilize clinical expertise to collaborate and/or consult with members of the health care team regarding patient outcomes variations.
• Serve as nursing/subject matter expert and/or member of an inter-professional team in planning care for the adult-gerontology population.
• Incorporate the role of clinical expert, educator, scholar, and manager/leader in the application of change theory during the consultation process.

Manager/Leader

• Design entrepreneurial programs of care that improve(s) delivery and outcomes of health care.
• Direct the analysis and dissemination of outcomes of client care programs and/or departmental systems to enhance patient outcomes and promote patient safety, quality of care, efficiency and/or productivity while considering epidemiologic, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors.
• Provide leadership in building an inter-professional team and facilitate collaboration in support of innovative partnering practices that incorporate ethical principles in health care planning and delivery.
• Identify fiscal and other resources needed to evaluate interventions, products and services for system-level programs with consideration given to budgetary, logistical and staffing requirements needed to enhance clinical and fiscal outcomes.
• Use organizational and system theory to analyze health care policy and facilitate and create clinical environments that promote care delivery at the local, regional, and national level that is evidence-based, outcome-focused, collaborative, cost-effective, and ethical.
• Use information technology to promote safety, quality of care, and facilitate resource management in support of population health, improving the patients' experiences, and decreasing the cost of care.
• Demonstrate leadership by advocating for the profession of nursing through participating in professional organizations, boards and task forces at the institutional, local, state, national, and international levels.

  *“client” represents patient, family, community, group, and population

AG-CNS DNP Program outcome requirements

• Comply with the GSN requirements for graduation.
  • 36 months of full-time study
  • Complete required number of program courses, credits and clinical hours
  • Complete the DNP portfolio
• Comply with program requirements for graduation.
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or above and in good academic standing
  • Achieve the minimum grade required in each course and a "Pass" in all clinical components
  • Obtain a minimum of 1000 clinical hours in the population/role of the AG-CNS and over 1600 total clinical hours
  • Must be eligible to sit for national certification exams
  • Maintain specialty certification (e.g., CNOR, CCRN, CEN)
  • Maintain certification in BLS and ACLS (PALS, NRP optional) throughout the program
  • Recommended for graduation by the AG-CNS Program Director

Family Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner DNP

Upon completion of the program, the DNP FNP, WHNP or FNP/WHNP dual track graduate will be prepared to meet all of the NONPF Core, Family Nurse Practitioner, and/or Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner population competencies and will also be prepared to:

• Manage the unique healthcare needs of Federal beneficiaries including active duty service members and their families, retirees, and other directed populations.
• Provide adaptive leadership in joint service environments within multidisciplinary teams.
• Deliver healthcare in unique and dynamic settings including military operational, austere, disaster, humanitarian and civic aid environments.

FNP/WHNP Program Terminal Competencies/Expected Outcomes

• Comply with the GSN requirements for graduation.
  • 36 months of full-time study
  • Complete required number of program courses, credits and clinical hours
  • Complete the DNP Portfolio
• Comply with program requirements for graduation.
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or above and in good academic standing
  • Achieve the minimum grade required in each course and a "Pass" in all clinical components
  • Obtain a minimum of 1700 total clinical hours

  • Must be eligible to sit for national certification exams

• Meet the mission of the Family & Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program.
  • Meet the GSN DNP, FNP, and WHNP program terminal competencies/expected outcomes
  • Be recommended for graduation by the FNP/WHNP Program Director

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner DNP

PMHNP Program –Specific Terminal Competencies/Expected Outcomes

Upon graduation, the DNP PMHNP graduate is prepared to:

• Manage the unique healthcare for the behavioral health needs of military beneficiaries across the lifespan.
• Provide adaptive leadership in joint service environments within multidisciplinary teams.
• Deliver healthcare in unique and dynamic settings including military operational, austere, disaster, and humanitarian and civic aid environments.

PMHNP Program outcome requirements

• Comply with the GSN requirements for graduation.
  • 36 months of full-time study
  • Complete required number of program credits and clinical hours
  • Complete the DNP Portfolio
• Comply with program requirements for graduation.
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Achieve the minimum grade required in each course
  • Obtain a minimum of 1700 total clinical hours
  • Receive a “pass” in all clinical practicum components
• Meet the mission of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.
  • Meet the GSN and PMHNP program terminal objectives and NONPF Core and PMHNP competencies
  • Be recommended for graduation by the PMHNP Program Director
• Meet the mission needs of the respective service who sponsored education

• Eligible to sit and/or successfully pass the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) exam for PMHNP 

Registered Nurse Anesthetist DNP

The GSN CRNA terminal outcome competencies/expected outcomes are in accordance with those set by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Programs.

Patient Safety

• Be vigilant in the delivery of patient care.
• Refrain from engaging in extraneous activities that abandon or minimize vigilance while providing direct patient care.
• Conduct a comprehensive equipment check.
• Protect patients from iatrogenic complications.

Perianesthesia

• Provide individualized care throughout the perianesthesia continuum.
• Deliver culturally competent perianesthesia care.
• Provide anesthesia services to all patients across the lifespan.
• Perform a comprehensive history and physical assessment.
• Administer general anesthesia to patients with a variety of physical conditions.
• Administer general anesthesia for a variety of surgical and medically related procedures.
• Administer and manage a variety of regional anesthetics
• Maintain current certification in ACLS and PALS.

Critical Thinking

• Apply knowledge to practice in decision making and problem solving
• Provide nurse anesthesia services based on evidence-based principles
• Perform a preanesthetic assessment before providing anesthesia services.
• Assume responsibility and accountability for diagnosis.
• Formulate an anesthesia plan of care before providing anesthesia services.
• Identify and take appropriate action when confronted with anesthetic equipment related malfunctions.
• Interpret and utilize data obtained from noninvasive and invasive monitoring modalities. 
• Calculate, initiate, and manage fluid and blood component therapy.
• Recognize, evaluate, and manage the physiological responses coincident to the provision of anesthesia services.
• Recognize and appropriately manage complications that occur during the provision of anesthesia services.
• Use science-based theories and concepts to analyze new practice approaches.
• Pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the NBCRNA.

Communication

• Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families.
• Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective interprofessional exchange of information and collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
• Respect the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of interprofessional care.
• Maintain comprehensive, timely, accurate, and legible healthcare records.
• Transfer the responsibility of care of the patient to other qualified providers in a manner that assures continuity of care and patient safety.
• Teach others

Leadership

• Integrate critical and reflective thinking in his or her leadership approach.
• Provide leadership that facilitates intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration.

Professional Role

• Adhere to the Code of Ethics for the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
• Interact on a professional level with integrity.
• Apply ethically sound decision-making processes.
• Function within legal and regulatory requirements.
• Accept responsibility and accountability for his or her practice.
• Provide anesthesia services to patients in a cost-effective manner.
• Demonstrate knowledge of wellness and substance use disorder in the anesthesia profession through completion of content in wellness and substance use disorder.
• Inform the public of the role and practice of the CRNA.
• Evaluate how public policy making strategies impact the financing and delivery of healthcare.
• Advocate for health policy change to improve patient care.
• Advocate for health policy change to advance the specialty of nurse anesthesia.
• Analyze strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
• Analyze health outcomes in a variety of populations.
• Analyze health outcomes in a variety of systems.
• Disseminate scholarly work.
• Use information systems/technology to support and improve patient care.
• Use information systems/technology to support and improve healthcare systems.
• Analyze business practices encountered in nurse anesthesia delivery settings.

CRNA Program Outcome Requirements

• Comply with the GSN requirements for graduation.
  • 36 months of full-time study
  • Complete required program credits in the designated specialty
  • Complete and disseminate DNP Scholarly Project
  • Successful completion of clinical COA practicum requirements
• Comply with program requirements for graduation.
  • Overall GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 (B or better) in all letter-graded courses and passing grade in pass/fail courses
  • Completion of all required case experiences Obtain a minimum of 2000 total clinical hours
  • Successfully meets the GSN and RNA terminal competencies
  • Receives recommendation for graduation by the RNA Program Director
• Meet or exceed National Board of Certification and Recertification (NBCRNA) and Council on Accreditation (COA)

Nursing Science PhD

PhD Program Terminal Competencies/Expected Outcomes*

1. ROLE- Develop the Science
   1. Scholarly knowledge base in a substantive area related to military and Federal nursing
   2. Critically appraise and assimilate diverse scientific perspectives in research
   3. Conduct original research that generates new knowledge based on a critical evaluation of existing knowledge
   4. Apply professional and research ethics and judgment in the conduct of research
   5. Disseminate research findings to professional and public audiences and identify the implications for policy, nursing practice, and the profession.
   6. Integrate data science and omics knowledge in nursing research and practice as underpinnings of Precision Health
2. ROLE- Steward the Discipline
   1. Integrate research, teaching, mentoring, and professional service as components of scholarship
   2. Communicate scholarships with publications and presentations in professional interdisciplinary forums
   3. Lead and advance the profession and understand the evolving nurse scholar roles and responsibilities
3. ROLE- Educate the Next Generation
   1. Lead and participate in interdisciplinary research teams
   2. Provide professional and research mentorship
   3. Engage and train future nurse scientists and scholars through discovery, application, and integration

*The expected outcomes are aligned with the PhD Program in Nursing Science curriculum and with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing- Pathways to Excellence Report.

The PhD students and faculty contribute to the discovery, development, and transmission of new knowledge, and the result of these activities is the development of a scientific body of knowledge relevant to military and federal health care. Graduate students also contribute to the research mission of the university through professional presentations and publications. Graduates of this program readily assume leadership roles in their respective service or organization and carry with them the expectation they will be productive throughout their career.