Master of Science in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing, M.S.

School nursing is a dynamic, complex, and evolving specialty practice. School nurses serve an essential role in assuring healthy equity and academic success for all children. They bridge the gap between health and education, ensuring that all children, regardless of their health, economic, or social status, have an opportunity for optimum wellness and educational achievement. School nurses provide health services, coordinate care for students with chronic or acute health conditions to minimize disruptions in learning, perform health screenings, conduct disease surveillance, and connect families with needed services. The school nurse’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of students and the school community are dependent on the nurse’s knowledge, skills, and resources, combined with his/her ability to effectively apply them in the school setting.

The primary goal of the School Nurse Certification Program at NJCU is to prepare registered nurses with the advanced nursing knowledge and skills required to care for diverse populations of students in the K-12 educational setting. Using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC) (CDC & ASCD, 2015) approach, the program emphasizes graduate-level competencies identified in School Nursing Scope & Standards of Practice (ANA & NASN, 2017), and prepares nurses to apply principles of the Framework for 21st Century School Practice™ (NASN, 2016) in the provision of required school health services for students and families.

New Jersey City University has a proud and long-standing history of preparing nurses for this challenging, autonomous and multifaceted role. Previously located in the Health Sciences Department, the School Nurse Certification Program has recently undergone curricular redesign, and is now located in the Nursing Department. The new graduate-level nursing program builds on nursing baccalaureate education, by emphasizing evidence-based practice, leadership skills, and principles of population health. Designed for adult learners, the program provides seamless learning experiences and professional growth opportunities to support nurses’ career trajectories. It includes a stepwise progression of coursework leading from the Non-Instructional School Nurse Certificate to the Standard School Nurse Certificate, to the direct and indirect care courses that constitute the master’s degree in nursing.

The School Nurse Certificate program is a predominantly online program offering courses in online and blended formats during each term including summer sessions. Blended course will periodically meet in-class throughout the term, while most interaction will be conducted online.

There are two paths to School Nurse Certification at NJCU!

• School Nurse Certificate Only Program (21 Credits)
• The Master of Science in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing (37 Credits)

American Nurses Association and the National Association of School Nurses (2017). School Nursing:

Scope and Standards of Practice. Silver Spring, MD: Author.

National Association of School Nurses (2016). Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice: The National Association of School Nurses. NASN School Nurse, 31, 45-53.

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The Master of Science in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing is one of two tracks in the existing Master of Science in Nursing Program. Curriculum includes a total of 37 credits with 16 credits devoted to core courses and 21 credits in the school nursing specialization. This program integrates content required by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) for the Standard Non-Instructional School Nurse Certificate and the Standard (Instructional) School Nurse Certificate with graduate-level nursing knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to thrive in schools and community settings.

It is designed to build on nursing baccalaureate education, contemporary nursing practice parameters, and disciplinary competencies. The specialization is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education in meeting requirements for the Standard Non-Instructional School Nurse Certificate (N.J.A.C. 6A:9B -14.4) and the Standard (Instructional) School Nurse Endorsement (N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-14.3). The Master of Science in Nursing Degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

*Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program.

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Students who complete the Master of Science in Nursing with a Specialization in School Nursing Program at NJCU will be able to:

1. Engage in the processes of scholarship, critical thinking, communication and research for practice and advanced study.
2. Employ information systems technology and inter-professional collaboration to manage and transform clinical and educational practice.
3. Evaluate socioeconomic and health care policy issues and trends that affect advanced practice and nursing education.
4. Provide leadership to promote effective change in health care delivery systems and nursing education through integration of advanced nursing knowledge, theories and principles for effective outcomes.
5. Design population-centered and culturally responsive strategies in the delivery of clinical and educational practice.
6. Assimilate the role of the school nurse in schools and communities with diverse populations.
7. Demonstrate competencies in using evidence-based practice to design, implement, and evaluate nursing services and health education curricula in schools and communities.

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