University of Michigan - Flint

In the Fall of 2009, there will be a significant change to the Master of Science in Nursing degree program at the University of Michigan-Flint. The entry-level Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nurse Practitioner degree will be transitioning to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, pending approval. The new DNP program will be approximately 4 years of part-time study, 80 credits, and taught in a distance-learning (online) format with clinical courses arranged in your local area. Once the DNP program is approved and underway, the MSN program will no longer be offered. Click here for additional information about the proposed DNP program.

The University of Michigan-Flint’s School of Health Professions and Studies offers the Master of Science Degree in Nursing, which provides the skills necessary for advanced nursing practice in primary health care. This three-year, part-time program provides registered nurses, with or without a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills required to deliver high quality, cost-effective primary health care to meet the needs of society, especially underserved populations.

The MSN program faculty are sensitive to students’ busy lives and have designed the program for the part-time student. On site classroom course work is offered on one day per week, and several clinical hours may be negotiated to meet the student's schedule. Four courses are offered fully online. The research/theory component has been designed as five (5) one-credit courses which will culminate in a completed Masters Thesis. Students are permitted to work in pairs to accomplish their scholarly project. Students are expected to complete the program in three years.

The Nurse Practitioner

The nurse practitioner is a unique licensed independent practitioner within the constellation of advanced practice nurses. Nurse practitioners assess and manage both medical and nursing problems in a variety of specialty areas such as family, adult, pediatric, gerontologic, women’s health, school health, occupational health, mental health, emergency, and acute care. Their practice emphasizes health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention and diagnosis, and management of acute and chronic illness. Nurse practitioners serve as primary care providers and consultants for individuals, families, and communities in a variety of ambulatory and inpatient settings. Responsibilities of nurse practitioners include: taking histories; conducting physical examinations; ordering, performing, and interpreting appropriate diagnostic and laboratory tests; prescribing pharmacological agents, treatments, and non-pharmacological therapies for the management of the conditions they diagnose. Teaching and counseling are major components of a nurse practitioner’s role. They also conduct clinical research. Three concentrations are available in the MSN program: Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Adult Psychiatric Mental Nurse Practitioner.