Master of Science in Nursing in Family Nurse Advanced Practitioner (MSN/FNP)

The MSN program is no longer accepting students and will enter a moratorium in Fall 2024. 

The MSN is authorized by  Junta de Instituciones Postsecundarias (JIP) in Puerto Rico and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) as the regional accreditor.  MSN does not hold any programmatic accreditation.

 

• Admission Requirements
• General Requirements
• Curriculum

---

Program Description

PHSU has developed an innovative, advanced practice nursing program. The 60-credit hour MSN/FNP Program is sequentially structured and can be completed in approximately two years with total time enrollment. The curriculum is a hybrid program, with online and presential courses based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials for Master’s Education for Advanced Practice Nursing and Clinical /Practice Learning Expectations for Master Programs. FNPs serve as primary healthcare providers in many settings. The advanced practice part of the program focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver nursing care to people of all ages across primary care settings, including those in rural and underserved areas.

FNP graduates are prepared for advanced clinical practice that involves individuals and families throughout their lifespan and across the health continuum, promoting quality and safety, advocating for diverse patient populations, and being agents of change for healthier communities. The Master’s Program allows individuals to implement evidence-based practice to deliver professional nursing care based on higher-level competencies in various clinical settings. Evidence-based practice incorporates scientific findings in the delivery of nursing care that includes both theory and practical clinical skills required by the field of nursing to provide:

1. Leadership
2. Culturally proper patient care

The Nursing Program consists of lectures, SIM labs, and clinical practicums. The clinical practicum occurs in various settings, including the SIM lab and:

1. long-term care facilities,
2. acute care hospitals
3. community-based agencies
4. primary care offices
5. private clinics.

The nursing program coordinates the practicum experiences with each affiliated agency. Still, the student can have the authorization of the MSN Clinical Coordinator to perform their practices in healthcare facilities coordinated by the student.

Nursing students will be exposed to clinical experiences appropriate to each advanced nursing practicum. Students will be under the guidance of experienced program faculty, center preceptors, and other mentors in the field. The contractual arrangements require a clear understanding of expectations among all participating individuals, including students.

Mission

The Mission of the SON is to prepare ethical, compassionate, and culturally competent nursing professionals to impact the health of the communities we serve. SON provides students with high-quality interprofessional, innovative, and technology-driven global education. Our goal is to improve the health of vulnerable populations by practicing scientific, evidence-based clinical care and applying effective promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies.

Vision

The Nursing Program’s vision statement is future oriented. It supports the Vision of PHSU by aspiring to be recognized for excellence and innovation in education, leadership, advocacy, research, and culturally competent nursing practice.

Values

The core values of the Nursing Program serve as the foundation of nursing practice at the MSN/FNP and are applicable for advanced practice nursing as well.

The values that guided the curriculum development for the Nursing Program are based on the nursing theorist Jean Watson (2001).

The following are the core values shared by the faculty:

Compassion

PHSU SON genuinely cares about others and raises relationships with empathy, dignity, and respect, promoting a caring environment in the healthcare system.

Diversity

PHSU SON promotes the representation of unique perspectives and supports an environment where unity and differences contribute to individuality.

Trust

PHSU SON promotes a respectful environment in and out of the classroom based on communication and mutual understanding, with confidentiality and respect for the students’ needs.

Ethics

PHSU SON mission reflects humanistic ideals and upholds everyone’s inherent dignity and worth.

Excellence

PHSU SON encourages the highest quality in everything our faculty, students, and staff do with a commitment to integrity.

Holism

PHSU SON has a holistic method of nursing education that sees the student as a whole and prepares the student to deal with the patient’s holistic needs.

Creativity

PHSU SON encourages the use of technological and evidence-based innovation.

Respect

PHSU SON encourages positive, productive, and professional relations and inspires individuals to speak differing viewpoints effectively and respectfully. Distinguish the range of perceptions and talents among students, faculty, staff, and our community.

Courage

PHSU SON promotes our faculty, students, and staff to challenge existing paradigms to advance health equity and achieve health justice.

Commitment

PHSU SON promotes public service and advocacy for the unprivileged communities and persons as a resource for personal, educational, cultural, and economic development in the advancement of a healthy environment.

Professionalism

PHSU SON promotes competency, systematic use of the nursing process, leadership, clinical judgment, and lifelong learning, leading to ethical, safe, quality patient care.

Graduate Outcomes

1. Integrate nursing and related sciences into delivering advanced nursing care to diverse populations.
2. Apply ethical analysis and clinical reasoning to assess, intervene, and evaluate advanced nursing care delivery.
3. Implement evidence-based plans based on trend analysis and quantify the impact on quality and safety.
4. Demonstrate self-insight and professionalism through ongoing analysis of the therapeutic use of self.
5. Apply crisis intervention models to patients based on the analysis of data and evidence-based practice related to actual and potential mental health deviators.
6. Strengthen the knowledge of self as an advanced practice nurse in caring for pediatrics, adolescents, adults, older adults, families, and communities when promoting quality and safe standards of care.
7. Apply leadership skills and decision-making to provide culturally responsive, high-quality nursing care, health care team coordination, oversight, and accountability for care delivery and outcomes.
8. Participate in the design and implementation of new models of care delivery and coordination.

Admission Requirements

1. Have obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
2. Evidence of 5 years of clinical experience in these areas:
   1. ICU - Intensive Care Unit
   2. SICU - Surgical Intensive Care Unit
   3. MICU - Medical Intensive Care Unit
   4. ER - Emergency Room
   5. Medical Surgical
3. The clinical experience evidence must be an official letter from your employer.
4. Evidence of a valid Registered Nurse (RN) license.
5. Evidence of active membership in the Puerto Rico College of Professional Nursing (CPEPR).
6. Personal Statement
7. Provide an updated Professional Curriculum Vitae.
8. ACLS certification.

General Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Admissions Office:

1. Complete the Online Admission Application.
2. Send the university’s official transcript with the conferred bachelor’s degree.
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0- Point Scale.
4. Have English and Spanish proficiency.
5. Complete an interview with the MSN/FNP Nursing Admission Committee.
6. Submit two letters of recommendation.
7. Submit the results of the criminal background check.
8. Send a non-refundable US $100.00 Application Processing Fee.

Other requirements:

1. Availability to study in the evening hours, starting at 5:00 p.m.
2. Broadband Internet access
3. Availability to attend the SIM laboratories at the Institution.
4. Comply with the clinical practice hours as assigned by the MSN/FNP Program Coordinator
5. Commitment to access the platform and deliver tasks on the agreed dates.
6. Maintain attendance in your online courses by submitting your assignments on time.
7. Always maintain professional conduct as established by the PHSU code of ethics.

Grading System

Grading System

Final course grades are given based on the traditional 4-point letter system as follows:

GRADE	EQUIVALENT	GPA POINTS
A	90-100	4.00
C	80-89	3.00
B	70-79	2.00
D	60-69	1.00
F	50-0	0

The administrative notations are as follows:

LETTER	EQUIVALENT
P	Pass
I	Incomplete
W	Withdrawal
AW	Administrative Withdrawal
TR	Transfer

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Introduction

Federal and state regulations require that Ponce Health Sciences University - School of Nursing, (PHSU-SON), implement a policy to measure satisfactory academic progress toward a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) and all its tracks.

The Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) apply to the following programs:

1. Federal Title IV Programs: Pell Grant and the Direct Loan Program (Stafford Loan Program), and the Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students
2. Veteran’s Educational Benefits: All Chapters and Post 9/11 Benefits
3. Completion Rate and Grade Point Average Requirement

All students must render good academic progress to remain in attendance at the PHSU-SON. All courses attempted in a specific quarter can be used to measure academic progress. Course withdrawals may affect educational progress if the hours earned do not meet the criteria for quantitative and/or qualitative measures of satisfactory progress. Not meeting good academic progress will impair student aid eligibility.

Quantitative and qualitative standards are used to evaluate satisfactory academic progress in the MSN Program and are measured every term. Quantitative standards include grades on quizzes, exams, and care plans, among other measurement tools.

SAP standards (CGPA, Pace, and Maximum Time Frame, hereinafter collectively referred to as Standards) consist of quantitative and qualitative measurements that are determinants of SAP. The qualitative measurement evaluates the student’s academic work quality (i.e., GPA and Academic Standing). The quantitative measurement evaluates the pace at which students are working toward completing their program and the maximum time frame required to complete it.

These standards are for financial aid purposes only and do not replace or override the academic policies of Ponce Health Sciences University.

Note: All students must meet the same minimum Standards regardless of eligibility for Title IV funding.

Scope

This SAP policy applies to all PHSU-SON students, including Undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of enrollment status (full-time, part-time, different programs of study, etc.) as described below.

Time Frame for Completion of the Academic Program

Program	Standard	Maximum
Master’s of Science in Nursing	2 years	4 years

Pace (Quantitative)

Students must be on target to complete their academic program within the set time frame, measured by the Pace at which they complete their required coursework. All students must maintain a minimum Pace as specified in Appendix A, found at the end of this Policy. To determine if a student meets this standard, total cumulative earned credit hours at PHSU-SON plus accepted transfer credit hours are divided by the total cumulative attempted credit hours, including accepted transfer credits. A student must complete the designated cumulative minimum percentage of all attempted credit hours at the point of SAP evaluation, as determined by the calculation above and illustrated in the table below.

Cumulative Attempted Credits	Cumulative Earned Credits	Pace (Completion Rate)	Pace/Completion Requirement Met?
24 credits	24 credits	100%	Yes
48 credits	12 credits	25%	NO
10 credits	9 credits	90%	Yes
10 credits	0 credits	0%	NO

*This table is meant to show how the Pace calculation is done and delivers the most extreme examples of the Pace calculation.

Maximum Time Frame (Quantitative)

For undergraduate students, the maximum Time Frame is measured in credit hours; for graduate students, the maximum Time Frame is measured by the actual length of the program, as established by PHSU-SON.

SAP Notification

A student not meeting the Standards will be notified of their Financial Aid Suspension in writing after all grades have been posted for their program of study. The notification will include an explanation of the Standards evaluated and instructions on proceeding. According to the Registrar’s records, written notification will be sent electronically via their PHSU email account and/or mail via the last known mailing address.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who do not meet the Standards during the annual evaluation will be ineligible to receive federal financial aid funds for the subsequent semester (unless they submit an appeal and are placed on probation for financial assistance).

Classification of MSN Students

MSN Nursing students at PHSU-SON are classified for financial aid purposes as follows:

1. Full-time student - student enrolled in 6 or more credits/quarter.
2. Part-time student -student enrolled in less than 6 credits per quarter.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is based on three components:

1. Completion Rate
   1. A student must have completed 67% of all hours attempted for financial aid eligibility. This is decided by dividing the total hours earned by the total hours tried. Attempted hours will include grades of F, W, I. Yet, these grades will NOT count as earned hours.
   2. Repeating courses will add to the total number of attempted hours but will only count once as earned hours.
   3. If a student chooses to retake a course that he/she has already passed at some point, he/she can do this once and receive financial aid. Financial aid cannot fund three or more attempts to take a previously passed course.
2. Time limit
   8. A student can only receive financial aid for a maximum of 1.5 times the total credit hours needed for his/her degree program.
   9. For the BSN, which requires 161 credit hours for graduation, this equals a maximum of 241.5 hours that can be attempted.
   10. Any hours attempted, but not completed, will count.
   11. Transfer credit hours must be included in the maximum of 241.5.
   12. Repeats, failures, and withdrawals will also count toward the maximum.
   13. Any student who has exceeded the maximum time limit allowed due to transfer hours or a significant change must submit an appeal.
       Appeal Process
       Students notified by the Dean of Nursing regarding the Students Promotion Committee’s decision that he/she must repeat failed courses during the next academic year, or be dismissed from the nursing program, have the right to appeal the decision within five (5) working days after receiving the notification.
   14. Student Financial Services will review the credits that apply toward the student’s program of study to decide future financial aid eligibility. An academic plan signed by a Financial Services representative will be needed.
3. GPA
   4. All Graduate programs require a 3.0 minimum GPA throughout the course of study.
   5. An undergraduate student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50.
   6. Repeated and failed courses will also count toward the cumulative GPA.

SAP Review

After each Spring Quarter/payment period, Financial Aid will review the completion rate, time limit, and GPA for each student enrolled in that quarter/payment period. Depending on the student’s status compared to these factors, the student’s progress for financial aid purposes will be decided as follows:

6. Satisfactory Academic Progress
   This applies to any student who passed the number of earned hours to attempted hours, has not exceeded the maximum total attempted hours allowed for their program, and whose GPA meets the requirements listed above.
7. Financial Aid Warning
   1. This applies to any student who does not meet the requirements for completion, time limit, and GPA listed above for the quarter/payment period.
   2. A warning letter will be sent to the student at the end of the quarter/payment period to show why he/she is receiving a warning and what must be done within the next semester/payment period to be back in accordance with the SAP rules.
   3. If the student does not meet these requirements, the student’s federal, state, and institutional financial aid will be suspended for future quarters/payment periods.
   4. The student must bring the hours and/or GPA back to good standing or appeal to regain eligibility for financial aid. A student cannot have two consecutive semesters/payment periods on warning.
8. Unsatisfactory Academic Progress
   This applies to a student who has not met the requirements for completion rate, GPA, and attempted hours after his/her warning period. This student is not eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid until the student meets the requirements in the three areas listed above or completes, and is approved, for an SAP Appeal.
9. Financial Aid Probation
   This applies only to a student who has failed to meet SAP requirements and has had an appeal approved by Student Financial Services. A student may be on probation for one semester/payment period only. If a student has not met the SAP requirements above, he/she should work with a Financial Services Representative to understand what options exist to regain eligibility.
10. Academic Plan
    This status applies to any student who has submitted an academic plan as part of an SAP appeal and has completed the goals for that quarter/payment period outlined by the plan. The student stays eligible for federal and state financial aid but does not meet the definition of an SAP-eligible student.

Grade Requirements

Students who do not reach Satisfactory Academic Progress will be referred to the PHSU Students Promotion Committee to be considered for dismissal if any of the following occur:

• Earning an “F” in two or more courses in one quarter
• Earning an “F” in a nursing course after having had two “F’s” in previous quarters
• Earning an “F” in the second attempt at a nursing course
• Earning less than a 2.50 quarters GPA in two consecutive quarters

Students receiving one “F” in one quarter, but having a quarter GPA of 2.5 or greater, will be given an academic warning and placed on “Probation.” Students on probation must meet with the Associate Dean of Nursing at the beginning of, and throughout, the quarter.

To graduate, the student must have completed all requirements and achieved a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00, on a scale of 4.00 points. Students receiving one “F” in one quarter, but with a quarter GPA of 3.0, will be given an academic warning. Students on academic warning must meet with the Associate Dean of Nursing at the beginning of, and throughout, the trimester.

Following the Institutional Incomplete Grade Policy, an “I” (Incomplete) Grade could be assigned. The student must remove the “I” (Incomplete) by the following quarter, or it will be replaced by the grade of “F.” The “I” (Incomplete) grades, as are the final grades, are part of the academic record.

Course Requirement

Students must complete all courses within the established time frame. The Program requires a minimum of 60 credits to obtain the MSN degree. The total years to complete a degree for transfer students include those accredited on admission to the MSN Program.

Performance Requirement

A student must pass all theoretical and clinical courses. Students must complete each quarter with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. Any student failing to meet this performance standard will be placed on academic warning and referred to the PHSU Promotion Committee. If the student fails to obtain SAP on two consecutive occasions, the student will be suspended from eligibility for Title IV funds (Direct Loans). A Title IV student can regain eligibility if the student follows the Appeal Procedure and receives probation status.

Professional Behavior Requirement

MSN students must conduct themselves under the code of conduct and discipline set forth by the MSN Program, PHSU’s Ethics and Integrity Policies, and the corresponding accreditation agencies. Any violation will be referred to the Nursing Student Promotion Committee.

Commitment to Nursing Values

It is expected that the actions of the nursing students be guided by the “caritive values” of the nursing profession, which include Caring, Diversity, Trust, Ethics, Excellence, Holism, Spirituality, Evidenced-based Decision Making, and Patient-Centeredness (Jean Watson, 2001). Students are exposed to these values throughout the MSN Program.

Academic Warning and Financial Aid Eligibility

Any student failing to meet the program’s requirement (s) in one academic term might be placed on academic warning for one trimester, still eligible for Federal Financial Aid. Students that fail to comply with any program requirement after the prescribed warning time will be referred to the N- SPC for dismissal from the MSN program and suspended from the Title IV program eligibility.

Appeal Process for Academic Dismissal and Title IV Suspension

Students who are notified by the Associate Dean of Nursing regarding a decision of the N-SPC that they are placed on academic warning or are dismissed from the MSN Program, have the right to appeal the decision within five (5) working days after receiving the notification. The appeal or due process presented below should be followed:

The student will appeal in writing to the N-SPC. The letter should include new evidence or special circumstances that affected his/her performance. The Committee will evaluate the information submitted by the student to determine if it would change the initial adverse decision. The N-SPC has 48 hours to submit its decision to the student and the Associate Dean for Nursing.

If the N-SPC sustains the adverse decision, the student has the right to appeal to the Associate Dean of Nursing. The appeal must be submitted in writing within seven working days after receiving the last notification. The Associate Dean of Nursing will evaluate the student appeal. If the Associate Dean of Nursing sustains the N-SPC decision, the student, if does agree with the decision, may appeal to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The Dean of Academic Affairs may appoint a three- member Ad-Hoc Committee to re-evaluate all evidence.

If an Ad-Hoc Committee is appointed, it will notify the student in writing the date and time set to the appeal meeting. The student may have the opportunity to be interviewed by the Committee. The Ad-Hoc Committee has forty-eight (48) hours to submit a recommendation to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The Dean of Academic Affairs may consider the Ad-Hoc Committee recommendation and will make the final decision within forty-eight (48) hours. The final decision is reported to the student in writing.

If the student obtains a reversed dismissal, he will be placed on academic probation for one trimester. This student is on probation standing and is eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

The same process described above will be followed in the case of an adverse decision for non-academic reasons, such as unacceptable professional behavior or violation of the code of conduct. The Associate Dean of Nursing will refer the case to the N-SPC. If the recommendation of the N-SPC is to dismiss the student, the appeal process described above may be activated.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid

Federal Financial Aid eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. Students must refer to the institutional policy on financial aid eligibility published by the Office of Financial Aid. It is the student’s responsibility to request reinstatement of financial aid to the Manager of the Office of Financial Aid.

Enforcement of the Policy

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs shall have primary responsibility for overseeing this policy and will provide all MSN students a copy of this document upon admission to Ponce Health Sciences University School of Nursing.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean of Nursing, the Registrar, and the Financial Aid Associate Director will receive all pertinent data to ensure proper enforcement of the SAP policy here set forth.