Back in 2000, the Nebraska legislature created the Nebraska Center for Nursing, tasked with finding a solution to the state’s looming nursing shortage. The Center created scholarships and nursing education loans to promote nursing education in Nebraska, and designed retention and sustainability plans to keep the nurses already working in the state.
Supporting RN to MSN bridge programs in Nebraska is among the most effective ways to reduce the state’s nursing shortage:
- MSN-qualified nurse educators expand space in nursing programs
- MSN-qualified clinical leaders and administrators effectively manage the thousands of new nurses entering the field
- MSN-qualified informaticists maximize the efficiency of nursing practice
- MSN-qualified advanced practice clinicians serve in primary care roles, improving access to healthcare and reducing emergency room visits that occupy staff nurses
According to a study conducted by the University of Nebraska, it is estimated that the state will be short by 3,838 nurses by the year 2020. The Northern region of the state will face the most severe nursing shortage, with other rural areas following a close second.
The University of Nebraska also projected that by 2020, there will be a 69 percent increase in students enrolled in nursing schools in Nebraska. The largest growth is expected to be in masters and doctoral nursing programs, creating future nursing faculty to contribute to RN to MSN programs. It is estimated that 84 additional graduates of these nursing programs will enter Nebraska’s workforce each year between now and 2020.
The Nebraska Board of Nursing recognizes four types of APRNs, all of which require an MSN at minimum. As of 2013, Nebraska was home to 1208 APRNs, including:
- 263 nurse anesthetists
- 27 nurse midwives
- 95 clinical nurse specialists
- 823 nurse practitioners
Enrolling in Nebraska’s RN to MSN Programs
Students may choose their own RN to MSN program based upon their matriculation status. Some students will enter such programs with an ADN degree, while others will have a BSN. Regardless of a student’s status, under rules of the Nebraska Board of Nursing, the school must be accredited by a national accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Most students are required to fulfill the following criteria prior to being accepted by RN to MSN programs in Nebraska:
- Hold at least an ADN or nursing diploma from an accredited nursing school
- Provide official transcripts from high school and all college work
- Have a GPA of at least 3.0
- Hold a valid, unencumbered RN license in Nebraska or a compact state
- Complete prerequisite coursework, which varies from one nursing school to another but may include:
- Chemistry
- Physiology
- Health care science
- Microbiology
- Nutrition science
- English composition
- Psychology
- Statistics
- Computer science
RN-MSN Program Structure and Course Outline
RN to MSN programs require students to complete transition, or bridge courses if they are starting the program with an ADN or nursing diploma. These courses are designed to bring the student up-to-date with other students who already possess a BSN, prior to starting graduate courses. Bridge coursework may include:
- Physical assessment
- Professional practice concepts
- Application of nursing theory
- Principles of nursing leadership and management
- Population health
Core gradate level nursing courses that are required in most RN to MSN programs in Nebraska include:
- Applied statistics
- Health care delivery systems
- Managed care
- Writing
- Applying and evaluating nursing theory
- Nursing ethics and law
- Research design and methods
Additionally, RN to MSN programs offer specialty tracks in advanced practice and non-clinical roles. Coursework for these tracks may include:
- Nurse educator:
- Teaching and learning strategies
- Pharmacology, pathophysiology and health assessment for nurse educators
- Evaluation strategies
- Curriculum development
- Theories of learning
- Nurse educator:
- Nurse/health care administrator:
- Health care economics
- Health care leadership
- Project management
- Human resources and organizational behavior
- Finance
- Nurse/health care administrator:
- Nurse practitioner:
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Advanced nutrition
- Advanced physical assessment
- Primary care along the lifespan
- Nurse practitioner:
All specialized tracks in a Nebraska RN to MSN program require at least one clinical practicum to be completed by the student. These practicums vary depending upon the track, and may be held at medical facilities in Nebraska such as:
- Nebraska Medical Center – Omaha
- Central Nebraska Medical Clinic – Broken Bow
- University of Nebraska Medical Center- Omaha
- Regional West Medical Center-Scottsbluff
- Good Samaritan Hospital – Kearney
Seeking APRN Licensure in Nebraska through RN to MSN Programs
The Nebraska Board of Nursing licenses four types of APRNs, all of which require a minimum of a MSN: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse midwife, and certified registered nurse anesthetist. Each of these APRN roles carries its own licensure requirements, as explained below.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse – Nurse Practitioner (APRN-NP)
Under the rules of the Nebraska Board of Nursing, an APRN-NP is a RN who has completed additional education and undergone a licensure process that allows him or her to manage chronic problems as well as common health conditions, including prescribing medications and treatments. Requirements for licensure in Nebraska include:
- Hold a minimum of a MSN with a specialization in a nurse practitioner field that included at least 500 hours of practicum and included instruction in a clinical specialty area covering these subjects:
- Health sciences
- Behavioral sciences
- Biological sciences
- 30 hours of education in pharmacotherapeutics
- Hold a minimum of a MSN with a specialization in a nurse practitioner field that included at least 500 hours of practicum and included instruction in a clinical specialty area covering these subjects:
- Hold a current, valid RN license in Nebraska or a compact state
- Be at least 19 years old
- Be a lawful resident of the United States
- Have either graduated in the past five years or practiced 2080 hours as a NP
- Complete a criminal background and fingerprint check
- Pass a national certification examination given by one of the following Board-recognized agencies:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center:
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner exam
- Adult Nurse Practitioner exam
- Family Nurse Practitioner exam
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner exam
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner exam
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Specialist exam (Nebraska accepts this for NP licensure)
- Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Specialist exam (Nebraska accepts this for NP licensure)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center:
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board:
- National Certification Corporation:
- Complete the APRN-NP Application for Licensure and submit it with the correct fees and supporting documentation to the Board
- APRN-NPs in Nebraska work in places such as:
- Nebraska Medicine- Omaha
- Inpatient Physician Associates, LLC – Lincoln
- Hillcrest Health Services- Bellevue
- Methodist Health System- Omaha
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse – Clinical Nurse Specialist (APRN-CNS)
Under the rules of the Nebraska Board of Nursing, in order to become licensed as an APRN-CNS in Nebraska a RN must hold a minimum of a MSN in a clinical specialty area and meet the following requirements:
- Hold a current, valid RN license in Nebraska or a compact state
- Be at least 19 years old
- Be a lawful resident of the United States
- Pass a national certification examination given by one of the following Board-recognized agencies:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center:
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses:
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation:
- Complete the APRN-CNS Licensure Application and submit it with the correct fees and supporting documentation to the Board
- APRN-CNSs in Nebraska work in settings such as:
- Golden Living- Scottsbluff
- Box Butte General Hospital- Alliance
- Nebraska Medicine- Omaha
- Nebraska State Government- Beatrice
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse- Certified Nurse Midwife (APRN-CNM)
The rules of the Nebraska Board of Nursing state that an APRN-CNM must have additional education and national certification that allows the professional to attend normal childbirth cases in birthing centers and hospitals in Nebraska, and to provide gynecological and obstetrical services to women. (Currently, it is against Nebraska law for APRN-CNMs to attend home births). Additionally, APRN-CNMs in Nebraska may prescribe medications and treatments. Requirements for licensure include:
- Hold a minimum of a MSN with a specialization in CNM
- Hold a current, valid RN license in Nebraska or a compact state
- Be at least 19 years old
- Be a lawful resident of the United States
- Pas a criminal background and fingerprint check
- Have graduated or practiced as a nurse midwife in the past five years
- Pass a national certification examination given by:
- American Midwifery Certification Board:
- Complete the APRN-CNM licensure application and submit it with the correct fees and supporting documentation to the Board
- APRN-CNMs in Nebraska work in places like:
- Methodist Physicians Clinic Midwifery – Omaha
- The Midwife Center- Omaha
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (APRN-CRNA)
The Nebraska Board of Nursing says that APRN-CRNAs are RNs who possess additional education and national certification that allows them to work in the anesthesia field. Requirements for licensure include:
- Hold a minimum of a MSN with a specialization in anesthesia
- Hold a current, valid RN license in Nebraska or a compact state
- Be at least 19 years old
- Be a lawful resident of the United States
- Pass a criminal background and fingerprint check
- Pass a national certification examination given by:
- National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists:
- Complete the APRN-CRNA Licensure Application and submit it with appropriate fees and documentation to the Board
- APRN-CRNAs in Nebraska work in settings like:
- Regional West Medical Center- Scottsbluff
- Anesthesia West, P.C. – Omaha
- Catholic Health Initiatives- Lincoln
- Lexington Regional Health Center- Lexington