MS in Nursing Executive Leadership Courses

Course Descriptions

MSN in Executive LeadershipThe online MSN in Executive Leadership track at Saint Xavier University was designed to reflect the fact that nurse administrators work in a variety of settings and must have the skills to lead a diverse workforce in an ever-changing health care environment. Students may select clinical experiences that match their particular area of focus; however, all students in this track take courses that blend the concepts of administrative nursing, health disparities, and leadership. The program requires 38 semester hours to complete.

NURSG 500 Population/Aggregate Health Issues: Assessment and Planning
This course provides an overview of the nursing process applied to population health issues. Using previous coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics, students apply a method for assessing the health status of an aggregate or community. This assessment process results in a primary population diagnosis, which is then used as the basis of a program and evaluation plan to address this diagnosis.

NURSG 504 Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice
This course focuses on philosophical and theoretical foundations of advanced practice nursing. The epistemological and ontological bases of practice are explored, including but not limited to nursing science, health care systems, aesthetic, cultural, legal and political matrices of professional practice. Ethical issues, including concerns of social justice, are introduced and discussed from a variety of perspectives, especially those of unserved and underserved populations. Foundations of clinical judgment are examined, and the concepts of professional autonomy, collegiality and consultation are studied.

NURSG 508 Epidemiology/Biostatistics
This course provides a basic introduction to the epidemiological method of describing distribution patterns and determinants of health, disease and condition frequencies across populations, for the purpose of promoting health and preventing conditions/illness.

NURSG 509 Nursing Inquiry
This course focuses on methods of inquiry as a basis for the expansion of knowledge in nursing. Philosophical foundations of qualitative and quantitative methods are explored. Emphasis is placed on the congruence between the research problem and the research design. Analysis of research studies and the ability to develop a research proposal are expected outcomes of this course.

NURSG 517 Health Care Systems Policy and Financing
This course focuses on trends, issues and policies related to the transformation of the American health care system. Health care policy will be addressed at the local, state and federal levels as it relates to finance, managed care and a variety of alternate mechanisms for the delivery of health care.

NURSG 553 Communication, Culture, Collaboration, and Conflict
This core course addresses expressions of health, illness, caring, and healing from transcultural and communication-focused perspectives. It will emphasize developing professional competence in working with individuals, families, groups, and communities from diverse backgrounds. Both the theories and practical skills of communication, conflict resolution, and inter-professional collaboration will be addressed. Patterns of human communication with health care clients and between professional colleagues, both positive and negative, will be considered.

NURSG 557 Information Technology in Health Care and Outcomes Evaluation
This course provides an overview of the ways in which information technology is used in health care and education. Students will be introduced to the principles of information science and information systems and will explore the practical applications, strengths and limitations of those technologies, as well as their application in the care of individuals, populations and communities.

NURSG 558 Advanced Health Care Financing
This course will explore the financial, marketing, and economic aspects of managing a health care agency or organization. Students will focus on financial knowledge and information as applied to health care agencies and integrated health care delivery systems. Discussion of budget concepts, financial analysis, and integrating strategic goals and objectives with financial planning will be included.

NURSG 555 Administrative Leadership in Nursing I
This course emphasizes leadership, managerial skills, and organizational assessment as the foundation for advanced nursing practices in complex or integrated health care systems. Theoretical content includes: theories of leadership, management and motivation, principles of quality management, continuous quality improvement, risk management and patient and employee safety. Frameworks for organizational assessment, program planning, and program evaluation are explored, and students will acquire leadership and managerial skills that will be applied in subsequent practicum courses.

NURSG 556 Administrative Leadership in Nursing Practicum
Practicum experiences provide opportunities for students to apply content from the theory course (NURSG 564) to an advanced nursing practice setting. Working with the preceptor and the clinical faculty, the student conducts an organizational assessment and develops a project focusing on a specific population or an aggregate served by the clinical agency.

NURSG 561 Administrative Leadership in Nursing II
Course content focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives to manage and improve organizational practices and outcomes. Students acquire skills in program planning and evaluation for health improvement and outcomes research, especially quality improvement, change management, and human resources management.

NURSG 562 Administrative Leadership in Nursing Practicum II
Practicum experiences provide opportunities for students to apply content from the theory courses (NURSG 564 and NURSG 566) in an advanced nursing practice setting. Working with the preceptor and clinical faculty, the student conducts a leadership project focusing on an issue related to health care delivery to fulfill the course objectives.

NURSG 568 Advanced Health and Social Policy
This course focuses on critiquing methods of policy analysis by applying them to health and social policy development. Institutional, local government, state and national policies will be discussed and examined. Students will analyze and propose solutions to issues of policy related to their own professional interests.

NURGP 578 Administrative Leadership in Nursing Capstone
This course provides an opportunity for the student to gain experience in a particular area of administrative leadership interest. The student will create a leadership project conducted independently at a setting of the student's choice. The student works with a preceptor and the instructor to develop specific goals and objectives, and submits a summary at the completion of the course.

For detailed course descriptions, please request more information or call us today at (866) 319-8966 to speak with a Program Manager.

About Saint Xavier University

Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University is a private, Catholic, comprehensive university grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts.

Chicago's oldest Catholic University now adds its online, global Saint Xavier campus to the existing campuses in Chicago and Orland Park.

As one of 18 colleges and universities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University educates approximately 5,100 students each year.

Saint Xavier’s Catholic tradition promotes ethical development, service to the community, and a search for truth via observation, analysis, and debate. We have a long history of educating students to prepare them for professional success and lay the foundation for personal fulfillment with values such as to explore and respect different viewpoints, work for the betterment of the community, and engage students in the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Saint Xavier continues this tradition throughout our online curriculum with support from experienced faculty, stimulating discussions among a diverse student body, and rigorous coursework.

SXU holds regional accreditation (the highest level of accreditation for institutions of higher education) from the Higher Learning Commission, which is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In addition: