Master of Arts in Nursing

Pam Snyder completed her M.A. in Nursing and Health Care Leadership in 2006 and is now a recruiter of nurses for a large hospital.

Preparing nurses for leadership in health care

The M.A. in Nursing is a dynamic, visionary program that will prepare nurses for advanced nursing roles. The program focus is on:

Leadership in a variety of systems to promote the health of individuals and communities.
Knowledge and theories of leadership, nursing, and other disciplines to advance the nursing profession.
Integration of ethical perspectives and Christian principles in fulfilling advanced nursing roles.
Promotion of culturally competent systems that reflect the global context of health care.
Research and leadership roles to address system problems related to nursing.
Strategies to design organizational and policymaking to improve systems that impact health.
Nursing informatics to increase effectiveness in advanced nursing roles.

Bethel's nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

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Ideal Learners

Experienced nurses who are:

Committed to enhancing the nursing profession.
Looking for an opportunity to grow in their ability to lead others in improving health care.

Faculty

All faculty members are nurses with advanced educational preparation and diverse experience. A wide variety of clinical backgrounds is represented, including: acute care, public health, gerontology, psychiatric-mental health, and parish nursing. In addition, faculty members have unique experiences in business enterprise, management, policy development, international health, and nursing informatics. All are committed to scholarship through research and publication.

Program Design

Students choose either a thesis or project option.
Two internships are required in the second year.
Applicants begin the program in June or August of each year depending on their selected concentration.

Program Options

Master’s degree

Prepares nurses for leadership with a sequence of core courses plus additional course work that allows students to specialize in one of three concentrations:
- Nursing and Christian Health Ministry
  Nurses are prepared to coordinate and educate interdisciplinary health ministry teams in local churches, church-related agencies or missions, and nongovernmental organizations both nationally and internationally. The relationship between faith and health is emphasized as Christian models of accessible, dignified, and culturally appropriate care for clients, families, and communities are explored.
- Nursing and Health Care Leadership
  Nurses develop knowledge and skills to influence effective change in health care systems. The application of nursing and leadership theories, economic and finance principles, business management practices, and interdisciplinary collaborative strategies are explored.
- Nursing Education
  Nurses are prepared to function in academic, staff development, or patient education roles. The program provides an excellent foundation in nursing knowledge, leadership and research skills, and adult educational theory and strategies. For individuals who plan to teach nursing at a baccalaureate level, this program will prepare them for doctoral study.
Certificate in Nursing Education

Complete 4 courses in the Nursing Education sequence to earn the certificate.

Combined Option: Earn both a bachelor of science and master of arts degree in nursing

A combined option that offers both bachelor of science and master of arts degrees in nursing is available for licensed Registered Nurses with a bachelor's degree in another major. This program can be completed in 3 years for the Nursing Education concentration, and in 4 years of part-time study for the Nursing and Health Care Leadership or Nursing and Christian Health Ministry concentrations. Students take three courses in the College of Adult & Professional Studies' degree-completion program in nursing. After meeting all undergraduate degree requirements, learners will begin the master's course sequence. Both degrees are awarded after completing requirements for both degree programs. For more information about this option, contact an admissions advisor at caps@bethel.edu or by phone at 651.635.8024 or 800.255.8706, ext. 8000.

Choices for Specialization

Nursing and Christian Health Ministry Concentration
Course work can be completed in 3 academic years with short breaks in the summers. Students will achieve the following outcomes through completion of this program:

- Evaluate effectiveness of health ministry teams in faith-based organizations.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical, professional, and Christian principles in crafting health ministry goals.
- Integrate nursing theory, leadership strategies, theological perspectives, and ministry resources to address the needs of populations experiencing health-related changes.
- Synthesize mission-driven global perspectives into the design of Christian health ministries that are accessible, affordable, culturally relevant, and research based.
- Design organizational and policymaking strategies that empower persons to enrich their health in seeking spiritual wholeness within a Scriptural context.

Nursing Education Concentration
Course work can be completed in 2 calendar years. Students will achieve the following outcomes through completion of this concentration:

- Integrate educational theories, Christian worldview, technology, and professional standards into the design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum.
- Apply teaching-learning strategies based on assessment of the adult learner.
- Design measures to evaluate learner and curricular outcomes.
- Analyze ethical, political, organizational, cultural, technological, and professional influences on educational systems.
- Use leadership principles to improve nursing or health care educational systems.

Nursing and Health Care Leadership Concentration
Course work can be completed in 3 academic years with short breaks in the summers. Students will achieve the following outcomes through completion of this concentration:

- Identify trends in the rapidly changing health care arena.
- Apply economic and finance principles in strategic and operational systems decision making.
- Integrate Christian worldview, nursing and leadership theories, technology, and business management practices to lead organizations.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to promote organizational growth and effectiveness.

Policies

All policies of the Master of Arts in Nursing program can be found in the Bethel University Graduate Catalog. The catalog can be download here in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Once the file is downloaded, you will be able to view and print the document using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have that program on your computer, follow this link to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.