The School of Nursing

Phyllis King, Ph.D., MSN, RN, Dean
Jennifer Kuretski, D.N.P., Associate Dean for Graduate Nursing

Associate Professors

• Diane Esposito, Ph.D.
• Nakisha Kinlaw, D.N.P.
• Jennifer Kuretski, D.N.P.

Assistant Professors

• Michelle Smith, D.N.P.

Mission

The mission of Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Nursing is to prepare graduates for a life of service in the profession of nursing within a Christ-centered environment incorporating intellectual, professional, and spiritual integrity.

The Master’s degree program in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Palm Beach Atlantic University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.aacnnursing.org/ccne).

Core Values

Christ-centered

Christ is at the center of everything the School of Nursing does. “He [Christ] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” – Colossians 1:17 – 20

Servant Leader

PBA prepares students for lifelong learning and leadership. We strongly believe that leadership begins with being a servant. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:26 – 28

Ministry of Caring

Caring for the sick is not simply an act of goodness, but an act of worship and obedience, taking part in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

Empathy for: Empathy leads to action: “Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” – Matthew 20:32-34

Connection to: Our common humanity binds us together. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” – John 11:33

Being with: Sometimes simply being with another is more important than doing for them: “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” – Luke 10:40-42

Holistic approach

Health involves much more than mere physical wellness or even psychological well-being. Health includes socio-cultural and spiritual aspects as well, and nurses must take them into account. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” – Mark 8:36

Professionalism

PBA is dedicated to excellence. PBA Nursing expresses that excellence through dedication to professionalism. It is not enough to simply feel empathy or compassion, or even act on them. Caring must be competent, tempered by learning, experience, and judgment. “I was sick and you looked after me…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:36,40

Master of Science in Nursing Program

The School of Nursing (SON) offers the MSN based on national standards set forth in the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing and the Quality Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Competencies.

MSN Program Outcomes

The MSN Program Mission is to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice with specific functional and clinical abilities with a Christ-centered focus.

The program goals of the MSN program are:

• Provide master’s nursing education that builds on prior nursing education.
• Prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice with specific functional and clinical abilities.
• Prepare graduates for doctoral studies in nursing.

Based on the MSN program goals, the expected student outcomes of the MSN program are:

• Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, humanities, Christian faith to support ethical decision making for optimal health outcomes.
• Apply organizational and systems leadership principles to strengthen nursing practice and healthcare delivery.
• Analyze research and scholarly activities that support evidence based practice, nursing education, clinical practice, and healthcare organization.
• Analyze technology and information systems to improve healthcare quality and safety clinical prevention and population health.
• Analyze healthcare policy to improve patient and community health outcomes.
• Develop collaborations with leaders in nursing and other disciplines to improve the quality of professional nursing practice and health outcomes.
• Practice nursing at the Master’s level.

Final Project

As part of NUR 6153 Advanced Nursing Practicum II, students will complete an evidenced-based, quality improvement plan addressing an area of concern at their practicum site.  Students must write a manuscript suitable for publication to complete the course.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

The School of Nursing (SON) offers the DNP based on national standards set forth in the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Core Competencies, the Quality Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Competencies, and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).

DNP Program Outcomes

The mission of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is to prepare experts in specialized advanced nursing practice with a Christ-centered focus.

The program goals of the DNP program are:

• Provide doctoral nursing education that builds on prior nursing education.
• Prepare graduates for enhanced knowledge and skills in a specialized area of practice.
• Develop graduates as leaders within the healthcare community, implementing a Christian worldview.

Based on the DNP program goals, the expected student outcomes of the DNP program are:

• Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from the liberal arts, sciences, humanities, Christian faith to support ethical decision making for optimal health outcomes.
• Advocate healthcare policy at all levels to improve patient and community health outcomes.
• Collaborate with leaders in nursing and other disciplines to improve the quality of professional nursing practice, outcomes, and the healthcare system.
• Synthesize evidence-based practice, organizational leadership, and technology to support quality improvement in clinical prevention and population health.
• Practice advanced nursing for complex populations.

DNP Program Tracks

The SON offers five DNP Tracks: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Executive Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Post-Masters.

DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (DNP-AGPCNP Track) Key Features

• The DNP-AGPCNP track prepares graduates to be eligible for Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner certification and licensure.
• The DNP-AGPCNP track curriculum provides a minimum of 1100 clinical practice hours.
• The DNP-AGPCNP track requires 75 credits over nine semesters.  A full time student should complete the program in three years.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or be enrolled in PBA’s RN to MSN program.
• Graduates of the PBA Master of Science in Nursing Health Systems Leadership Program (MSN-HSL) may transition seamlessly to the DNP-AGPCNP track if the graduate GPA is 3.2 or higher.  An interview is required for lower GPAs.
• Students are eligible to sit for the ANCC and/or AANP AGPCNP National Certification Examination upon completion of the NP program.

DNP Executive Leadership (DNP-EXL Track) Key Features

• The DNP Executive Leadership track prepares nurses for the highest level of leadership including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operation Officer, and Chief Nursing Officer.
• The DNP Executive Leadership track curriculum provides 1000 leadership practice hours (credits are variable).
• The DNP Executive Leadership track requires 71 credits over eight semesters.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or be enrolled in PBA’s RN to MSN program.
• Graduates of the PBA Master of Science in Nursing Health Systems Leadership Program (MSN-HSL) may transition seamlessly to the DNP Executive Leadership track if the graduate GPA is 3.2 or higher.  An interview is required for lower GPAs.
• Graduates will be eligible for Nurse Executive Certification.

DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP Track) Key Features

• The DNP-FNP track prepares graduates to be eligible for Family Nurse Practitioner certification and licensure.
• The DNP-FNP track curriculum provides a minimum of 1100 clinical practice hours.
• The DNP-FNP track requires 75 credits over nine semesters. A full time student should complete the program in three years.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or be enrolled in PBA’s RN to MSN program.
• Graduates of the PBA Master of Science in Nursing Health Systems Leadership Program (MSN-HSL) may transition seamlessly to the DNP-FNP if the graduate GPA is 3.2 or higher.  An interview is required for lower GPAs.
• Students are eligible to sit for the ANCC and/or AANP FNP National Certification Examination upon completion of the NP program.

DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (DNP-PMHNP Track) Key Features

• The DNP-PMHNP track prepares graduates to be eligible for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification and licensure.
• The DNP-PMHNP track curriculum provides a minimum of 1100 clinical practice hours.
• The DNP-PMHNP track requires 76 credits over nine semesters.  A full time student should complete the program in three years.
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing or be enrolled in PBA’s RN to MSN program.
• Graduates of the PBA Master of Science in Nursing Health Systems Leadership Program (MSN-HSL) may transition seamlessly to the DNP-PMHNP track if the graduate GPA is 3.2 or higher.  An interview is required for lower GPAs.
• Students are eligible to sit for the ANCC PMHNP National Certification Examination upon completion of the NP program.

DNP Post-Master’s (DNP-PM Track) Key Features

• The Post-Master’s DNP applicant is for those who already hold a master’s degree.
• The Post-Master’s curriculum provides a minimum of 500 practice hours.  (Students who completed less than 500 hours in the master’s program will have to complete additional practice hours at the DNP level to meet the 1000 hour minimum).
• Degree plans will vary based upon transcript review.

The DNP Project and Advisory Committee

The DNP Project must make a significant impact on nursing practice and health outcomes of populations and communities, demonstrate an evidence-based contribution to existing nursing knowledge, and be suitable for peer-reviewed presentation or publication. The graduate faculty will appoint a faculty chair to each student no later than the beginning of semester 7 for DNP-AGPCNP, DNP-Executive Leadership, DNP-FNP and DNP-PMHNP students and no later than semester 3 for Post-Master’s students.  The Committee must approve the DNP Project plan and supervise all stages of its implementation. Students may not graduate until the Committee has approved the completion of the DNP Project and students have met all other University and DNP graduation requirements. Students who have completed all other DNP course work must maintain registration in NUR 8522 DNP Project each semester until graduation.

Health Requirements and Limitations

Professional nursing students are responsible for their own health and for the health of others with whom they come in contact. The following policies have been created to protect both the student and clients. Students are responsible for timely updates of their health care records according to the prescribed schedule. In order to successfully complete the nursing program, students must be able to perform the following essential abilities:

Observation/Sensation

Nursing students must be able to observe and sense the client’s current physical, psychological, developmental, spiritual, and sociocultural health care status as well as client responses to nursing interventions. Vision, hearing, and other sensory perceptions are necessary for this ability.

Communication

Nursing students must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written forms with clients and the health care team members. Communication in nursing includes the ability to gather assessment data, provide effective teaching, and provide emotional support for all clients.

Motor

Nursing students must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from clients by palpation, percussion, auscultation, diagnostic maneuvers, and comfort/positioning measures. They must be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general nursing care and emergency treatments. Such actions require moderate motor strength, equilibrium, gross and fine muscle movement coordination, and functional use of touch and vision senses.

Intellectual

Nursing students must have the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, and analyze. In addition they must be able to synthesize and apply complex information. Students must be fully alert and attentive at all times when caring for clients and communicating with health care team members. Each student must demonstrate mastery of these skills and possess the ability to incorporate new information from peers, professors, and the nursing and medical literature to formulate sound judgment in patient assessment, intervention, evaluation, and teaching and setting of short- and long-term goals.

Behavioral/Social

Nursing students must possess a level of emotional health that allows full utilization of intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, prompt completion of all responsibilities, attention to the nursing diagnoses and subsequent patient care, and the development of mature, empathetic and effective nurse-client relationships. Students must be able to function effectively under stress. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, accept and integrate constructive criticism given in classroom and clinical settings, effectively interact in the clinical setting with other members of the healthcare team, and learn to function cooperatively and efficiently in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice.

The student must be able to adapt to and function effectively in stressful situations in both classroom and clinical settings, including emergency situations.

Immunization

All students must meet the University’s requirements for immunization and health information documentation.  Also, students in the School of Nursing must meet additional requirements for immunizations, health documentation, and background screeening based upon the clinical affiliate’s requirements.

Students with Disabilities

Students admitted to the PBASON must be able to fully perform the essential nursing functions in each of the following five categories: observation/sensation, communication, motor, intellectual, and behavioral/social. Degrees of ability vary widely among individuals. SON faculty will consider candidates with any form of properly disclosed and documented disability on an individual basis. Students with documented special needs must contact both the Dean of the School of Nursing and the University Accommodations for Students with Disabilities designate. Palm Beach Atlantic University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities through established University policies and procedures.

Progression Policies

Some didactic courses require a clinical co-requisite course that must be successfully completed together. (For example: NUR 7033 Primary Care I: Acute and Chronic Health Problems and its corresponding clinical course NUR 7053 Primary Care I: Acute and Chronic Health Problems Clinical.)

• If a student withdraws from a didactic course, the student must also withdraw from the clinical course.
• If a student withdraws from a clinical course, the student must also withdraw from the didactic course.
• If a student is unsuccessful in a didactic course but is passing the clinical course, the student will receive a W in the clinical course.
• If a student is unsuccessful in a clinical course but is passing the didactic course, the student will receive a W in the didactic course.

If five years have elapsed since a nurse practitioner track student has taken Advanced Health Assessment, Advanced Pathophysiology, or Advanced Pharmacotherapy, retaking the course is recommended. Retaking the course is mandatory after seven years.

Grading Scale for Graduate Nursing Courses

Any grade below a “B” average is not accepted for progression in the graduate program.  The average of all test and quiz scores for a course (Advanced Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmacology, and all nurse practitioner core courses must be a minimum of 84% to successfully pass a course in addition to a minimum 84% overall in the course.  Test scores comprise at least 70% of the grade. 

Programs

• DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (DNP-AGPCNP Track)
• DNP Executive Leadership (DNP-EXL Track)
• DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP Track)
• DNP Post-Master’s (DNP-PM Track)
• DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (DNP-PMHNP Track)
• Master of Science in Nursing - Health Systems Leadership (BSN to MSN Track)
• Master of Science in Nursing - Health Systems Leadership (BSN/MSN Dual Enrollment Track)
• Master of Science in Nursing - Health Systems Leadership (RN to MSN Track)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate