Master's Entry Into Professional Nursing

The Carr College of Nursing MEPN offers full-time admission to prepare nurses for the challenges and rewards of professional nursing.  All nursing programs at Harding University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org) and have continuing full approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) (www.arsbn.org).

Application Requirements

• Online NursingCAS application and fees

• Official transcripts (from all schools attended

• MAT or GRE scores (if available, not required)

• CV/Resume

• Three references (academic and professional)

• Writing sample

Additional Admission Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or completion of 87 credit hours and all required prerequisites

• Health and regulatory requirements

• Criminal background check and drug screen

• Science GPA of at least 3.0 on prerequisites with a C or higher in all required courses. Science courses must be taken within the last five years.

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2

• Evidence of current American Heart Association CPR for

  Healthcare providers maintained throughout the program

• Proof of completion of a certified nurses' aide course (CNA). Certification as a CNA is not required.

• HESI A2 nursing entrance exam

• Seat deposit payment (post-admittance)

• An interview may be required

Criminal Background Check Policy

The Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) requires that every nursing student in Arkansas be made aware of potential bars to being able to obtain nursing licensure. Some clinical agencies require the nursing student to undergo background checks prior to participating in clinical experiences in the agency. The Nurse Practice Act of the State of Arkansas details information regarding (1) the requirement that first-time applicants for nursing licensure in Arkansas undergo a state and national criminal background check; and (2) criminal offenses that can potentially disqualify an applicant from taking the licensure exam and/or receiving a professional nursing license. Graduating from a nursing program does not assure the student of ASBN’s approval to take the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam.

The faculty of the MEPN program work within HCCN and the Center of Health Sciences at Harding University. The curriculum is 72 semester credit hours and requires 1,032 clinical practice hours. The full-time plan of study can be completed within two years (five semesters) and includes on-ground primary core courses and master's essential hybrid online courses covering health promotion, healthcare leadership, management, outcomes, safety and evidence-based practice.

Students will experience a variety of clinical settings in the Searcy and Little Rock regions as well as through the College’s own state-of-the-art simulation experiences and equipment.

EMEPN Curriculum plan

A degree plan for MEPN can be found in this Curriculum plan

Carr College of Nursing Student Handbook

Harding University Graduate/Professional Student Handbook

The professional nursing programs seek to provide information regarding licensing for all US states and territories.

• General or College Chemistry - 4 hours

• Math: Introduction to Statistics - 3 hours

• Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab - 4 hours

• Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab - 4 hours

• Introduction to Microbiology with Lab - 4 hours

• General Psychology - 3 hours

• General Sociology - 3 hours

• Nutrition - 3 hours

• Growth and Development across the Lifespan - 3 hours

• English: Intro to University Writing & Research - 3 hours

• Undergraduate Pathophysiology (strongly recommended) - 3 hours

• Minimum grade: C is the minimum on all prerequisites, and B or better is preferred in science courses, but you must have a 3.0 average across all 4 science prerequisite classes, which must have been taken in the last 5 years.

• Minimum credit: MEPN transcript shows confirmation of degree earned and completion of all prerequisite classes

• EMEPN: 87 hours are required, including prerequisites to enter the EMEPN track, but they could transfer to HU before 87 hours are completed if you choose.

The Dean and Faculty measure undergraduate program outcomes in order to foster continual quality improvement.

Selected program outcomes related to new graduate achievement include the first-time pass rate on the national licensing exam, the program completion rate and the employment rate after graduation. The findings are presented below:

Program outcomes of all nursing programs

The Carr College of Nursing is blessed with generous donors of scholarships who are interested in educating Christian professional nurses and advanced practice nurses. Students admitted to the professional nursing (BSN, MSN-MEPN) programs or the advanced practice nursing program (MSN- FNP) are eligible to apply. Scholarship applications for students admitted to the MEPN program can be submitted at any time and forms can be obtained by request at mepn@harding.edu.

Healthcare Missions Opportunities - Guatemala, Tanzania, Cambodia/Thailand
Future possibilities Nicaragua and Zambia

The Carr College of Nursing plans healthcare mission trips for faculty and students in a variety of settings. Recent trips included Guatemala, Tanzania, Cambodia/Thailand, and Zambia. The nursing faculty seek to prepare students to serve cross-culturally with an increased understanding of the health challenges of the region, and to understand the cultural values and viewpoints of the patients and families they serve.

Harding Nurses Student Association - Largest chapter in Arkansas, participate in state and national HNSA events and leadership positions, service projects

The Harding Nurses Student Association (HNSA) is the largest chapter in the state of Arkansas. Students lead and serve in service projects, professional development, state and national events and decisions. The HNSA meets monthly and officers are elected each year among the students. There are two faculty sponsors to guide and mentor the students in these activities.

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing - Service projects and professional development events

The Carr College of Nursing hosts the Epsilon Omicron chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Once admitted to the professional or advanced practice nursing programs, the faculty leaders and members choose the top 30% of the program students based on grade point average. In addition to academic achievement, students are invited to join based on their professional attributes, service and leadership.

Research and quality improvement projects in NURS 6700

MEPN students will be provided with an opportunity for clinical research and quality improvement projects in NURS 6700 Leadership in Diverse Care Settings. These synthesis projects will provide greater depth of understanding of current clinical, management or leadership issues in their acute practice areas.

Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing Curricular Strands and Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this program, the professional nursing practice graduate will be prepared to:

• Clinical Judgment: Demonstrate clinical judgment in making evidence-based clinical decisions for safe and quality nursing care relevant to comprehensive patient problems encountered in diverse care settings.
• Population Care: Integrate evidence-based clinical prevention and population care for aggregates and identified populations encountered in diverse settings.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Implement research findings and evidence-based best practices in the provision of professional nursing to enhance safety and quality in patient care. Use informatics and patient care technologies to facilitate and reach the highest patient care outcomes.
• Research: Analyze disparities in knowledge or evidence, articulate research questions, design a research study and evaluate patient outcomes in professional nursing for refinement of safety and quality care.
• Accountability: Demonstrate accountability for patient and system quality outcomes, using quality improvement, acting as a change agent, and engaging in patient advocacy.
• Servant Leadership: Analyze political, legal and ethical influences in healthcare systems that affect health policy, economics, care coordination, and patient/population outcomes. Facilitate opportunities for personal, professional and spiritual growth.
• Collaboration: Communicate to, collaborate with and listen to patients, families, and interprofessional team members for patient and family teaching/learning needs, and quality patient and system outcomes.
• Ethics: Demonstrate commitment to Christian principles, professional ethics, and standards of professional nursing practice to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care to patients, families and populations in local and global communities.

Beyond tuition and university fees, graduate nursing students incur personal incidental expenses for which they are personally responsible. These include, but are not limited to: a Windows or Mac computer Meeting Requirements, a mobile computing device, clinical expenses, health-related expenses, standardized tests, licensing application and examination fees, health insurance, lab coats, healthcare assessment equipment, transportation, and personal costs while attending campus activities. Application for the national licensing exam is a graduate expense.

Learn more about the Federal Financial Aid Cost of Attendance and find a comprehensive listing of expenses that may be associated with enrollment.

Due to the demands of this professional nursing program, the dean and director recommend that financial aid and payment plans are finalized prior to beginning the program.