New master’s program in nursing administration set for fall 2022

The revised graduate program in nursing administration is designed to help nurses become effective leaders in the health care environment.

Wright State University’s School of Nursing, Kinesiology, and Health Sciences will offer a newly revised, fully online Master of Science in Nursing, Administration of Nursing and Health Care Systems Concentration beginning in fall 2022.

The need for the program is paramount in the current health care environment, School of Nursing leaders say. Due to the stress caused by the pandemic, nurse administrators need to be able to adapt to rapid changes to meet health care needs, including shortages of personnel, space, supplies and ethical dilemmas, said Ann Stalter, Ph.D., professor and chair of nursing.

The need for change has become even more apparent in the past two years, with the growing awareness of the need to actively promote a more inclusive health care environment, Stalter said.

“This program recognizes the importance of educating nurse leaders to prepare for a more diverse nursing workforce, challenging students to influence the future of health care delivery positively and comprehensively within our region,” she said. “We hope to advance our student pool to include international student cohorts.”

The program was designed with an interdisciplinary approach, said Yi-Hui Lee, Ph.D., professor of nursing and director of the revised concentration.

“We collaborated with several schools and departments at Wright State to incorporate special topics related to management and leadership into the curriculum of this program to help students develop competencies essential to becoming effective leaders in the health care environment,” Lee said.

The program is fully online, offering working nurse leaders the opportunity to upscale their competencies and while balancing their work with educational attainment.

Twenty-five percent of nurse leaders are considering leaving nursing, so rethinking nurse staffing models that address low morale, burnout and staffing shortages are essential skills that nurse leaders need, Stalter said.

Although the coursework is online, students are provided with opportunities for real-world, hands-on learning experiences and networking as well as an administrative leadership clinical practicum that provides an opportunity to work with nurse leaders, nurse managers or nurse executives.

The program also prepares graduates for certification exams in nursing administration.

Learn more about Wight State’s Master of Science in Nursing, Administration of Nursing and Health Care Systems Concentration.