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Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist Post-Graduate Certificate

The Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist pathway is designed to prepare skilled Clinical Nurse Specialists to provide care for low and high-risk neonates and their families in a variety of settings. Graduates of this program are registered nurses with advanced education who are able to assess, make diagnoses, manage health care, prescribe medicines, and evaluate care for patients.  

The CNS pathway offers part-time and full-time options to fit the schedules of working nurses. Many classes are offered online but there are on-campus learning requirements in some classes. On-campus learning consists of standardized patient visits, labs with clinical skills and physical assessments, and objective structured clinical exams. For additional information about this program, please contact nursing@ouhsc.edu.

The Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist curriculum prepares graduates to apply for and sit for the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist certification exam.

Residency requirements: Clinical Rotations will be performed in the state of Oklahoma.  Due to federal regulations from the Department of Education, the College of Nursing currently accepts applications for its online doctoral degree programs from residents of the states participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). A list of participating states can be found here. Applicants are encouraged to check with their local State Boards of Nursing regarding any specific professional licensure requirements prior to applying or enrolling.

Prerequisite Courses

Research Methodology
General Statistics

Admission Requirements

  • Completion of a Master's degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution
  • Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Oklahoma or hold a compact license
  • Prerequisite courses to be completed with a grade of “C” or better
    • Undergraduate Nursing Research (ex. EBP)
    • Statistics – either undergraduate or graduate
  • Last 60 hours grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Submission of three letters of reference
  • Resume
  • Personal Statement

If after reviewing the qualifications for this program you are unsure of whether you meet them, please contact Nursing@ouhsc.edu. We are here to help and support you as you pursue a career in the health sciences.  

Curriculum