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: https://nc-sara.org/directory/. Applicants are encouraged to check with their local State Boards of Nursing regarding any specific professional licensure requirements prior to applying or enrolling.

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements:

Completion of a Master's degree in Nursing from a United States regionally accredited institution.
Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse license in Oklahoma or compact state by the time of enrollment in the first semester.
- NOTE: Neonatal CNS and Neonatal NP applicants must have a minimum of one year of full time RN experience in Level 3 or 4 NICU prior to applying.
Minimum Cumulative GPA for 3.0 in all college coursework at the time of application and at the time of enrollment.
Resume or CV.
The most qualified applications will be invited to an interview.

Additional Admission Details:

Please Note: The LPN-BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, Post-Graduate Certificates, PhD, and DNP programs in the OU College of Nursing are hybrid and/or online or part-time programs. The F-1 visa regulations require in-person courses, and these programs do not meet those requirements. Thus, international students are not accepted for these programs (LPN-BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, Post-Graduate Certificates, PhD, and DNP). International students are only eligible to apply for the ABSN and TBSN pathways as they have in-person requirements.
All applicants should refer to the professional licensure disclosure information for the programs available at this link: https://www.ouhsc.edu/academicaffairs/professional-licensure-disclosure.

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.

For more information on how to apply and materials needed please visit: https://nursing.ouhsc.edu/admissions-financial-aid/apply-now/application-process

NOTICE: Admission requirements are subject to change. It is the applicant’s responsibility to stay informed regarding current applicable requirements. Please check the website often for updates.

Curriculum

Post-Graduate NCNS Certificate Curriculum

Prefix and Course #	Course Title	Credit Hours
PATH 5503	Principles of Pathophysiology	3
NURS 7414	Pathophysiology of Neonatal APRNs	4
NURS 7423	Pharmacology for Neonatal ARPNs	3
NURS 7173	Advanced Neonatal Concepts I	3
NURS 7193	Advanced Neonatal Concepts II	3
NURS 7413	Advanced Neonatal Physical Assessment	3 / 64 clinical hours
NURS 7353	Advanced Concepts Quality & Safety	3 / 64 clinical hours
NURS 7103	Systems Management for the CNS	3 / 96 clinical hours
NURS 7163	Advanced Neonatal CNS Practicum I	3 / 192 clinical hours
NURS 7183	Advanced Neonatal CNS Practicum II	3 / 192 clinical hours
NURS 7363	Synthesis for the Neonatal CNS	3 / 192 clinical hours

		Total Credit Hours: 34
		Total Clinical Hours: 800