The Adult/Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist program will prepare you with the knowledge and skills needed to function as an advanced practice nurse to meet the needs of adult-geriatric patients. Students can develop subspecialty expertise within the adult-gerontology population including such areas as cardiology, nephrology, neurology, and oncology, among others. CNSs are equipped to advance quality of care, integrate evidence into practice, develop and lead clinical innovations, and improve patient and system outcomes.  Graduates practice in a wide range of health care settings that include hospitals and acute care, long-term care, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation care.

The Clinical Nurse Specialist curriculum prepares graduates to apply for and sit for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Adult Gerontology certification exam. 

Student Outcomes

Per CCNE accreditation standards, successful completion of the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing Master's Degree Program prepares the graduate to:

• Integrate theories from nursing and support sciences to guide practice and role development
• Use evidence-based and best practice literature to propose and initiate change.
• Promote safe, ethical health care delivery.
• Deliver a broad array of evidence-based, patient-centered nursing interventions to individuals and populations in a specialized area of practice.
• Demonstrate expertise in a specialized area of clinical, teaching, and management/administrative practice and/or initial competence in a functional role (advanced practice registered nurse [APRN], educator, and administrator).
• Employ leadership and management skills in decision making to improve nursing care delivery and the care environment.
• Collaborate with the interprofessional teams to improve nursing care and health care services.
• Contribute to knowledge dissemination through scholarly activities and communication.
• Use critical synthesis to effectively manage resources and systems.
• Demonstrate competency in information analysis, management, and technology consistent with role preparation.
• Engage in lifelong learning and professional development.

Program Outcomes

• In 2019-2020 the Clinical Nurse Specialist program had a 100% certification pass rate.
• In In 2019-2020 the Clinical Nurse Specialist program had a 100% post-certificate pass rate
• In 2019-2020 the Clinical Nurse Specialist program completion rate was 76.9%
• In 2019-2020 the Clinical Nurse Specialist program completion rate was 100%
• 100% of 2019-2020 Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates were employed within 12 months of graduation

Admission Requirements:

• Completion of a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from a United States regionally accredited institution.
• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse required by the time of enrollment in the first semester. 
  • Note: Clinical Nurse Specialist applicants must be licensed in Oklahoma or hold a compact license.
  • Note: Admin Management applicants must be licensed where clinical rotations will be completed.
• 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. 

MSN Adult/Gero CNS Curriculum