As a Master of Science in Nursing-Entry student at WesternU, you will participate in clinical experiences starting in the first semester of your studies. These experiences include simulated patient scenarios in the lab setting and clinical experiences in direct patient care in various patient care settings and the community.
Pre-Licensure Clinical Experiences
Simulated Patient Skills Labs
Clinical experience in the new high-tech high fidelity simulated patient skills labs enables you to apply what you’re learning in class to simulated patient scenarios.
These labs offer you an opportunity to develop your critical thinking abilities, demonstrate your mastery of skills, and observe outcomes of computer-programmed “breathing,” “heart-beating” mannequins, while faculty provide feedback on your work.
Real Patient Clinical Experiences
During the pre-licensure portion of the program you will also have real patient contact concurrent with your regular coursework totaling 990 hours. This is nearly 20% more than the California Board of Registered Nursing requires and one of the reasons our students experience such high pass rates on the RN licensure examination.
As a student in the “Nursing for Adults and Older Adults,” the “Pediatrics,” or “Community Health” courses, you will have a clinical day each week corresponding with the material you are learning in class. These experiences occur in a variety of settings, including acute-care hospitals, sub-acute nursing care facilities, community-health and public-health organizations.
Rotation Sites
The College of Graduate Nursing has established relationships with a variety of exceptional clinical partners including one of the largest county hospitals in the nation: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, CA.
We can secure clinical placements with top facilities because of our reputation for producing students with an extremely high standard for nursing.
Other respected rotation facilities include:
Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, CA
San Antonio Community Hospital, Upland, CA
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Pomona, CA
Methodist Hospital, Arcadia, CA
St Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA
Kaiser Fontana, Fontana, CA
Citrus Valley Health Partners, Covina, CA
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, CA
Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA
City of Hope Hospital, Duarte, CA
Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, CA
“The instructors are so down to earth, humble, understanding and supportive. The program is set up to allow the students to have a balance between work, school and family obligations. It is not just about lecturing and testing our knowledge, it is about teaching us to be the leaders in nursing, and for us it is about learning how to become confident leaders.”
– Danielle Blackwell, DNP
Post-Licensure Clinical Experiences
After completing the pre-licensure portion of the curriculum, you will take the RN licensing exam to become a licensed RN. As you begin working in the field, you will start the web-based MSN curriculum. The distance portion of the program allows you to live and work in community while continuing your graduate education. You will visit campus twice per semester for faculty interactions, student presentations, and workshops.
Prior to commencing the post-licensure/web-based portion of the curriculum you will have the opportunity to select one of three MSN specialty tracks:
- Administrative Nurse Leader (5 semesters, full time)
This program will provide you with the latest knowledge and applied skills to be an effective leader in today’s complex health-care environment. Today’s health-care systems require nurse leaders who can integrate experience, knowledge, research, and technology and effectively work in an inter-professional team. - Clinical Nurse Leader (5 semesters, full time)
In practice, the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) oversees the care coordination of a distinct group of patients and actively provides direct patient care in complex situations. This master’s degree-prepared clinician puts evidence-based practice into action to ensure that patients benefit from the latest innovations in care. The CNL is a leader in the health-care delivery system who evaluates patient outcomes, assesses cohort risk, and makes population-based health-care decisions. - Ambulatory Care (5 semesters, full time)
Ambulatory care nursing is a unique realm of nursing practice that takes place in the outpatient, ambulatory-care setting. It is characterized by rapid, focused assessments of patients, long-term nurse/patient/family relationships, and teaching and translating prescriptions for care into doable activities for patients and their caregivers in the outpatient setting.
At this point you will be joined by a cohort of students who have previously earned their RN licenses and have been working in the field (some for many years). You will study and learn side-by-side these experienced nurses, sharing your experiences as you advance your educations and careers. Read more on your post-licensure clinical experiences.