Richard and Lucille DeWitt School of Nursing

Erin Bailey, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Associate professor
Co-coordinator - MSN program
Phone: (936) 468-7733
Email: baileyerin@sfasu.edu

Brooklee Grant
Administrative assistant - MSN program
Phone: (936) 468-7750
Email: raneyb@sfasu.edu

About the Program

The Master of Science in Nursing is designed to prepare nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to provide care in a variety of primary-care sites as a family nurse practitioner or nurse educator. An option also exists for those with an MSN to earn a post-master’s certificate as a FNP.

The family nurse practitioner program emphasizes care for communities, families and individuals who live and work in medically underserved areas, especially those in East Texas. The nursing education option prepares the nurse to develop curriculum and teaching methods using innovative technologies and simulation, as well as evaluation strategies for the classroom and clinical or hospital settings. All program options are online and allow the student flexibility to remain in their community to complete clinical requirements.

Graduate Faculty

Associate Professors

• Erin Bailey, D.N.P., University of Missouri at Kansas City
• Sara Bishop, Ph.D., Texas Woman’s University
• Della Connor, Ph.D., University of Texas at Tyler
• Tamara Harris, D.N.P., Chatham University
• Karen Migl, Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
• Rose Powell, Ph.D., George Mason University

Assistant Professors

• Kim Deaton, D.N.P., Chamberlain School of Nursing
• Angela Jones, D.N.P., Duquesne University
• Christopher Ryan, D.N.P., University of Missouri at Kansas City

Clinical Instructors

• Sheree Barrios, M.S.N., Northwestern State University
• Dee Kimbrough, M.S.N., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Adjunct Instructors

• Christell Bray, Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
• Lauren Gaudette, M.S.N., University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
• Carla Hairston, Ph.D., Texas Woman’s University
• David Smith, D.N.P., Loyola University

Mission/Philosophy

Our mission is to provide students a foundation for success as nurses who are ethical, competent critical thinkers by providing an educational environment that promotes holistic health care in an educational community dedicated to teaching, research, creativity and service.

Core Values for the School of Nursing

• Intellectual and Creative Engagement: The school’s faculty members encourage the student to investigate the health needs of a changing society and to think in creative ways to provide holistic healthcare to culturally diverse populations and engage the nursing profession.
• A Diverse Student Body: The unique individual student is engaged and valued as a partner in the diverse learning community and in the nursing profession.
• Teaching and Learning: The facilitation of transformative learning experiences will inspire innovation and excellence and foster life-long learning in the nursing profession.
• Faculty Excellence: Faculty will seek new ways to provide a collaborative, respectful, inclusive learning experience and serve as positive examples of nursing professionals.
• Partnerships: The school will demonstrate integrity and facilitate trust with community partners in the nursing profession in meeting the needs of culturally diverse populations.

The Nursing Metaparadigm

The School of Nursing strives to equip all nursing student to embody the metaparadigm of nursing, person, health and environment in all aspects of health care delivery.

• Nursing: Nursing graduates at every level are expected to meet the academic and ethical standards of the profession. Nursing is a profession of arts and science dedicated to facilitating holistic care to all persons.
• Person: The individual, family, group or community that engages with the nurse in the health care delivery system. 
• Health: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organization, 2019)
• Environment: The setting in which the student learns and practices nursing.

Program Learning Outcomes

The student will:

1. synthesize nursing science with knowledge from other disciplines as the basis for the advanced level of nursing practice
2. evaluate effective strategies for managing the ethical and legal dilemmas inherent in patient care, the health care organization and research
3. employ effective communication and collaborative skills in interdisciplinary teams for creating change in health care
4. analyze concepts of health promotion and culturally competent care across the lifespan
5. assume responsibility for the use of health care information systems and patient care technology to improve patient outcomes
6. demonstrate leadership and accountability in the development and implementation of health care policy
7. critically appraise existing literature from nursing and other disciplines to determine and implement the best evidence for practice
8. advocate for the advanced practice role within the policy related to access and health care communities
9. and value continuing competence, growth and development in the profession.

How to Apply

To be considered for admission to the online program, a student must:

1. apply, pay the necessary application fee and be accepted into SFA’s graduate studies program (Prospective students must apply to SFA via the ApplyTexas.org.)
2. create a profile in NursingCAS
3. and apply to SFA’s online Family Nurse Practitioner, M.S.N.  program.*

*Please ensure that the application is completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for all programs are:

• a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited institution
• a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework, including all nursing courses taken
• complete the NursingCAS admission application
• complete admission requirements for SFA’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies (The School of Nursing does not require the GRE.)
• request official transcripts be sent to both the NursingCAS system and the SFA Office of Research and Graduate Studies from every college or university attended
• submit to the NursingCAS system a one-page essay describing the applicant’s philosophy of advanced-practice nursing and personal/professional goals
• submit to the NursingCAS system a current professional résumé presenting professional and work experiences, contributions and accomplishments
• three professional letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your professional ability and potential for success in a graduate program uploaded to the NursingCAS system
• a current valid, unencumbered Texas Registered Nurse license
• and the equivalent of one year of full-time practice as a registered nurse.

Transfer of Graduate Credit

Under certain circumstances, a graduate student may transfer from six to 12 semester hours of graduate coursework taken at other accredited institutions prior to beginning the program. After beginning the program, no course work may be transferred. The student pursuing a master’s degree with thesis may transfer a maximum of six semester hours, and a student pursuing a master’s degree without thesis may transfer a maximum of 12 semester hours. Coursework used to satisfy requirements for a previous master’s degree acquired at SFA or elsewhere may not be used to satisfy requirements for a second master’s degree at SFA.

To transfer any credit from other institutions, however, the student must submit an official transcript of the courses to be considered and have the approval of the appropriate academic department and academic dean. The work must have been taken not earlier than six years prior to the student’s first graduate enrollment at SFA. Moreover, if the student fails to complete work on the graduate degree at SFA before the expiration of the six years, the transfer credit will not be applicable toward a degree here.

Any course accepted by transfer will carry credit but not grade-point value. Moreover, to transfer credit, the student must have earned a grade of B or higher in the course.

The DeWitt School of Nursing’s M.S.N. program is approved for candidacy by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.  Accreditation visit completed fall 2019 with anticipated decision in spring 2020.
3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

All School of Nursing information is available online at nursing.sfasu.edu/nursing.

Programs

• Family Nurse Practitioner, M.S.N.

• Family Nurse Practitioner, Major

• Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate