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Transition Your Career to Nursing
Elmhurst University’s online Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice (MENP) program is the first of its kind in the country to be offered online. It is designed specifically for students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields who want to enter the profession of nursing.
Through this direct entry MSN program, students will earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in just 20 months while preparing to sit for the registered nurse licensure exam (the NCLEX-RN) and clinical nurse leader (CNL) certification exam.
This accelerated MSN for non-nurses provides an immersive educational experience in nursing that emphasizes hands-on clinical practice and exceptional skills, with a focus on quality and safety.
You’ll be ready for your new role providing direct patient care and will emerge with the skills of a clinical nurse leader. You’ll also be eligible to bridge to a nurse practitioner role through post-graduate certification programs or a doctor of nursing practice program.
Thank You For Your Interest
Unfortunately, your location is currently ineligible for our program but we’d like to help you continue your search. Visit OnlineABSNPrograms.com and enter your ZIP code to find a CCNE-accredited program near you.
Is this Direct Entry MSN Program Right for Me?
The online MENP is a rigorous, full-time program requiring 100% commitment. It’s strongly advised that you don’t work, even part-time, to exclusively focus on the program for its 20-month duration.
You will use an online learning platform to complete your coursework and have direct access to your professors and fellow students. All coursework is done entirely online, except for your clinical experience and one residency that will take place on Elmhurst University’s campus, located just west of Chicago. During the residency, you’ll build clinical knowledge and skills through active, hands-on learning in the state-of-the-art Simulation Center.
This direct-entry nursing program is specifically tailored toward second-career professionals who want to enroll in a fast-paced, immersive program to enter the nursing profession with an MSN.
Online MENP Admission Requirements and Prerequisites
Admission requirements include:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
- Minimum cumulative 3.2 GPA
- Prerequisite courses
- No prior nursing experience required
To be admitted to the nursing program, students must:
- Meet certain health requirements and functional abilities;
- Have the demonstrated ability to engage in diverse, complex and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions; and
- Have the unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities required to satisfactorily perform these skills and functions.
Your enrollment advisor will help you determine which prerequisites you need before you can start the online MENP program. You will need 22 credit hours of prerequisites, and completion of the following college-level courses, with a grade of "C" or better in each.
- Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits)
- General Chemistry with Lab (4 credits)
- Microbiology with Lab (4 credits)
- Intro to Psychology or Sociology (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
Prerequisites for the MENP program must have been completed within 5 years.
If you haven’t earned credits for these courses an enrollment advisor will help you with the next steps.
Online MENP Curriculum Sample
Examines the structure, function and forces that shape U.S. and global health care delivery systems. Explores current and emerging technologies to support safe practice environments that optimize patient safety, cost-effectiveness and health outcomes for individuals and populations. Identifies policy decision-making in relation to advanced nursing roles. This course provides essential content to exercise clinical leadership in interprofessional teams in health care organizations and to advocate for individuals, diverse populations and the discipline of nursing.
Examines knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to professional nursing practice with individuals, families and populations across the lifespan. Clinical reasoning skills for the professional nursing role are developed using the concepts of quality, safety, evidence-based practice and patient-centered care within the health-illness continuum. Ethical principles and social determinants of health are introduced as a framework for professional nursing practice. Clinical practicum/lab provides opportunity for application of these concepts as a provider of care in a variety of health care systems.
Examines patient and family centered nursing care for select conditions and health alterations specific to reproductive-age women, newborns, children, and families across the health illness continuum. Students develop the professional roles of provider and designer/manager/coordinator of nursing care using an evidence-based approach. Clinical practicum builds on previous knowledge, skills and attitudes and provides opportunity for application and synthesis of course concepts in a variety of health care systems.
This course is an introduction to epidemiological and statistical knowledge and skills that are fundamental to an advanced nursing role. Concepts essential for evidence-based practice, clinical prevention and population health are covered.
The course focuses on the effective and efficient use of technology to identify, collect, process and manage healthcare information to support quality and safety in professional healthcare practice in the advanced nursing role. Builds on concepts of technology-based health applications and the use of genetics and genomics which support evidence-based practice and patient-centered care and the exploration of ethical and legal areas of concern within a variety of healthcare settings.
- Now accepting applications
for Spring 2025 - Spring 2025 start:
February 3, 2025
Growing up internationally and spending one-on-one time with nurses due to her brother’s illness has inspired Breana to give back. She talks about why she chose an online direct entry master's in nursing program and what stood out about Elmhurst in her search for the right university.
Breana’s long-term goal following graduation is to further her education to become a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health.
