Newswise — Who hasn’t been at a crossroads and wished that a snap of the fingers could answer which direction was best? For those with a bachelor’s degree who are pondering a career path or a career change to nursing, the choice is about to get almost that easy with a proposed Johns Hopkins Master’s Entry into Nursing program.*

At five semesters, the Master’s Entry into Nursing will be a fast, flexible way to get to another win-win fork in the road: enter the profession as an RN with the tools to become a nurse leader; or continue training toward an advanced practice specialty or a research doctoral degree. Graduates will be prepared to deliver and lead the care of patients with increasingly complex health conditions in hospital, primary care, or community settings as part of a health team with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others.

The graduate curriculum includes courses with advanced content in such key areas as ensuring quality and safety in healthcare, global health, ethics, leadership, and interprofessional practice. The faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON), known for their expertise in global nursing, will lead students in developing a sense of cultural humility needed to deliver care in a multicultural healthcare environment.

“The future of healthcare demands that nurses have a solid foundation in evidence-based practice, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to lifelong learning,” explains JHSON Dean Patricia M. Davidson, PhD, MEd, RN, FAAN. “Our students will graduate more agile and resilient, able to adjust to constantly changing environments, and better prepared to provide transitional and chronic care management.”

According to Davidson, career changers with a bachelor’s degree in an area other than nursing will be a key part of the target audience for the Master’s Entry into Nursing. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and those who served a medical role in the military are ideal candidates as well. All those who complete the program will be prepared to take the NCLEX and thus earn an RN license.

The plan is to have the first cohort begin in fall 2015 and complete the program in spring 2017, prime hiring season for hospitals across the nation. Eventually, the JHSON accelerated baccalaureate programs will be phased out, with the best parts of the rigorous curriculum revamped, revisited, and upgraded within the Master’s Entry into Nursing. Final details were filed with the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) in April 2014. Scholarships and financial aid will be available.

For more information on the Master’s Entry into Nursing, visit nursing.jhu.edu/mastersentry.

*Pending MHEC approval

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The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) Doctoral programs at JHSON