The Nursing Program is committed to preparing competent healthcare professionals who can provide exceptional patient care. Our technical standards ensure candidates can successfully complete the program while supporting diverse abilities.
To participate, students must meet technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations and maintain satisfactory demonstration of these standards throughout the program.
The Master's Entry-Level Nursing Program (MSN-ENP) is dedicated to:
Program Mission and Candidate Requirements
Candidates for admission, participation, completion, and graduation must possess the essential abilities to fulfill the societal responsibility of the MSN-ENP Program. This includes demonstrating mastery across five key domains: observation skills to gather critical patient assessment data; communication abilities to collaborate effectively with patients, families, and interprofessional healthcare teams; motor function capabilities to perform necessary nursing procedures and life-saving interventions; intellectual-conceptual abilities to analyze clinical information and make sound nursing judgments based on evidence; and behavioral-social attributes that reflect nursing professional integrity, ethics, and compassionate patient-centered care.
These competencies must be maintained satisfactorily throughout the nursing curriculum. Although some nursing students may intend to practice only in specialized clinical areas (such as pediatrics, medical-surgical, or mental health) or non-clinical roles (such as nursing education, administration, or informatics) upon graduation, all students must perform satisfactorily in the full nursing curriculum, including all required clinical and didactic components, and meet all graduation requirements. Through these integrated abilities, our graduates become well-prepared registered nurses qualified for entry to master's-level advanced practice nursing.
Candidates must be able to acquire information from demonstrations and experiences in the learning environment. Candidates must be able to obtain and interpret information from assessment of patients and evaluate responses to nursing actions. Candidates must be able to effectively gather information. Examples may include: carefully acquiring information from patients and assessment findings; determining changes in patient status that require immediate intervention; collecting comprehensive assessment data to inform care planning; assessing changes in vital sign patterns that indicate patient status changes; monitoring patient responses to therapeutic interventions; and interpreting clinical data to identify potential complications. These abilities may be demonstrated in simulation environments, physical assessment and skills laboratories, and patient care settings.
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, their families, members of the healthcare team, faculty, staff, and peers. They must be able to convey ideas clearly and demonstrate receptiveness to feedback. Candidates must be able to exchange information in various healthcare settings to perform essential nursing functions such as conducting assessments, developing care plans, implementing interventions, communicating critical information, providing patient education, documenting observations, interpreting healthcare provider orders, and participating in shift reports. The ability to communicate relevant, accurate, and complete information in a timely and appropriate manner is essential for safe and effective nursing practice. These abilities may be demonstrated in simulation environments, physical assessment and skills laboratories, and patient care settings.
Candidates must be able to execute various tasks and perform diagnostic maneuvers required within the program following appropriate training by the nursing program. Candidates must be able to respond promptly to urgent situations in all practice environments and to provide general and emergency care. These abilities will be evaluated in simulation environments, physical assessment and skills laboratories, and patient care settings according to program-established performance criteria.
Candidates must be able to acquire information through a variety of modalities, including, but not limited to, classroom instruction; small group, team, and collaborative activities; individual study; preparation and presentation of reports; simulations; and use of computer technology.
Candidates must demonstrate clinical judgment abilities aligned with the nursing process, including the capacity to recognize cues, analyze and interpret patient data, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take actions, and evaluate outcomes. They must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize complex information to formulate appropriate nursing diagnoses and implement effective patient care in various clinical settings and healthcare systems.
These abilities integrate critical thinking with clinical reasoning to support sound decision-making in nursing practice. Candidates will demonstrate these abilities through various assessment methods, including classroom activities, skills and physical assessment labs, simulation experiences, and direct patient care.
Candidates must possess the emotional health required for utilizing intellectual abilities, exercising good judgment, completing responsibilities promptly, and developing effective professional relationships. They must demonstrate integrity, honesty, empathy, and teamwork while maintaining professional boundaries. Candidates must be resilient and able to adapt to changing environments and situations, display flexibility, and function effectively under stress. They must consistently provide respectful, sensitive care regardless of patient demographics and maintain conduct that upholds nursing's professional image, including in digital environments. These abilities enable candidates to engage successfully with patients, peers, faculty, and healthcare teams across diverse practice settings.
If you are an applicant with a disability who may require accommodations in our program, confidentially contact the ADA Coordinator:
Phone: 847.578.8354
Email: ada.coordinator@rosalindfranklin.edu
Requests for academic accommodations are reviewed by the ADA Coordinator in the Â鶹ӰÒô Accessibility and Academic Services to determine if there are reasonable accommodations.
For more information about ADA accommodations at Â鶹ӰÒô, please visit Services for Students with Disabilities.