Entry-Level Masters - Population Health Concentration

The entry-level masters (ELM) is a full-time accelerated nursing program for non-nurse college baccalaureate graduates who wish to become registered nurses (RNs). The ELM prepares students in the provision of evidence-based nursing care with an emphasis on care coordination and religious/cultural care to patients along the wellness/illness continuum and across all care settings with the majority of clinical rotations at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta Campus. The curriculum provides requisite nursing knowledge and practice expertise enhanced with masters course work in health-care leadership, public health, health promotion/disease prevention, and community-based health care. The didactic portion of the courses are taught at the Murrieta campus. The 24-month program prepares students to enter the nursing profession as masters credentialed registered nurses better prepared to meet the demands of evolving population health. At the end of the program, graduates receive a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in nursing and are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN examination. All states require that a nurse pass the NCLEX-RN examination for licensure to practice. The program also prepares the student to apply for certification as a Public Health Nurse in the state of California.

Program Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, graduates should be able to:

1. Integrate and apply nursing knowledge to advance clinical judgment, nursing practice, and health outcomes.
2. Design and evaluate person-centered care that reflects individual, family, and community needs.
3. Develop and evaluate population-focused strategies that address social determinants of health to improve population health outcomes.
4. Appraise and translate evidence into practice to advance nursing knowledge to improve care delivery and health outcomes.
5. Develop and Apply quality improvement, safety, systems thinking, and evidence-based standards to improve care and minimize risk.
6. Engage in intentional collaboration across professions to strengthen patient outcomes and address community health needs.
7. Analyze and coordinate health care resources, policies, and systems to promote safe, high-quality care.
8. Integrate informatics, data analytics, and health care technologies to support clinical decisions according to evidence based practice.
9. Exemplify professional nursing identity through ethical leadership, accountability, and commitment to advancing the profession.
10. Engage in reflection, self-assessment, and personal and professional growth to foster wholeness and enact leadership across professional, organizational, and community settings.

Admissions Requirements

In addition to Loma Linda University admissions requirements, the applicant must:

¹ Preferred within five years. 

² Required to take General or Developmental Psychology. Successful completion of both General and Developmental Psychology is preferred. Other courses accepted include: Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychology of Gender, Personality, Pressing Issues in Society, Social Organization, Gender Studies, Black Studies, Chicanx Studies, or Transnationalism (4 units).

Pre-Entrance Requirements

1. A completed background check.
2. Health clearance, including immunizations as outlined in the "Admissions Policies and Information."
3. Have a current American Heart Association issued basic life support (BLS) card.
4. After acceptance a secondary deposit of $200 will be applied to the confirmed student's account if the student is not registered by midnight, the Monday after Registration Kickoff.  The deposit will be applied to the student's tuition, similar to their confirmation deposit.

NORMAL TIME TO COMPLETION

24 months (full time enrollment)