MSN: INTEGRATIVE NURSING LEADERSHIP
ONLINE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

Take your career in nursing leadership to a new level through the Master of Science in Nursing online degree program at Mercyhurst University.

Designed with the working, BSN-educated nurse in mind, our innovative Integrative Nursing Leadership (inLEAD) MSN curriculum prepares you for roles as a nursing supervisor or health care administrator. Drawing from the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, who established Mercyhurst nearly a century ago on the values of compassion, service, respect, and integrity, we strive to educate mindful, merciful, compassionate nurse leaders.

Small Class Sizes

Advanced Nursing Topics

100% Online

Master of Science in Nursing Program Overview

  • Options: Master’s degree (MSN)
  • Location(s): 100 percent online
  • Credits: 32
  • Duration: Minimum 12 months
  • Cost: $445 per credit; $14,685 total
  • Deadline: Rolling admissions
  • Start term(s): Fall, Spring, or Summer semester

The MSN: Integrative Nursing Leadership graduate program provides a transformative education, preparing intellectually creative, merciful, compassionate, mindful, and resilient nurse leaders whose relationship-based practice is informed by evidence with a focus on the health and wellbeing of caregivers as well as those they serve.

The 32-credit Integrative Nursing Leadership MSN curriculum is designed with working professionals in mind. All courses are offered online, and you’ll complete one course per eight-week mini term, never taking more than one course at a time — to earn your MSN in two years! The full-time option is also available, allowing for MSN completion in one year.

An Integrative Nursing Approach to Leadership

Without a doubt, the nursing profession, while rewarding, can be stressful. With a Master of Science in Nursing, you will be prepared to help your organization directly address stress for nurses.

In the recent past, health care has focused on treating specific conditions or ailments rather than on the overall well-being of the people seeking care. Similarly, there has been a tendency to overlook the well-being of nurses caring for patients. This model can lead to poor outcomes and experiences for patients, as well as high levels of burnout and low levels of job satisfaction for nurses. 

Through the Master of Science in Nursing program at Mercyhurst, you’ll be introduced to an emerging model of care that is person-centered and compassionate — a concept extended to working nurses and not just patients.

For instance, through the master’s in nursing leadership program, you’ll learn various techniques intended to enable self-care and resilience. Techniques such as these will help you to cultivate self-awareness and compassion for yourself and to allow you to extend the same kind of compassion and mercy to others. 

Learning Outcomes

With the flexibility of Mercyhurst’s 100% online master’s in nursing leadership, you can gain a competitive edge in the marketplace while maintaining the flexibility you need for your career, family, and other responsibilities. You’ll be prepared to: 

  • Transform professional reflections, knowledge, skills, and attitudes into purposeful advanced integrative nursing practice to improve the health, well-being, and resiliency of self and others.
  • Apply advanced communication and leadership skills to advocate for policies that improve the health of the public and the profession of nursing using knowledge from nursing and related sciences such as complexity science, systems theory, and Watson’s Human Caring Theory.
  • Integrate knowledge of emerging technologies, outcome data, and health care economics, with an emphasis on regulatory requirements and reimbursement mix, to inform fiscally responsible decision-making in the delivery of safe and effective care.
  • Employ translational scholarship when integrating evidence into clinical practice to improve health outcomes of diverse populations across the continuum of care.
  • Demonstrate critical decision-making when assessing for high priority needs in a highly complex health care system and cultivate unique partnerships and alliances to meet these needs in innovative, collaborative, ethical, and cost-effective ways.

Course Requirements

The MSN program requires completion of 32 credits. 
  • NURS 500: Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations of Care (3 credits)
  • NURS 508: Fostering Resilience (3 credits)
  • OL 502: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
  • NURS 504: Health Concerns of Vulnerable Populations (3 credits)
  • NURS 573: Quality, Safety & Value in Health Care (4 credits)
  • NURS 600: Transforming Health Care: Information Systems and Technology (3 credits)
  • NURS 611: Health Care Finance & Economics (3 credits)
  • NURS 506: Nurse as Scholar: Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
  • NURS 604: Health Care Policy Analysis & Advocacy (3 credits)
  • NURS 677: Integrative Nursing Capstone (4 credits)

Master of Science in Nursing Financial Aid

While we offer a competitively priced program to help you advance your nursing leadership career, there are options available to help you defray the costs of your master’s in nursing leadership degree. Learn more about available financial aid for graduate programs including:

  • Graduate Assistant (GA) positions
  • Graduate Employment (GE) positions
  • Veteran benefits
  • Employer reimbursement
  • Federal direct loans

You may also be eligible for corporate partner tuition pricing if you are a nurse employed with the Allegheny Health Network or UPMC. Mercyhurst alumni are also eligible for special tuition for the Master of Science in Nursing program. 

What can you do with a master’s in Integrative Nursing Leadership? 

It’s no secret that the job market for health care professionals is growing at a fast pace. Medical and health service management occupations are expected to grow by 32% through 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, nursing occupations are expected to grow by 7% over the same time period. 

Whether you currently occupy a position of leadership in nursing or want to advance your career, a master’s in nursing leadership can help. Upon completing the program, you’ll be prepared to sit for and earn the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) credential.

The 32-credit Integrative Nursing Leadership MSN curriculum is designed with working professionals in mind. All courses are offered online and you’ll complete one course per eight-week Mini (half-semester) term, never taking more than one course at a time — and you’ll earn your MSN in two years! The full-time option is also available, allowing for MSN completion in one year. 

The MSN program requires completion of 32 credits. All courses can be completed online.

  • NURS 500: Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations of Care (3 credits)
  • NURS 508: Fostering Resilience (3 credits)
  • OL 502: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
  • NURS 504: Health Concerns of Vulnerable Populations (3 credits)
  • NURS 573: Quality, Safety & Value in Health Care (4 credits)
  • NURS 600: Transforming Health Care: Information Systems and Technology (3 credits)
  • NURS 611: Health Care Finance & Economics (3 credits)
  • NURS 506: Nurse as Scholar: Evidence-Based Practice (3 credits)
  • NURS 604: Health Care Policy Analysis & Advocacy (3 credits)
  • NURS 677: Integrative Nursing Capstone (4 credits)
Are you an RN who still needs to earn an BSN? Our blended program combines asynchronous online nursing courses with occasional synchronous class meetings, which you can attend either on our Erie campus (Tuesday or Thursday evenings) or online via webcam. Learn More.

Master of Science in Nursing Admissions Requirements

To apply for the Master of Science in Nursing online program, you must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree (must be conferred), an unencumbered RN license (any state), a completed (free) online application, all official transcripts from accredited higher education institutions, and one recommendation from a supervisor or faculty member.

Accreditation

The Master’s Degree in Nursing program delivered via distance education at Mercyhurst University is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. 202-909-2487.

nln cnea logo

Become a better nursing leader.

Complete your Master of Science in Nursing online to help take your career and your organization to the next level. 

Apply Today

Submit your online application today for the Master of Science in Integrative Nursing Leadership at Mercyhurst University.

Explore Financial Aid

You have options to help pay for your Master of Science in Nursing degree. Visit our Graduate Cost and Financial Aid webpage or contact us at grad@mercyhurst.edu or 814-824-3351.

Request More Information

Do you want to learn more about how a Master of Science in Nursing degree can help you? Complete this brief form to get more information. 


Contact Us

Judy Stanley, DHSc., RN, CNE
Program Director, Graduate Nursing
Phone: 814-824-2908
Office: Motherhouse 691
Email: jstanley@mercyhurst.edu

Colleen Hordych
Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions
Phone: 814-824-2297
Email: chordych@mercyhurst.edu