Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Program
The CNL program takes into account your educational, career, and life experiences as well as your critical thinking ability and maturity as you prepare to become a leader in nursing and health care. The curriculum prepares individuals with undergraduate or graduate degrees in other disciplines to become Registered Nurses who provide direct patient care and who lead at the point of care.
The Clinical Nurse Leader MSN program educates individuals to provide leadership at the point of care. The school admits students each fall into a 24-month, full-time program leading to a master's of science in nursing. The CNL is a nursing generalist, and will be prepared to direct care at the unit level. This could be direct care in an inpatient hospital unit, in an outpatient environment, or in a public/community health setting.
The CNL will be prepared to collect and evaluate patient outcomes, assess cohort risk, and use decision-making authority to change care plans when necessary. The CNL will function as part of an interdisciplinary team by communicating, planning, and implementing care directly with other health care professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, and advanced practice nurses.
The CNL MSN program is not intended to prepare individuals for a specific job title as a "Clinical Nurse Leader;" graduates will likely obtain various professional positions from different employers. It is also anticipated that new CNL grads will be hired as novice nurses in whatever position they seek. It is expected that CNL grads will more rapidly rise to positions as Clinician, Team Leader, Patient Care Coordinator, Outcomes Manager, Client Advocate, Systems Analyst/Risk Anticipator, etc. One of the objectives of the CNL program at the University of Virginia is to provide graduates with clinical experiences in different healthcare settings as well as professional skills/abilities that can be used in different environments.
This program is a full-time program that leads to a MSN degree after 24 months. The 2009 begins in the fall semester, and ends at the end of the a summer session nearly two years later. Beginning in 2010, the program will begin in June and end at the end of the spring semester.
Clinicals
Clinical experiences include rotations in a variety of sites to help the student develop skills with acute, chronic, and preventative care of persons with medical- surgical, obstetric, and psychiatric needs. In addition, students also rotate through community/public health and pediatric specialty sites. In the final spring and summer semesters, students identify a clinical focus area for completion of an extended clinical practicum, followed by the CNL residency practicum. Clinical experiences will be offered at the University of Virginia Medical Center, as well as other facilities and settings in the Charlottesville area.
Licensure & Certification
Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to be licensed as a RN. Graduates would also be eligible to sit for the new Clinical Nurse Leader certification examination.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the School of Nursing is competitive and based on evaluation of all portions of the application.
To be considered for the Clinical Nurse Leader Master's of Science in Nursing, applicants must submit a completed application and the following materials by February 1 for the cohort entering in Fall 2009:
- Have a baccalaureate or master's degree from a nationally accredited school.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate study.
- Successfully complete the following courses before enrolling:
Human Anatomy & Physiology within the past 5 years (labs not required). The full sequence of Anatomy & Physiology needs to be completed by the end of the spring term.
A course in life span development (birth to death)
A course in statistics at the graduate or undergraduate level within the past 5 years
A course in pathophysiology (UVa offers this course online every summer.) Pathophysiology builds upon your knowledge of anatomy & physiology, so you should note the sequence of courses when fulfilling prerequisites.)
- Demonstrate satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination*.
- Submit a clear statements on educational/professional goals, as well as on diversity.
- Submit three satisfactory academic and professional recommendations. If possible, one should be from someone in healthcare.
- Submit a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae.
- Have prior work or volunteer experience in healthcare. Exposure to nursing is recommended.
- Be available for an interview if requested; this might be a phone interview with members of the admissions committee.
Application deadline for all materials (application and supporting documents)- Fall entry: February 1 for Fall 2009
*All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. The School of Nursing accepts GRE scores that are more than 5 years old. If you have your 'older' scores, you may submit a copy of the Student Report. Students who have already completed a graduate degree do not need to submit GRE scores. The Institutional Code for the University of Virginia is R-5820. Because of some recent problems with receiving the ETS score reports, you may be asked to mail/fax a copy of your Student Score Report.
International applicants are required also to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. Visit their websites for more information. The University of Virginia institutional code number is R-5820, nursing #0610.
For applicants in 2010 and beyond:
Beginning in 2010, the program will start in the summer months. Students planning on enrolling in 2010 will need to have all of the course prerequisites (except pahtophysiology) completed by the end of the spring term.
Downloads, Program of Study, and Links
For More Information
For additional information on admission to and programs of study at the UVa School of Nursing, please fill our our online form. You are also welcome to call the Office of Admissions at (434) 924-0141 / (888) 283-8703.
Questions on admissions and financial aid should be directed to Clay Hysell, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, email hysell@virginia.edu