Entry-Level Master's Programs in Nursing: Review of Programmatic Features.

Abstract

This review describes the programmatic features of entry-level master's programs in nursing in the United States that result in a generalist degree for individuals with a baccalaureate degree in another field. The number of entry-level Master of Science in Nursing programs has grown over the past decade, increasing the importance of understanding the features, similarities, and differences among these programs. Using a custom report of accredited schools of nursing with entry-level master's programs from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing's website, we conducted a program review to describe the programs' features. There is substantial variation in nomenclature, length, credits, and clinical hours among entry-level master's programs. The difference in these programs may create confusion among potential students of the programs and employees of the graduates. Investigations are needed on the relationship between programmatic features and outcomes. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(9):525-529.].