Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Leadership & Management

Prepare to Lead Healthcare Beyond the Bedside.

FGCU's Master of Science in Nursing Leadership & Management prepares nurses to lead people, operations, quality improvement, and organizational change across today's healthcare environment.

The program builds on the perspective and experience nurses bring from clinical practice and develops the financial, operational, systems, and leadership capabilities needed to influence how healthcare is organized, delivered, and improved.

The 34-credit MSN in Nursing Leadership & Management combines graduate nursing education with focused preparation in leadership, financial management, healthcare operations, quality improvement, systems thinking, policy, informatics, and evidence-based change.

Students learn in a supportive environment with individualized faculty guidance and complete 240 hours of applied leadership practicum experience in healthcare settings.

The program is designed to connect graduate education with the leadership challenges healthcare organizations face every day.

Program features:
• 34-credit Master of Science in Nursing
• Full-time and part-time study options
• 240 hours of advanced leadership practicum experience
• Individualized faculty guidance and mentoring
• Applied culminating leadership project
• CCNE-accredited master's degree program in nursing

The MSN in Nursing Leadership & Management is designed for registered nurses who want to expand their influence beyond individual patient care and contribute to how healthcare teams, departments, programs, and organizations are led.

The program may be a good fit for nurses preparing for their first formal leadership position as well as experienced nurse leaders seeking broader preparation in healthcare operations, finance, quality, strategy, and organizational leadership.

Throughout the program, students develop knowledge and skills across the major responsibilities of contemporary healthcare leadership, including:

  • Leadership and management
    • Healthcare operations
    • Financial management and resource allocation
    • Quality improvement and patient safety
    • Workforce and team leadership
    • Organizational systems and change
    • Evidence-based decision-making
    • Healthcare policy
    • Nursing informatics and data
    • Strategic thinking and organizational decision-making

Coursework emphasizes the application of evidence, critical thinking, ethics, communication, and leadership judgment to complex healthcare environments.

Apply Leadership in Healthcare Settings

Leadership is developed through application as well as coursework. Students complete 240 hours of advanced leadership practicum experience, providing opportunities to apply graduate-level leadership concepts within healthcare organizations and learn alongside experienced healthcare professionals.

Practicum experiences allow students to examine organizational challenges, leadership decision-making, operations, quality, resource management, and change within real healthcare environments.

Address Real Healthcare Challenges

The program culminates in an applied leadership project completed in conjunction with the practicum experience. Students use evidence and organizational analysis to examine a meaningful healthcare leadership or management issue and develop a practical response.

Depending on the project, students may consider organizational significance, stakeholders, operational and financial feasibility, implementation, leadership strategy, and approaches to measuring outcomes.

The goal is to bring together what students have learned throughout the program and apply it to a problem relevant to healthcare leadership and management.

Where Can a Nursing Leadership & Management Degree Lead?

Graduates of the MSN in Nursing Leadership & Management are prepared to pursue or advance within leadership and management roles across healthcare organizations. Career pathways may include:

  • Nurse Manager
  • Clinical Director
  • Nursing Operations Leader
  • Quality Improvement Leader
  • Healthcare Administrator
  • Executive Nursing Leadership roles

Career progression will vary based on the student's professional experience, organizational setting, and position requirements.

  • Accreditation

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  • Program Learning Outcomes

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  • Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance

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Ready to Take the Next Step in Nursing Leadership?

Apply now or contact us using the information below.

Contact Us

Marieb College of Health & Human Services

Graduate Program Assistant - Nursing

10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, Florida 33965

239-590-7505