American Sentinel University Online 
 
Reasons to choose American Sentinel University:
- American Sentinel offers one of the lowest tuition rates for online degree programs and a full range of financial aid and assistance support.
- American Sentinel's student support services are designed especially for full-time working professionals who need flexibility.
- American Sentinel's fastest growing student population is in the healthcare sector.
- American Sentinel's military-friendly online college degree programs and benefits apply to the extended military community, including active members of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine, Navy, National Guard, Reserves, honorably discharged veterans and spouses.
- American Sentinel offers credit for completed courses, professional certificates, military training, and life/work experience, so you can earn your degree more quickly.
Featured Programs from American Sentinel University:
Nursing - RN to BSN
More and more practicing registered nurses, like those seeking an RN to Bachelor's of Science in Nursing degree, want to advance their education and career opportunities, and they are turning to American Sentinel University's CCNE-accredited nursing education programs.
The National League for Nursing reported that in 2006, 43% of all pre-licensure nursing graduates were over the age of 20 and one in six were over age 40. Our RN to Bachelor of Science Nursing program is designed for registered nurses, both newly licensed and veteran health professionals, who are looking for career mobility, professional development as well as practical skills they can take back to their current job.
Graduates from the RN to Bachelor of Science Nursing program at American Sentinel will be able to:
- Assume a leadership role within multidisciplinary teams within healthcare organizations and in the community.
- Directly provide and manage competent care for individuals, families, and groups who have simple to complex health care needs.
- Enhance professional nursing practice through the use of research and evidence based practice.
- Integrate methods of research and scholarship in making and prioritizing diagnoses, and in planning, implementing, and evaluating care of individuals, groups, and communities.
- Assess health and incorporate principles and methods of health promotion and health education in nursing care of individuals, families, and groups who have simple to complex health care needs.
- Accept accountability and responsibility for one's own professional. judgment and actions
- Integrate professional values and role behaviors.
- Express a fundamental understanding of the problems of contemporary health and illness.
- Embrace the role of citizen in a global society.
- Collaborate with other groups in shaping health policies that affect both individual and community health.
Clinical Experience
American Sentinel University's clinical requirement is designed to enhance and expand the RN to BSN student's skills and knowledge so they are better prepared to achieve professional career goals.
In the online BSN degree program, students are required to complete two practica - one emphasizing Community Health and the other emphasizing Leadership and Management. American Sentinel will prepare nursing students for the clinical experiences with theory courses in Community Health Nursing and Leadership and Management. The theory courses are then followed by one three-credit practicum course in each discipline that offers the opportunity to put learning into practice.
Community Health practicum hours are accomplished in an agency that provides population based nursing. The primary assignment for this course is the completion of a community assessment and program plan. The practicum for Leadership and Management may be accomplished at a healthcare agency of the BSN student's choice. The primary assignment for this course is the completion of a project that helps an organization keep up with the fast pace of change in healthcare today. In each practicum, American Sentinel faculty assists our online nursing degree students in identifying local agencies that provide appropriate preceptors and clinical experiences.
Courses in the RN to BSN program include:
- Nursing Research
- Reflective Practice, Issues & Trends
- Health & Health Care Delivery/Quality and Cost Effective Outcomes
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Public Health Nursing
- Health Assessment
- Case Management
American Sentinel's CCNE-accredited RN to BSN program is based on the Colorado Articulation Model, a statewide agreement which permits registered nurses who are graduates of ADN programs to enter the BSN program option without taking tests to verify prior knowledge. Nursing students will be awarded 30 semester hours based on their current RN license, allowing them to take just 30 more credits to complete the RN to Bachelor of Science degree at American Sentinel.
Nursing - RN to MSN
The Registered Nurse to Master of Science Nursing (MSN) is an accredited, fast-track online RN to MSN program ideal for nurses who intend to work in the nursing field for a decade or longer. Experienced nurses who hold their Registered Nurse license (and RNs who also hold bachelor’s degrees in other fields) can apply their associate degree toward the MSN without having to first earn a BSN. To complete the MSN degree, distance education nursing students complete 18 baccalaureate-level nursing credit hours (and must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0). Then, they apply to the RN to MSN online program and complete 36 graduate credit hours.
American Sentinel’s RN to MSN online program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
With an MSN, a nurse will enjoy greater career mobility and expanded job options. In today’s health care landscape, there is a growing recognition that nurses need more education to be fully functioning members of a health care team that contributes to the improvement of patient care and patient outcomes. Increasingly, nurses are expected to advance their education to meet current health care reform initiatives and strengthen the nursing workforce.
American Sentinel online RN to MSN program students can further define their education by focusing on one of five relevant areas. All MSN students must choose one of five specializations:
American Sentinel’s RN to MSN is a truly streamlined online nursing degree program, without sacrificing quality or meaningful content. Students take just six courses at the bachelor’s level, as compared to many RN to MSN programs, which require students to take almost a full BSN curriculum. Our accelerated nursing degree program gets you further in your career faster so that you can position yourself for new opportunities as they arise.
In addition to attainment of general education learning objectives, graduates from the RN to Master of Science Nursing program will be able to:
- Assume a leadership role within multidisciplinary teams within healthcare organizations and in the community.
- Directly provide and manage competent care for individuals, families, and groups who have simple to complex health care needs.
- Enhance professional nursing practice through the use of research and evidence based practice.
- Integrate methods of research and scholarship in making and prioritizing diagnoses, and in planning, implementing, and evaluating care of individuals, groups, and communities.
- Assess health and incorporate principles and methods of health promotion and health education in nursing care of individuals, families, and groups who have simple to complex health care needs.
- Accept accountability and responsibility for one's own professional. judgment and actions
- Integrate professional values and role behaviors.
- Express a fundamental understanding of the problems of contemporary health and illness.
- Embrace the role of citizen in a global society.
- Collaborate with other groups in shaping health policies that affect both individual and community health.
Undergraduate level courses in the RN to MSN program include:
- Professional Communication
- Nursing Research
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Public Health Nursing
Graduate level courses in the RN to MSN program include:
- Health Systems
- Theoretical Foundations
- Diverse Populations & Healthcare
- Research Design
- Introduction to Modern Organizations and Healthcare
- Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare Management
Case Management - MSN
The nursing case management program prepares nurses to assume the role of case manager within the various sectors of a health system or insurance industry. Content builds upon the standards of the Case Management Society of America core curriculum, with additional emphasis on distance client management using technology. Students are introduced to the process of Life Care Planning.
American Sentinel's CCNE-accredited MSN program is ideal for nurses wishing create their own business in case management.
The MSN Nursing Case Management specialty degree program requires 36 credit hours. Students may be eligible to transfer up to 18 hours from previous graduate study.
Graduates from the Case Management MSN program will be able to:
- Analyze the role of the nurse case management in the function of the interdisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate the nursing process as it relates to theories of quality improvement, patient outcomes, and development of a client plan.
- Identify patient care innovations, implementation of care, data collection of patient outcomes, and the evaluation of the outcomes for continued care or revisions of care.
- Analyze the financial and ethical aspects of patient care as related to disease management, coordination of care, and the process of identifying long-term care for vulnerable populations.
Courses in the Case Management MSN program include:
- Clinical and Administrative Systems
- Concepts of Case Management
- Process of Case Management
- Case Management and Evidence Based Practice
- Introduction to Life Care Planning
Infection Prevention & Control - MSN
The issue of patient safety, including infection control and prevention, has been at the forefront of healthcare for a decade. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately two million patients acquire infections when they are hospitalized, resulting in 44,000 - 98,000 deaths at a cost of $17 billion - $29 billion.
Patient safety, quality control for hospital-acquired infections, and the growing threat of epidemics and pandemics are all indicators that more and more healthcare systems will need to hire nurses trained in infection control and prevention. American Sentinel's master's degree in nursing with a specialization in infection prevention and control can provide entry into this important emerging field.
American Sentinel's online MSN degree programs were developed using guidelines from The Certification Board for Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Guidelines sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The CCNE accredited MSN Nursing Infection Prevention and Control specialty degree program requires 36 credit hours. Students may be eligible to transfer up to 18 hours from previous graduate study.
Graduates of the Infection Prevention and Control MSN program will be trained in:
- Apply principles of epidemiology to environmental assessment of risk.
- Develop a comprehensive infection prevention and control program.
- Create infection prevention and control guidelines.
- Design a surveillance system.
- Analyze and interpret infection control data.
Courses in the Infection Prevention & Control MSN program include:
- Principles of Epidemiology
- Identification of the Infectious Disease Process
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Design of a Surveillance System
- Collection and Interpretation of Surveillance Data
Nursing Education - MSN
The American Sentinel MSN, nursing education online specialization, is designed for experienced nurses who wish to pursue educator roles within a clinical environment or become faculty members at traditional or non-traditional schools of nursing. The specialization emphasizes curriculum development, teaching various learning styles and teaching via distance technology.
Students may choose between two capstone courses: Academic Program Leadership or Educational Leadership. The Academic Program Leadership capstone is for students interested in leadership positions in academic environments and has a special emphasis on institutional and programmatic accreditation. The Educational Leadership capstone is for students who wish to continue their education in doctoral studies with the ultimate goal of becoming a faculty member at a university or college.
Students graduating with American Sentinel’s CCNE-accredited MSN, nursing education specialization, complete 36 credit hours of course work. Students may be eligible to transfer up to 18 credit hours from previous graduate study.
Graduates from the Nursing Education MSN program will be able to:
- Design curriculum and develop guidelines for curriculum development, implementation and evaluation.
- Evaluate emerging trends in technology and computer-assisted educational programs.
- Develop assessment and performance evaluations of individual students.
- Develop a plan for evaluating program effectiveness in an academic or institutional setting.
- Analyze problem-based nursing education and clinical-based competency assessments.
- Analyze standards for national and regional accreditation, as well as those for specific health specialties.
Courses in the Nursing Education MSN program include:
- Curriculum Design and Learning Outcomes
- Teaching to Diverse Learning Styles
- Assessment of Learning
- Distance Education
- Organizational Dynamics of Higher Education
Nursing Informatics - MSN
American Sentinel's CCNE accredited MSN nursing informatics degree program is intended to prepare experienced nurses to manage health information systems critical to the mission of health care delivery systems. Nurses will develop expertise in clinical and administrative systems, data management and data mining for improvement of patient care and information systems project management.
Special emphasis is placed on understanding the infrastructure that must be in place to improve practice while safeguarding the security and privacy of data. Graduates will be prepared to assume critical roles in managing health information systems in ambulatory, acute, and long term care settings, as well as in the public health environment.
The MSN Nursing Informatics specialty degree program requires 36 credit hours. Students may be eligible to transfer up to 18 hours from previous graduate study.
Graduates from the Master of Science Nursing program will be able to:
- Detail the utilization of healthcare informatics for the administration of healthcare agencies and institutions.
- Evaluate the tools for acquisition of clinical and financial information, processing, analysis and reporting.
- Demonstrate skills in data mining using algorithms and other analytics methods to identify key business processes and target opportunities in patient safety.
- Develop a detailed project management plan for evaluating, contracting, and implementing a new technology in a healthcare organization.
Courses in the Nursing Informatics MSN program include:
- Clinical and Administrative Systems
- Health Informatics
- Data Mining
- Project and Change Management
- Information Security and Privacy in Healthcare Environments
Nursing Management & Organizational Leadership - MSN
The CCNE accredited nursing management and organizational leadership specialization is designed for experienced professionals seeking to develop their nursing leadership skills. The nursing leadership specialization prepares students to advance their leadership and management abilities and work toward the achievement of optimal health in the dynamic health care system.
Through case studies and hands-on course work, nurses examine the various human resource challenges facing an organization as well as the dynamic nature of the strategic planning and management processes. Courses cover long-range planning, including budgeting, analysis, reporting and developing a capital budget.
Students are prepared for careers in nursing administration and health information management where they will manage resources, collaborate with a variety of other professionals and apply technology, information systems and critical thinking to their jobs.
Students graduating with American Sentinel’s CCNE-accredited MSN, nursing management and organizational leadership specialization, complete 36 credit hours of course work. Students may be eligible to transfer up to 18 credit hours from previous graduate study.
Graduates from the Nursing Management & Organizational Leadership MSN program will be able to:
- Propose new organizational structures and policies to address organizational issues.
- Develop strategic, operational and financial planning documents.
- Interpret labor laws and union bargaining agreements to plan for human resource initiatives.
- Adapt leadership theory to personal leadership style.
Courses in the Nursing Management & Organizational Leadership MSN program include:
- Human Resources Management
- Leadership in Health Care Organizations
- Health Care Informatics
- Health Care Finance and Economics
- Health Care Strategic Management and Planning
American Sentinel University is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. American Sentinel's Bachelor's and Master's nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). |
