University of Mississippi Medical Center Nursing School Review

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is the dedicated health academic center annex of the larger University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). The medical center opened to four year program is 1955 as a semi-autonomous subsidiary of University of Mississippi. It has nine well structured schools offering medical programs including pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and medicine. The University is located in the Capital of the state; Jackson, and it prides itself to be the only university with a teaching hospital in metro Mississippi.

School of Nursing- University of Mississippi Medical Center

The school of nursing is one of the six dedicated schools of the Jackson Based academic health science center. Initially, it was a department at the University of Mississippi –Oxford before being transferred to the Medical Center as a school. The school offers degrees from the baccalaureate level to the terminal nursing degrees. Nine programs are listed under the school, starting from early entry nursing programs for RNs. All the nursing programs under the school of nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Below is a broader view of all the programs at the medical center:

Undergraduate Programs

Under the undergraduate programs at the university are traditional, accelerated and early entry programs as explained below:

  • Freshman Early Entry (BSN)

This early entry program gives a chance for students to enter the baccalaureate program as a freshman rather than a junior. This program allows students to complete the pre-nursing curriculum at the center hence; students avoid competitive selection process for during application for the Bachelor of Science in nursing. The advantage of this program is that students are assured of guaranteed admission to the BSN after completion.

  • RN-MSN Early Entry Program

The RN-MSN Early Entry Program is as a collaborative effort between University of Mississippi Medical Center and two community colleges; Northwest Mississippi and Hinds Community Colleges. Students apply for the RN to MSN program during their first year’s associate studies in the mentioned community colleges.

It is a flexible program that has allows working RNS to finish their masters programs as a continued program of the ADN.  Part time and full time options are available for students in this track with seven and nine semesters being applicable for each option respectively.  This program incorporates the Bachelor of Science of nursing curriculum but students are only awarded the Master of Science in nursing after completion.

Just like the FEE mentioned earlier, the RN to MSN Early entry guarantees students a position in University of Mississippi Medical Center, hence avoiding the competitive selection into the generic RN to MSN program. Students are free to choose from the following advanced practice nursing options:

  • Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Educator
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
  • Nursing and Health Care Administrator
  • Traditional BSN Program

The Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program from UMMC accepts fresh entry-level nursing students who wish to become professional nurses. This program prepares students for initial licensure as registered nurses by taking the NCLEX-RN after completion. Students complete a total of 63 pre-nursing credits, which can be completed at the university or transferred from a pre-nursing program from a community college.

Another 62 nursing major credits at junior and senior level must be completed at UMMC on a full time basis in a period of five semesters. The traditional program admits students annually during the summer semester. Students from the university’s’ freshman early entry program are given preference during admission to transfer students from other colleges.

  • Accelerated BSN Program

The accelerated Bachelor of Science program is specifically designed to cater for educational needs of career shifters wishing to come into the nursing profession. The program allows such students who already hold other non- nursing bachelor degrees from accredited universities to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam and become professional nurses in a short period.

Within 15 months of four- semester full time study, students engage in an accelerated curriculum completion program for professional nursing. Students are expected to complete 124 credit hours whereby, most of the lower division prerequisites courses are exempted in recognition of the former bachelor degree.

Graduate Nursing Programs

There are five graduate nursing programs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Three are of the master level and two of the terminal degrees in nursing.

  • RN to MSN

This flexible nursing program is meant to help registered nurses earn an advanced practice nurses status without necessarily having to take a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Unlike the RN to MSN early entry program, students applying for this program are subject to competitive selection during admission. As a prerequisite, students must have active RN licenses and must have practiced as RNs.

This is the program that accepts RN transfers students from all other colleges and community colleges apart from Hinds and Northwest Mississippi community Colleges. Just like the RN-MSN early entry, students have the choice of taking full time study for seven semesters or part time study for nine semesters. All advanced practice nurse tracks in the RN –MSN early entry are applicable for this program in addition to Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner for RNs who have had experience in acute care settings.

  • MSN

The Master of Science in nursing (MSN Program) is designed for BSN-prepared students. Students are welcome to choose from the following six masters tracks available:

  • Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Educator
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
  • Nursing and Health Care Administrator
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

On a further note, the Nurse Educator, Gerontology, and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner tracks are offered online with only 4-1-1 time campuses visits respectively per semester. The Nursing and Health Care Administration is only available on a full time basis while all the remaining tracks are available on both full time and part time options. It is also good to note that the Gerontology and the Mental Health tracks are offered through a consortium: Mississippi Education Consortium for Specialized Advanced Practice.

  • Post-MSN Programs

The post masters certificates are meant for MSN graduates who wish to advance their nursing skills. There are six post master certificate programs for all the aforementioned MSN tracks.

  • Doctor of Nursing Practice

This practice-based doctoral degree from University of Mississippi Medical Centre helps students learn the emphasis of health care delivery and application of credible research findings into nursing practice.

  • PhD in Nursing

The PhD program welcomes both BSN and MSN prepare who wish to engage in scholarly research pursuit in the nursing health profession. It prepares nurse scholars and researchers who are able to develop theory an experiential foundation vital for advanced clinical practice.

Note

Students in all nursing programs at University of Mississippi Medical Center have the unique advantage of practicing clinical skills at their own University Hospital. The university prides to be only academic health science center with Missouri’s only children hospital and a level 1 Trauma center.

Contact:
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State St, Jackson,
MS 39216