GRADUATE ENTRY

CHANGE YOUR CAREER AND CHANGE LIVES

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Download our Graduate Entry DNP brochure or the Graduate Entry Comparison chart to compare FPB to other nursing schools.
Watch Dr. Deborah Lindell discuss the fantastic opportunities for those considering a career in nursing in a live TV interview.

Nursing is increasingly the profession of choice for graduate students pursuing a career in health care because of its focus on patient care and its versatility. Nurses serve as primary and acute care specialists, midwives, clinical administrators and leaders, managers of information systems, public health specialists, faculty, and dozens of other highly-responsible, independent, professional positions. No matter their role, all nurses are prepared to be leaders who work to improve health care for people across the lifespan and around the world.

A growing, trusted, and lucrative profession

And, now more than ever, nurses are in demand. Employment of registered nurses (RNs) is expected to grow 23 percent by 2016—much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And for seven years straight, the annual Honesty and Ethics poll by the Gallup Organization has placed nurses at the top of the list of most trusted professionals.

Not only is nursing a highly regarded field, it’s a high-paying one. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the median wage of an RN is $62,450, and, according to a 2009 study by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the average full-time total salary of nurse practitioners (specialists with advanced graduate degrees) is $87,400.

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing's (FPB) Graduate Entry program is your gateway to the exciting, challenging, and fulfilling field of nursing.

Highlights of FPB's Graduate Entry program include:

  • All applicants are admitted to three phases of the program:
    • Pre-licensure phase leading to the Master of Nursing (MN) degree and preparation for licensure and practice as a Registered Nurse. The MN is a generalist nursing degree.
    • Advanced phase leading to the MSN degree and preparation in an advanced specialty
    • Practice doctorate phase leading to the DNP degree
  • Students earn at least 14 credits toward the MSN during the pre-licensure (MN) phase of the program.
  • The MN phase of the Graduate Entry program has an innovative quality and safety component woven throughout the curriculum, emphasizing the importance of the patient experience.
  • Our students routinely pass above the national average on the NCLEX, the RN licensure exam.
  • Graduate Entry students may apply for the PhD program following the MN program.
  • Teaching and learning strategies are geared to the unique learning needs of individuals entering nursing at the graduate level. Students receive individualized support and advising from initial contact through graduation.
  • As part of Case Western Reserve University, FPB is both a research-intensive environment and a leader in clinical education. Graduate Entry students fulfill their clinical hours at premier, world-class hospitals and other prominent healthcare organizations.