Nurse Executive Leadership Graduate Certificate

School of Nursing

The Nurse Executive Leadership (NEL) Post-MSN Certificate program is meticulously crafted for nursing professionals with a master’s degree or higher. This program is designed to prepare you for high-impact leadership roles in health care administration and management. Aligning with the Nurse Leader Competencies of the AONL, it provides a framework to improve patient care, enhance population health, and reduce health care costs. Elevate your leadership skills and make a significant impact in the dynamic field of health care.

• Comprehensive Curriculum: Dive into essential topics such as finance and budgeting, quality measures, enhancing the client experience, interprofessional collaboration, advanced information technology, and systems-based thinking.
• Hands-On Clinical Practicum: Complete the required two semesters of clinical practicum, gaining 300 hours of hands-on experience under the mentorship of experienced nurse leaders. Preceptors will be selected based on direct experience with human resource management, budget and finance responsibilities, quality and safety responsibilities and inter-professional collaboration.
• Flexible Learning: Benefit from a blend of synchronous and asynchronous, web-based courses, allowing you to balance your studies with professional and personal commitments.
• Certification Preparation: Upon completion, you will be well-prepared to sit for national certification exams, including the Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Certified Nurse Executive Practice (CNEP) through the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).

The NEL certificate program is tailored for nursing professionals with a master’s degree or higher in nursing. The curriculum prepares you for careers in administration and leadership, covering essential concepts such as finance and budgeting, quality measures, enhancing the client experience, interprofessional collaboration, advanced information technology, and systems-based thinking. These courses equip you with the skills needed for administrative or managerial positions and leadership roles in various health care settings. Additionally, you will gain valuable hands-on experience through a clinical practicum with experienced nurse leader preceptors.

Graduates of the NEL certificate program will be able to:

• Design innovative healthcare changes using scholarly inquiry, clinical judgment, financial analysis, and leadership theories.
• Evaluate inclusive, equitable, ethical, and compassionate leadership strategies for health promotion and clinical prevention.
• Critique health policy and leadership initiatives to improve population health outcomes.
• Develop evidence-based leadership strategies to reduce risks and improve health outcomes using data and technology.
• Collaborate with interprofessional teams to enhance nursing expertise and leadership skills.
• Apply complexity science and systems theory to improve cost-effectiveness and address organizational and workforce needs.
• Model accountability, compassion, ethical practice, and values of the Nurse Leader.
• Engage in self-reflection and activities that promote personal health, resilience, professional growth, and lifelong learning.

Apply to WVU

Depending on prerequisites completed, entry term into the program will vary from student to student. Students will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis until July 1. Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions as they are reviewed.

• Start your application.
• Select the following options on the New Application screen:
• Type of Student: Certificate
• Which Program: Select your Post-MSN Program
• You will be asked to select a Progression Plan on the Nursing Application. The Post Graduate certificate is only offered as a full-time program.
• On the Supplemental Materials screen, you will upload the following:
• Current curriculum vita or resume

Start Application

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Request Official Transcripts from All Colleges and Universities Attended

• It is preferred that official transcripts be sent via an online, secure service such as eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or Parchment to GraduateAdmissions@mail.wvu.edu.
• Alternatively, sealed, untampered, physical official transcripts can be sent directly to:
• WVU Hub
  P.O. Box 6004
  Morgantown, WV 26506
• Applicants who completed prior education outside of the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES). Please request a "course-by-course" International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP).

Note: Certificate seeking students, with approval from the certificate program, may transfer up to 6 of the required credits for a graduate certificate from a different institution or applied from another previous or concurrent WVU degree or certificate. Individual course credits may be applied to no more than two degrees, majors, or certificates. Courses applied to a certificate must have been completed no more than seven years prior to certificate conferral.

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Acceptance

Candidates for admission are evaluated on the entire admission packet. The WVU School of Nursing accepts new Post-MSN Certificate students on a rolling admission basis and will review all qualified applications based on admission criteria. Acceptance is dependent upon space available in the program with the most qualified applicants being accepted at the time of review. Decisions will be emailed to students. Accepted students will receive information regarding orientation and course registration. Students will be evaluated based on the following:

• Nursing GPA
• Work Experience
• Overall GPA

Enrollment in nursing courses is based upon readiness, availability of space and other essential resources.

Clinical rotations with approved preceptors in the final year of your program must be arranged with course faculty. Due to potential preceptor limitations, students may have to travel out of their local areas to their clinical sites and are required to provide their own reliable transportation.

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Gap Analyses

Some students applying to certificate programs may have accrued direct patient care hours prior to admission. Upon request, the student’s program of study will be personalized via gap analyses to determine the number of clinical practicum hours required of each student. Any hours accrued prior to admission must have been academically supervised and completed in a setting and population appropriate to the certificate program in which the student is enrolled. Students must obtain a completed Verification of Qualifying MSN Clinical Hours and Gap Analysis form from the director of their previous program within the first semester of enrollment.

Tuition and fees are usually not the only educational expenses you may have while pursuing a degree. You may have other costs such as books, supplies, and living expenses. Visit the Estimate Costs and Aid webpage to estimate and plan for other potential expenses.

Tuition per credit hour is listed on the page of your program of interest. Please note, tuition and fees are reviewed and subject to change at the start of each academic year.

• Learn More about Tuition and Financial Aid
• Explore All WVU System Tuition and Fees
• Understand Restrictions on University Tuition Waivers

Pursuing a career in nursing management and executive leadership requires strong leadership skills, effective communication, and a commitment to lifelong learning. For individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact on patient care, shaping healthcare organizations, and leading teams, it can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career path.