MSN: Quality, Safety, and Risk Management in Healthcare Concentration

Major: Quality, Safety, and Risk Management in Healthcare
Degree Awarded: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 46.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.0701
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 11-9111

About the Program

The MSN in Quality, Safety and Risk Management in Healthcare program draws from multiple disciplines. It’s ideal for working nurses who want to improve patient outcomes, reduce mortality rates and create positive change in patient care.

The interdisciplinary patient safety and health care quality Master of Science in Nursing program focuses on helping build key competencies. Students will learn how to enhance and monitor quality metrics, further safety for both patients and staff and manage risks in a dynamic health care and nursing environment. Plus, the format enables students to learn and collaborate as they would in practice.

Graduates of this program will be prepared to lead teams in a wide variety of quality and risk management initiatives including:

  • Aligning the patient safety, risk and quality functions within the organization
  • Ensuring that the patient safety, risk and quality activities are aligned with the strategic goals of the organization
  • Assessing current activities in patient safety, risk and quality to clarify responsibilities and reduce duplication of effort
  • Establishing a structure that ensures that patient care activities are addressed in a coordinated manner involving the patient safety, risk and quality functions
  • Assembling a team to ensure that the structure for patient safety, risk and quality activities maximizes legal protections while allowing for the flow of information across all functions
  • Coordinating process changes, data collection, data analysis, monitoring and evaluation
  • Evaluating the roles of patient safety, risk and quality as the organization's needs change

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Graduate Nursing Division
CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

Additional information is available on Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions MSN in Quality, Safety, and Risk Management in Healthcare webpage and on the Drexel University Online MSN in Quality, Safety, and Risk Management in Healthcare webpage.

Admission Requirements (MSN)

  • A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a program fully accredited by the National League of Nursing (NLN/ACEN) or the American Association Colleges of Nursing (AACN/CCNE)
  • 3.0 or above on all previous coursework or the last 60.0 credits completed. Applications from RNs with a GPA less than a 3.0 may be considered on an individual basis.
  • Official transcripts from all previous educational institutions are required.
  • Two professional references are required from colleagues or supervisors who can attest to the applicant’s knowledge, skill and potential aptitude for graduate study.
    • Letters of recommendation are waived for students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Personal statement (no more than two pages and no less than one page double-spaced) that will give the admissions committee a better understanding of the following:
    • Why you are choosing this particular program of study
    • Your plans upon completion of the certificate
    • How your current work experience will enhance your experience in this program
  • Curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Copy of current United States RN license is required.
  • Copies of any advanced practice nursing licensure and certification documents
  • While specific experience is not required for applicants to the track, previous related work experience may make an applicant more competitive.

International applicants must possess a BSN (or its equivalent) and a current United States RN license.

TOEFL Requirement

International applicants, as well as immigrants to the United States and United States permanent residents whose native language is not English and who have not received a bachelor’s degree or higher in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, must show proficiency in English speaking as well as listening, writing, and reading. U.S. citizens born on U.S. military bases abroad may be waived from the TOEFL requirement after providing documentation of this status; otherwise, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

If you take the TOEFLiBT exam, you are required to have a minimum combined score for the listening, writing and reading sections of 79 plus a speaking section score of 26 or higher.

If you take the TOEFL, you are required to have a minimum score of 550 or higher and a Test of Spoken English score (TSE) of 55 or higher.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses
NURS 500 [WI] Confronting Issues in Contemporary Health Care Environments3.0
NURS 502Advanced Ethical Decision Making in Health Care3.0
NURS 544Quality and Safety in Healthcare3.0
RSCH 503Research Methods and Biostatistics3.0
RSCH 504Evaluation and Translation of Health Research3.0
Major Courses
IPS 584Analysis of Performance Standards in Healthcare Quality3.0
IPS 585Science of Safety, Human Factors, and System Thinking3.0
IPS 587Safety Culture in Healthcare3.0
IPS 601Quality, Safety and Risk Management Capstone5.0
LSTU 551Compliance Skills: Auditing, Investigation & Reporting4.0
LSTU 600Health Care Rules and Regulations4.0
LSTU 601Health Care Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management4.0
LSTU 602Patients and Privacy: HIPAA and Related Regulations4.0
Total Credits45.0

Writing-Intensive Course Requirement

A [WI], Writing Intensive, next to a graduate course in this catalog indicates that the graduate course is a writing intensive course. The graduate course is a required course in your curriculum.

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
NURS 5003.0LSTU 6014.0LSTU 6024.0LSTU 5514.0
NURS 5443.0NURS 5023.0RSCH 5033.0RSCH 5043.0
 6 7 7 7
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
IPS 5843.0IPS 5853.0IPS 6015.0 
LSTU 6004.0IPS 5873.0  
 7 6 5 
Total Credits 45
  • Schedule of Classes
  • All Course Descriptions
  • Co-op
  • Academic Advising
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Fees
LEARN MORE