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Masters Specialty Area
| FYI/Facts: Perinatal Advanced Practice Nursing | |
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The Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist.
The perinatal period is a vulnerable and powerful time for the mother and the fetus. Perinatal clinical nurse specialists help meet the essential maternal and fetal health needs during this crucial time for the family's long-term health and well being.
Perinatal clinical nurse specialists work in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In these settings, they may assist in fetal surgery and in the treatment of conditions typically associated with high-risk pregnancies, such as pre-eclampsia. They also work with new parents about concerns they may have that include breastfeeding, parenting, and stress related to their new role.
In hospitals, clinical nurse specialists are often responsible as well for in-service education, new staff orientation, updating protocols, implementing changes in practice, and translating research into practice.
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Alumni | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
| "I appreciated the close collaboration with a faculty that may be the best in the country, or even the world.
Exposure to that level of thinking sets a standard and the close collaboration extended into my career." Audrey Lyndon, Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist at UCSF Children's Hospital |
The advanced practice perinatal nursing program prepares students to be perinatal clinical nurse specialists by providing an in-depth understanding of all aspects of maternal-fetal health.
Students can focus on the normal adaptation to childbearing and early child rearing, or the challenges inherent in vulnerable pregnancies. In addition to core courses in these areas, students can further tailor their program to their individual interests and career goals. Reproductive physiology, adolescent development, nutrition, cross-cultural health care, genomics, and HIV represent the various coursework options. Because the program is small, expert faculty offers ample help to students as they choose from among these options.
Practicum and residency courses assist students in acquiring leadership skills in the clinical specialist role. Residency emphasis includes such activities as:
To support working nurses and family life, classes are consolidated to two days a week for most of the program.
| "I was just a typical staff nurse when I entered the program and the curriculum is so nicely put-together at UCSF
that I did not realize I had evolved into an Advanced Practice nurse
until I took my comp exam and I realized I knew this stuff in my bones. I was completely prepared." Susan Hall, Nursing Instructor, Salish Kootenai College (Montana) |
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Alumni | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
Kathryn Lee, RN, PhD, FAAN, is the director of the Advanced Practice Perinatal Nursing Program. For the past 10 years her program of research has focused on women's health with an emphasis on sleep patterns, circadian rhythms, and fatigue, including studies of childbearing women, women with HIV/AIDS, and midlife women.
In addition to her role as director of the perinatal nursing program, Dr. Lee is Director of the Nursing Research Training Program in Symptom Management and is active in the Symptom Management Nursing Faculty Group at UCSF School of Nursing and the Sleep Research Society. She teaches a variety of courses at both the Master's and Doctoral level.
"One of the nicest aspects of this program is that its small size allows me to work closely with students, especially in terms of helping them with clinical placements where they can truly experience the CNS role."
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Alumni | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
Audrey Lyndon
"I am a graduate of the first MEPN class back in 1992, and the Perinatal CNS program in 1994. After a couple of years as a staff nurse, I took a CNS position at a hospital on the east coast that did about 3500 deliveries per year. During that time I helped develop a high-risk obstetric nursing team and a 10-hospital perinatal education collaborative that developed a perinatal core curriculum for nurses. We also worked hard at mentoring nurses so they could position themselves as role models for each other and for new nurses. The goal was to continually enhance the level of expertise. Today I continue to pursue similar goals, and expand my expertise as the perinatal CNS at the UCSF Children's Hospital Center for Mothers and Newborns.
The program at UCSF was superb at teaching people how to understand, critique and bring back literature to what you're doing in practice. I also appreciated the close collaboration with a faculty that may be the best in the country, or even the world. Exposure to that level of thinking sets a standard and the close collaboration extended into my career. Faculty supported me in finding good clinical placements where I found mentors with whom I continue to have a relationship. The faculty also continued to support me after I graduated, both in helping connect me to people on the east coast and then supporting me since I've returned to the Bay Area. When I applied for my first CNS job, supervisors told me that it was my UCSF degree that helped distinguish me from an entire stack of résumés."
Susan Hall
"I am working with first-year associate degree nursing students at Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Indian Reservation (north of Missoula, Montana).
"I provide academic and clinical expertise for perinatal nursing and some clinical coverage for pediatrics and Med-Surg. I will also continue to work "on-call" as a bedside staff nurse, contributing to staff and patient education and lactation support.
"I was a staff nurse with 11 years of experience when I entered the CNS Perinatal Masters program. At UCSF, I especially appreciated the diversity of the cultural classes, the depth of the instructors' experiences, and wide range of research (much of it by UCSF instructors) that supports and guides the provision of culturally appropriate nursing care. The core characteristics of Advanced Practice Nursing such as researcher, leader, advocate, collaborator and expert clinical educator/consultant, coupled with the effectiveness of group process are critical areas I now appreciate, thanks to the highly motivated and accessible instructors and my student colleagues at UCSF."
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| Definition | · | Program | · | Faculty | · | Alumni | · | Courses | · | Questions | · | Applying |
Consult the specialty coordinator (Dr. Lee) for information on course requirements in the Perinatal specialty.
Q: Why would I choose to become a perinatal clinical nurse specialist as opposed to a nurse practitioner?
A: Both play valuable roles. Choosing to be a CNS would indicate that you have a particular interest either in working with high-risk populations in an inpatient setting (pre-term labor, for example), in teaching and research with childbearing women, or in addressing problems in maternal-infant clinical practice (breastfeeding, for example) and providing vision and leadership to improve practice for the benefit of staff and patients in the perinatal setting.
Q: What type of person does best in this program?
A: Because this is a smaller program, we tend to draw self-motivated students who like a very individualized program that they can tailor to their own needs and interests in working with childbearing women and their health promotion.
Q: What can I do to make my application "glowing"?
A: Each applicant is reviewed as a whole. Goal statement, letters of reference, extracurricular activities, language skills, activities on-the-job, research activities, work experience, professional organization activities, and GPA are ALL considered when the application is reviewed. List all of these aspects. Be sure to ask colleagues to review your goal statement. Include examples of on-the job activities. Describe any volunteer and professional activities. Make sure to ask your colleagues for "excellent" references and have them give specific reasons why they believe in your success.
Q: What does my GPA need to be for admission into the program?
A: A GPA of 3.0 is expected for admission into the School of Nursing although special circumstances can be discussed.
Q: What should I write in my goal statement?
A: You should be very clear about why you selected the specific specialty you are applying to. Your statement should reflect how you have made this decision and your future goals.
Q: How much can I work during the program?
A: The majority of our students hold part-time jobs while enrolled (typically working 50-60% time). Working full-time while in school is highly discouraged. Consult with the specialty coordinator for more information about program specifics.
Q: What if I want to study part-time?
A: Over 95% of our students study full-time and complete their program in two years. The majority of specialties hold classes two days a week (Tuesday/Wednesday or Wednesday/Thursday) to allow for part-time work and family obligations. "Official" part-time status is highly restricted and is available only by special arrangement. In certain circumstances, also by special arrangement, faculty will allow a student to extend a two-year program over three years.
Q: Am I responsible for finding my own preceptors?
A: The faculty will work with you to find the preceptors who are best suited for your area of specialization. Our experience is that students often provide input in selecting and planning their clinical experiences and participate in this process of selecting preceptors.
Q: How do I find housing in the area? Is it expensive?
A: Many of our students find that sharing housing is a good approach to solving both the availability and cost issues. Housing in the Bay Area may be expensive, but help can be found with the campus Housing Office, the Student Affairs Office, and previous graduates can often give advice.
Q: What will help me prepare for school?
A: Rest and relaxation before school starts is helpful! Also computer proficiency with word processing and internet/web/email functions is essential.
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| Revised: Nov. 2007 | Contact: info@nursing.ucsf.edu · © Copyright 2007 University of California Regents, All Rights Reserved. | |||||||||||||
