Executive Leader Postgraduate Certificate

Description and Outcomes

If you are a registered nurse interested in expanding your knowledge of nursing administration to better meet the challenges within the health care environment, the Executive Leader Postgraduate Certificate program could help you pursue your professional goals. This certificate program allows you to build on your master's degree in nursing by completing six courses focused on nursing administration, including clinical and capstone courses.

The Executive Leader Postgraduate Certificate program is designed to prepare you to pursue managerial positions and leadership roles in hospitals, community health, long-term care facilities, and other health care systems.

The postgraduate certificate program's curriculum is designed to provide specialized knowledge in the area of nursing administration and could help you prepare to sit for the Nurse Executive or the Nurse Executive, Advanced certification examinations (depending on the level of leadership with your organization) provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Qualified credits earned in fulfillment of this certificate program may be eligible for transfer toward future graduate studies.

Note: the Executive Leader Postgraduate Certificate program is not available in all states. Refer to Program Availability Information for details.

This program is available in ExcelTrack. Speak with your University representative for any limitations. For more information on ExcelTrack, see Learning Paths in the Approach to Learning section of the Catalog.

Program Length

The Executive Leader Postgraduate Certificate program consists of a minimum of 30 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be awarded a certificate.

Program Outcomes

  1. Synthesize theory and research-based knowledge that reflects the distinct and shared perspectives of nursing and other disciplines to form a foundation for clinical judgment and nursing practice.
  2. Develop holistic, culturally competent, and compassionate person-centered care through the planning and management of evidence-based practice for individuals, families, and populations. 
  3. Design partnerships that create equitable health policy and determine the socioeconomic impact of population health management. 
  4. Integrate evidence from current and relevant scholarly research that contributes to optimal, ethical, and equitable care delivery. 
  5. Create a culture of safety that incorporates evidence-based practice principles in quality care delivery for patients by the health care team while in the clinical setting. 
  6. Apply principles of effective team leadership to foster interprofessional collaboration and communication that reflect shared values among health care partners. 
  7. Differentiate levels of clinical judgment within complex health care systems to coordinate cost-effective resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations. 
  8. Analyze information and communication technologies to deliver effective care and improve outcomes for patients, communities, and populations in accordance with ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards. 
  9. Show professionalism through the delivery of diverse, equitable, and inclusive nursing care while maintaining accountability to all legal, societal, and professional norms that are reflected within the professional codes of nursing. 
  10. Formulate leadership practices that promote a commitment to fostering personal well-being, resiliency, flexibility, and professional maturity while supporting the nursing profession.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

You must have a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited institution. Refer to the Admissions Requirements for more information on prior degree submission.

You must have an approved criminal background check.

Progression Requirements

You will complete clinical courses as part of the requirements for the postgraduate certificate. 

Refer to the School of Nursing’s Progression Requirements section for additional requirements for clinical experiences. 

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.

Upon completion of the certificate program and meeting the requirements of the certifying organization, you may be eligible to sit for the Nurse Executive or the Nurse Executive, Advanced, certification examination through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Certified in Executive Nursing Practice certification exam through the American Organization for Nursing Leadership.