Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Graduate Certificate
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The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) certificate is a four-semester, part-time opportunity for working registered nurses. Campus experiences complement online course content for learning and demonstrating health assessment skills. Participation in a Clinical Skills Intensive scheduled on campus before the start of the second fall semester is required.
The AGACNP certificate is not offered every year. Interested applicants should contact the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs to verify that the certificate will be offered at the time of application. Upon completion of the program, you will be eligible to take an AGACNP national board certifying examination. To qualify for entry into the AGACNP graduate certificate program, you must have a Master of Science in nursing and RN experience in an acute care setting. Additionally, the certificate requires a minimum of 28 credits and 810 clinical hours.
*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.
Core courses for this program include:
| Advanced health assessment across the lifespan. Includes techniques in history taking, physical exams, development of client databases, health risk assessment, implementation and evaluation of health promotion activities. |
Examine selected physiologic and pathophysiologic phenomena that occur in health and illness, across the lifespan, in the areas of cellular and molecular physiology, immunology, neurophysiology, endocrine, cardiovascular, blood and muscle physiology, and pulmonary, renal, and digestive physiology.
| This course is designed to develop competency in assessment, prescription and evaluation of pharmacotherapeutic regimens for patients across the adult-older age spectrum that are acutely or critically ill. Analysis of selected health problems is integrated with the development of evidence-based clinical pharmacological management of these problems. |
| This course is designed to develop theoretical and clinical competencies in the care of the acute and chronically ill adult across the adult-older adult age spectrum, including care of the frail older adult. It builds on concepts and skills derived from prerequisite courses and focuses on evidence-based clinical decision-making, to support diagnosis and management of the acute and chronically ill patient across the continuum of care, from illness to wellness. |
| In this course, the student will learn cardiac electrophysiology in normal and pathological states. Students will also learn the scientific rationales for nursing interventions to cardiac ischemia and arrhythmias. Content includes theory and research on the mechanisms, diagnoses, electrocardiographic monitoring, and management of cardiac ischemia and arrhythmias. |
| Primary focus of this course is drug management of chronic and self-limiting acute diseases. Covers representative drugs of a pharmacologic group, indications for use, drug selection, titration of dosage, key adverse effects, monitoring of therapy, alternate drugs and special concerns in prescribing to the older adult. |
The focus of this course is on further development advanced practice skills in the management of chronically and acutely ill patients. The acquisition of collaborative management skills in the care of critically ill patients is also emphasized. Applicable nutritional science concepts are explored. Students will also study the psychological and biochemical alternations that occur during disease states and their effect on nutritional requirements and methods of providing nutrients is included.
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In this course, the focus is on evidence-based clinical decision-making, to support diagnosis and management of traumatic injury and emergent conditions in patients across the continuum of care, from illness to wellness, and across the adult-older adult age spectrum, including care of the frail older adult.
| This course explores the normal physiological and psychological changes experienced by older adults in a variety of settings; theories of aging are introduced to support this topic. |
An individualized, supervised clinical practicum to expand the student's advanced practice competencies in direct patient care as related to the care of specialty populations relevant to the student's advanced practice nursing specialty.
