The demand for practical knowledge and skills in the clinical setting provided by acute care nurse practitioners is growing rapidly. You will complete this program with the skills to effectively and competently stabilize acutely-ill patients, formulate diagnoses and create evidence-based treatment plans. Our online post-master’s Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification will prepare you to sit for either the AACN or ANCC certification exam.
Learn more about our online Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MSN
Credit Hours: 25 | Program Length: 12 months | Tuition Cost
WHY GET A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN ADULT-GERONTOLOGY ACUTE CARE?
If you are a certified nurse practitioner or a master’s-prepared nurse with significant acute or critical care experience who enjoys complex patient management in a fast-paced environment, the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role may be the right fit for you. Respected members of the healthcare team, the need for acute care nurse practitioners continues to grow with changing national demographics and recognition in the field for their contributions to improving patient care.
WHY CHOOSE UNH’S ADULT-GERONTOLOGY ACUTE CARE NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM?
Designed for the master’s-prepared registered nurse or nurse practitioner, UNH’s post-master’s certification program prepares you to be an adult-gerontological acute care nurse practitioner with the AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses) or ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center). Geared for the hospital and sub-acute settings, the program focuses on building skills in diagnostic reasoning and management of the acutely ill patient using evidence-based practice. You will learn to stabilize acute and critically ill patients, formulate diagnoses and evidenced-based treatment plans, prescribe therapeutics, assess outcomes, prevent readmission, and create safe discharge plans. Our faculty has extensive clinical experience and they coordinate with the student success coach team to support you from application through graduation.
POTENTIAL CAREERS
- Nurse Practitioner in acute and sub-acute care facilities
- Cardiology and cardio-thoracic surgery
- Critical care and trauma
- Healthcare research
- Hospital administrator
- Hospitalist medicine
- Surgery
- Transplant medicine
- Specialty clinics
A word from Clarissa Michalak, Program Director
As the nursing industry sees increasing demands for specialty certifications, our AGACNP students are well positioned to navigate the next level of their careers. In less than a year, graduates are prepared to sit for the AGACNP certification exam, giving them the highest-level credentials in their practice. As Program Director, I personalize the learning experience to strike a balance between a content-rich program and an open-minded approach that acknowledges faculty and students as colleagues in a professional exchange.
From the CHHS Blog
Curriculum & Requirements
The purpose of this post-master’s certificate program is to prepare the advanced practice nurse (APRN) for the role of Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) and increase patient access to acute care medical and surgical services. With backgrounds as either nurse practitioners or master’s prepared nurses with significant acute or critical care clinical experience, graduates can apply newly learned knowledge and skills within the acute care setting, including and not limited to hospitals and ambulatory care centers. Training will help increase the qualified workforce to meet acute and critical medical needs, including in rural areas where recruitment and retention has been a significant challenge.
This program is designed for the APRN with a master’s degree within nursing, including nurse practitioners of other specialties or a master’s degree and significant clinical experience in an acute or critical care setting. The aim of this program is to prepare APRNs at an advanced level to successfully diagnose and manage medical-surgical patients who are acutely or critically ill through prescribing of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, coordination of consultations and care, and continued management of chronic illnesses, comorbidities, and end of life needs.
Courses will focus on the adult-gerontological population with an emphasis on integration of prior coursework, such as pathophysiology and physical assessment, to build skills in diagnostic reasoning and subsequent management of the acutely ill patient using evidenced based practice.
A customized plan of study will be created for admitted students and is based upon prior course work. Additional foundational coursework may be required to meet AACN or ANCC certification requirements.
Certificate Requirements
Clinical Hours: 500*
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| NURS 850 | Foundations in Acute Care | 3 |
| NURS 851 | Foundations in Acute Care Clinical Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 852 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I | 3 |
| NURS 853 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I Clinical Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 854 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II | 3 |
| NURS 855 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II Clinical Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 856 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III | 3 |
| NURS 857 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III Clinical Practicum | 2 |
| NURS 858 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner IV | 3 |
| NURS 859 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner IV Clinical Practicum | 2 |
| Total Credits | 25 | |
- *
Clinical hours are completed through the following required courses: NURS 851, NURS 853, NURS 855, NURS 857, NURS 859.
Deadlines
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: May 1
- Spring: October 15
- Summer: N/A
Application fee: $25
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: No
Accelerated Masters Eligible: No
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.
Distance Education Licensing Requirements
NC-SARA does not cover professional licensing board approval for programs leading to state licensure or certification. If the online program that you are considering is designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in your state, please read the professional licensure page at the UNH Online website for more information.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:
- Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
- Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.
Resume
Current resume limited to no more than one page.
Department Requirements
The admission criteria for the PM-AGACNP program includes transcript evidence for advanced pathophysiology throughout the lifespan, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment in order to meet the requirements for ANCC certification testing. Candidates without three separate courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment will be reviewed on a case by case basis and may be required to complete the missing course work before being endorsed for ANCC certification testing.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
International Applicants
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
Licensing Requirements
Applicants who intend to pursue licensure after completing UNH's online Post Master's Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Certificate should become familiar with their state's licensure requirements. To assess if UNH licensure programs meet the requirements in your location, visit the Professional Licensure Disclosure Information webpage.
University of New Hampshire has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.
Explore Program Details
Tuition & Fees:
The University of New Hampshire’s online graduate tuition and fees information is available on the UNH Business Services Website. Program costs and technology fees are subject to change.
Course Fees: Specific courses may have additional course fees. Visit the course schedule for more information.
Financial Aid:
Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans are a form of federal financial aid available to Graduate Students. To apply, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care courses are taught by full-time faculty with top-notch practical and pedagogical experience.
The ACNP provides comprehensive advanced nursing care across the continuum of health care services to meet the individualized needs of patients with acute, critical, and/or complex chronic health conditions or injury. The practice of the ACNP is not defined by the setting but rather is determined by the acuity of patient needs. The ACNP practices in any setting in which patient care requirements include complex monitoring and therapies, high-intensity nursing intervention, or continuous nursing vigilance within the range of high-acuity care. While ACNPs may traditionally practice in acute care and hospital-based settings, including subacute care, emergency care and intensive care, the continuum of acute care services for their patient population spans the geographic settings of home, ambulatory care, urgent care, and rehabilitative care. - AACN Scope and Standards for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practice 2017
All students will be required to complete:
- 2 on-campus visits ( 2 days per visit)
- 500 precepted clinical hours
Preceptors may be:
- NP (AGACNPC, ACNPC-AG preferred)
- PA
- MD, DO
- Must provide care exclusively to adult-gerontology patients
Clinical areas: Sub-acute and acute care
- Rehabilitative center with the medically complex patient
- Acute (hospital setting)
- Medicine
- Surgery
- Intensive care
- Subspecialties as appropriate
UNH Nursing Department
will assist in clinical placement and will work with institutions as well as promote a smoother process. However, it is also requested that students draw on personal resources as nurses to find a clinical preceptor or site.
