Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Post-Master's Certificate)

The post-master's Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) certificate program  is designed for masters-prepared nurses who want to expand their expertise and make an immediate impact in high-acuity settings. This program prepares APRNs to deliver advanced medical and surgical care to adult and older adult patients while helping address critical gaps in access to acute care services.

Building on prior experience as a nurse practitioner or as a masters-prepared nurse with strong acute or critical care experience, graduates gain advanced clinical knowledge and hands-on skills that can be applied across diverse settings, including hospitals and ambulatory care centers. With a focus on meeting urgent healthcare needs, this program empowers graduates to advance their careers while strengthening the acute and critical care workforce where it is needed most.

This program will prepare APRNs 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 and gerontological populations 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.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the standard Graduate School requirements, the School of Nursing and PM-AGACNP program require:

Admission Requirements

1. Unencumbered, active RN license in the United States
2. Master of Science in Nursing. 
3. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in associate and baccalaureate programs
4. Successful completion of undergraduate statistics course and undergraduate research course
5. 2 letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends,will not be accepted. References should be substantial with one academic, if available.
6. Updated Resume
7. Personal Statement. Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:
   1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
   2. Specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.
8. Course descriptions should be submitted for any course you request transferred or waived. Courses must have been completed within 7 years of admission. 

*Eligibility for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification examination requires completion of the following three separate, comprehensive graduate-level courses within 5 years of admission:

• Advanced Physical/Health Assessment
• Advanced Pathophysiology
• Advanced Pharmacology

A customized plan of study will be created for admitted students and is based on prior coursework. Additional foundational coursework may be required to meet ANCC  or AACN certification requirements. 

Program Requirements

• 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.

Clinical Hours: 750* 

*

Clinical hours are completed through the following required courses: NURS 851, NURS 853, NURS 855, NURS 857, NURS 859.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Integrate, translate, and apply knowledge from nursing and other disciplines, to formulate clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.
• Design person-centered care that builds on a scientific body of knowledge focusing on individuals with multiple complicated circumstances, including family and/or important others.
• Advocate for healthcare delivery from public health prevention to disease management through collaborative activities for equitable population health outcomes.
• Disseminate nursing knowledge to improve health care.
• Integrate established and emerging principles of safety as core nursing values to enhance quality and minimize harm to patients and providers.
• Lead collaborative care teams to optimize patient outcomes and improve health care experiences.
• Coordinate resources for diverse populations to provide safe, quality, and equitable care.
• Utilize informatics and communication technologies in developing and delivering optimal healthcare services according to best practice and professional and regulatory standards.
• Cultivate a sustainable professional nursing identity that reflects nursing’s characteristics and values.
• Utilize leadership skills, change theories, and effective decision making in advanced nursing roles in the provision of care.

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Post Master's Certificate)

Location/Delivery: School of Nursing [Online Program]

This program is designed to prepare graduates for professional licensure/certification as follows:

Nurse Practitioner

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification

The University of New Hampshire has determined this program meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in:¹
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont

Additional information and related resources are available on the Office of the Registrar's website.

¹

State specific post-education requirements are subject to change. Students are responsible for confirming these requirements in their state of residence and intended practice.