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

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: 750*

*

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

Program Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the post-master's nursing program, the graduate student is prepared to:

• Systematically use improvement methods to monitor and evaluate care processes and outcomes and applies data for continuous improvement and safety
• Advocate for social justice through policy, professional and political engagement.
• Apply leadership principles that support inter-professional practice.
• Meet eligibility requirements for certification as an AGACNP with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or as an ACNPC-AG with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
• Meet state requirements for certification, licensure, and prescriptive authority.
• Obtain federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorization to prescribe controlled substances .(Schedules II through IV) for patients within the AGACNP’s practice area
• Participate in the education of future AGACNPs through preceptorship.
• Be lifelong learners.
• Design and implement health promotion and clinical prevention strategies across the health/illness continuum to optimize health and disease management.
• Use translational science and analytic methods to develop, identify, implement, and evaluate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
• Use data analytic methods, information systems and technology to evaluate, integrate and apply knowledge that will improve programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems.
• Act as a practice scholar to design, direct and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.
• Serve in a healthcare leadership and change agent role as part of a diverse, complex, and patient-centered health care system.

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However,  completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria.

UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states. Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification and requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online). The University provides guidance below but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for information about whether this program meets professional licensure requirements in your state.