How To Become an AGACNP
What Is an AGACNP?
Nursing offers a wide variety of specialization options, including becoming an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP). An AGACNP is a type of licensed, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who delivers acute care to patients suffering from sudden, severe illnesses or chronic conditions. The APRN designation indicates that a nurse is a practicing RN who has received a graduate-level degree and advanced education in an area of specialization.
AGACNPs represent 3.4% of certified nurse practitioners.(See disclaimer 1)
What Does an AGACNP Do?
AGACNPs provide highly skilled care that can save lives and improve patient outcomes. The job of an AGACNP is often fast-paced.
Their main responsibilities include:
Assess
AGACNPs commonly evaluate and diagnose acute medical conditions.
Provide life-saving care
They can deliver life-saving medical interventions in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.
Prescribe
These professionals prescribe medications and perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Lead
AGACNPs serve as patient case managers and departmental team leaders.
What Experience and Education Does an AGACNP Need?
Becoming an AGACNP can be a challenging and fulfilling path that blends advanced clinical training with direct patient care in acute settings. Understanding the required education, clinical preparation and certification steps is essential. The journey typically involves completing advanced coursework, supervised clinical experience and gaining professional credentials. Exploring these steps can help clarify what it takes to prepare for a career as an AGACNP.
High School Diploma
College Degrees
Clinical Experience
Professional Certifications
Best Degrees for AGACNPs
An MSN-AGACNP program serves as the academic foundation aspiring AGACNPs need to prepare for advanced clinical practice in acute and complex care settings. These programs are designed to equip RNs with specialized knowledge and skills to care for adolescent, adult and older adult patients with acute, critical or complex health conditions. Developing a strong understanding of advanced pathophysiology, assessment and acute care management is essential, as this preparation supports sound clinical decision-making, effective patient management and the delivery of safe, evidence-based care across time-sensitive medical environments.
The AGACNP program will teach you a variety of advanced healthcare topics, including:
Advanced nursing practice
Organizational leadership
Pharmacology
Health assessment and diagnostic reasoning
Health promotion and maintenance
Adult-gerontology acute care
GCU Recommends These Degree Programs for AGACNPs
5 Matching Degrees
What Skills Does an AGACNP Need?
AGACNPs require specialized skills to provide advanced care in acute and complex clinical settings. This skill set revolves around a key component of AGACNP practice: making time-sensitive decisions in a high-acuity environment.
Core skills that AGACNP practice requires include:(See disclaimer 2)
Advanced patient assessment
Diagnostic interpretation and clinical reasoning
Rapid decision-making
Documentation and clinical communication
Prescribing and medication management
Collaboration
Where Can AGACNPs Work?
Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners work in a variety of high-acuity and specialized healthcare environments. Understanding the different settings where AGACNPs practice can help clarify how this role supports complex patient care across the continuum of acute and critical care.
Different care environments AGACNPs may work in include:
Hospital inpatient and outpatient units
Inpatient and outpatient hospital settings are the top practice settings for AGACNPs.(See disclaimer 4)
Intensive and acute care units
Many AGACNPs practice in these settings, treating traumatic conditions and stabilizing patients.
Specialty clinics and long-term care facilities
They may work in these practice settings, monitoring and developing treatment plans for gerontology patients with the focus of preventing future complications.
Median annual wage for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners — other types of APRNs — in May 2024(See disclaimer 3)
Estimated job growth for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners from 2024 to 2034(See disclaimer 5)
Advancement Opportunities Within Nursing
AGACNPs, while already holding an MSN degree, may choose to explore additional educational opportunities to expand their breadth of knowledge. A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) represents the highest level of academic preparation for nurses, which may help equip them to deliver expert care, potentially take on leadership roles within healthcare organizations and contribute to advancements in the field. AGACNPs may choose to pursue a DNP to deepen their clinical expertise and enhance their impact in acute and complex care settings.
Explore More on Nurse Practitioners
Read through our blog resources to better understand different advanced nursing pathways and career characteristics.
Discover the key differences between an FNP and an ACNP; how each role differs in patient focus, clinical responsibilities and work settings. Better understand which advanced nursing path may align with your career goals.
Explore the similarities and differences between APRN roles and NPs. Discover how roles, responsibilities and career paths vary within advanced nursing practice.
This article outlines the key differences between the DNP and NP paths, including education level, scope of practice and career focus. Better understand how each option supports different professional goals in nursing.
Build the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to make a meaningful impact for adults in acute care settings. Learn more about GCUs AGACNP options.
- NurseJournal Staff. (2025, Sept. 29). Acute Care NP Career Overview. NurseJournal. Retrieved December 2025.
- NPHub. (2025, May 25). What You’ll Learn During Your ACNP Clinical Rotations. Retrieved December 2025.
- The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners, as of May 2024, retrieved December 2025. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide, who have varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2020, Jan. 22). Are You Considering a Career as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner? Retrieved December 2025.
- COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective August 2025, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners, retrieved December 2025.