Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with an Emphasis in Adult-Gerontology Certificate
Overview
Provide Critical Care and Adult-Gerontology Services
The Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with an Emphasis in Adult-Gerontology Certificate program is designed for nurse practitioners who have a post-Master of Science in Nursing and want to make a difference by caring for adult and geriatric acute care patients, sub-acute patients and/or patients with exacerbations of chronic illness. This College of Nursing and Health Care Professions certificate program builds upon the experience of master's-prepared practicing nurses to help them develop the skills needed to provide competent advanced practice care. This post-master's certificate coursework also expands nursing education to cover the care of adult and elderly patients in complex, acute and critical care settings through an evidence-based program of study.
You are required to complete a supervised clinical practicum that allows you to sharpen the skills necessary to provide care for adult and gerontology patients in acute care settings. This acute care nurse practitioner certificate program was created for the working nurse; its convenient online format lets you take class anytime and from anywhere so you do not have to put your work on hold while you are earning your degree.
Select states may have additional requirements to meet their standards; reference your enrollment agreement or contact GCU for more information. This program is offered online in selected states. Please contact us for more information.
Degree Outcomes
Coursework that Mirrors Real Care Situations
This certificate program, focusing on acute care and adult-gerontology, mirrors direct care practice by encouraging peer discussion and collaboration that happens in care environments during the course. The program includes supervised clinical practice with qualified preceptors to strengthen your understanding of how to apply the advanced classroom theories into real practice.
What You Will Learn
Know the Needs of the Elderly
Throughout the coursework, you examine topics that include:
- Advanced health assessments
- Clinical diagnosis and procedural techniques for geriatric and critically ill adults
- Care management of acutely and chronically ill adult and geriatric patients
- The psychological impact of chronic illness on patients and their families
- Diagnosing and managing life-threatening health problems
Career Outcomes
Gain Skills Applicable to Many Care Situations
When you complete the PMSN certificate program in acute gerontology care, you will have examined tools that can help you advance your career in direct adult-gerontology nursing care that is applicable to a variety of clinical care environments.
Course List
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course focuses on advanced physiology and pathophysiology principles. This course is used to guide the advanced nursing practice student in understanding normal function and interpreting changes in normal function that result in symptoms and diagnostic markers indicative of illness. Emphasis is placed on the following systems: cellular environment and inflammatory changes; fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balance; genetics, genetic diseases, and the role of the environment; stress, disease, and the development of neoplasms; hematology and alterations in immunity. In addition, the physiology and pathophysiology of the endocrine, pulmonary, renal, digestive and integumentary, cardiovascular and lymphatic, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and neurological systems, including mood disorders, are addressed. Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate nursing program or college approval. NUR-502, NUR-504, NUR-508.
Course Description
This course focuses on professional and legal issues related to advanced practice nursing and includes adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP-AG) scope of practice, inpatient and outpatient documentation, and billing. Managing the adult-gerontology patient who is highly vulnerable to complications, physiologically unstable, technologically dependent during periods of transition, such as admitting, transferring, and discharging, is also covered. This course provides a review of concepts related to collegial practice, including interprofessional and intraprofessional relationships within the health care delivery system.
Course Description
This course focuses on the advanced pharmacology and therapeutic principles needed for the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP-AG) and the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist (CNS-AG) to safely prescribe medication therapy. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of drug action are emphasized, with a focus on prescribing in a diverse patient population. Appropriate monitoring for efficacy and toxicity of prescribed therapies is highlighted. Evidence-based trials and clinical guidelines provide the basis for selecting safe, effective, and cost-efficient pharmacotherapeutic regimens for all patients. Appropriate patient education regarding prescription and nonprescription therapies is incorporated. This course covers principles of drug action, treatment of endocrine, cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological, infectious diseases, and respiratory disorders. In addition, pain management, the patient in the intensive care unit, toxicology, medication error prevention, and medication management during transitions of care are addressed. Prerequisite: NUR-631.
Course Description
This course builds upon the student's undergraduate and clinical assessment skills, offering advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced practice nursing role. This course addresses the completion and interpretation of a head-to-toe assessment in addition to focused assessments for chief complaints that include physical, psychosocial, spiritual, risk, and functional assessments in diverse populations and across age groups. Students learn a systematic method of diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making to establish differential diagnoses. Prerequisites: NUR-631, and either NUR-632 or NUR-633.
Course Description
This course focuses on evidenced-based theory and research related to adult-gerontology patients experiencing acute illnesses. Students synthesize data from a variety of health resources related to the care of the acutely ill adult-gerontology patient. Concepts involving Clinical Practice Guidelines are introduced and evaluated. Students analyze common problems seen in the acute care setting as they relate to the development of a prioritized differential diagnosis list. Students focus on ways to make clinical judgments and decisions regarding appropriate recommendations and treatments related to acute alterations in health. Prerequisites: NUR-631, NUR-633, and NUR-634. Co-requisite: NUR-636C.
Course Description
This course focuses on integration of adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner didactic learning competencies with application to clinical competencies for adult-gerontology populations seen in acute care settings. Clinical hours: 150. Prerequisites: NUR-631, NUR-633, and NUR-634. Co-requisite: NUR-636.
Course Description
This course continues the focus on evidenced-based theory and research related to acute illnesses in the adult-gerontology population in the acute care setting. Students continue to build on prior knowledge and synthesize data from a variety of health resources related to the care of the acutely ill patient. Utilizing a systems framework, students continue work on clinical judgment and decision making regarding appropriate recommendations and treatments related to alterations in different systems as they develop an evidence-based plan of care. Prerequisites: NUR-636 and NUR-636C. Co-requisite: NUR-637C.
Course Description
This preceptored practicum experience provides comprehensive health care to complex, acute, and critically ill adult-gerontology and frail elderly patients. This course builds upon prior learning. Clinical practice affords students the opportunity to refine their clinical decision-making skills in advanced health assessment, clinical diagnosis, procedural skill acquisition, and care management of acute and chronically ill adult-gerontology patients. Clinical experiences emphasize the physiological and psychosocial impact of acute and critical illness on patients, family, and community, and prepare the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP-AG) in the diagnosis and management of acute and life-threatening health problems. Clinical hours: 200. Prerequisites: NUR-636 and NUR-636C. Co-requisite: NUR-637.
Course Description
This course continues the focus on evidenced-based theory and research related to care during acute, chronic, and exacerbated illnesses. Students continue to build on prior knowledge and synthesize data from a variety of health resources related to the care of the acutely ill patient. Utilizing a systems-framework, students continue developing appropriate clinical judgment and decision-making skills regarding appropriate recommendations and treatments related to alterations in different systems as they develop an evidence-based plan of care for adult-gerontology patients. Prerequisites: NUR-637 and NUR-637C. Co-requisite: NUR-638C.
Course Description
This culminating, preceptored, practicum experience continues the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities in the provision of health care to complex, acute, and critically ill adult-gerontology and frail elderly patients. This course builds upon prior learning. Clinical practice affords students the opportunity to refine their clinical decision-making skills in advanced health assessment, clinical diagnosis, procedural skill acquisition, and care management of acute and chronically ill adult-gerontology patients. Clinical experiences emphasize the physiological and psychosocial impact of acute and critical illness on patients, family, and community, and prepare the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP-AG) in the diagnosis and management of chronic, exacerbated, acute, and life-threatening health problems. Clinical hours: 200. Prerequisites: NUR-637 and NUR-637C. Co-Requisite: NUR-638.
Faculty Bios
Program Locations
Online
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program’s published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution’s catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who graduated between 7/1 – 6/30 of the preceding year. The On-Time Completion rate is determined by the number of students in the cohort who completed the program within the published program length divided by the number of students in the cohort who graduated.
Online and Evening program disclosures* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.