Post-Master’s Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate in Adult-Gerontology
Program offered in select states including AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, NC, NM, NV, TX and FL
Advance Your Career as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Lifelong learning and ongoing professional development are particularly important in the medical field. A post-MSN certificate at Grand Canyon University enables nurse practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills in a specialty area. The Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with a focus in chronic condition care is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions. It’s available to students who hold a master’s degree in nursing and wish to enhance their career qualifications.
The online post-master’s acute care adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (AGACNP) certificate program focuses on adult and geriatric acute care patients. The AGACNP certificate also focuses on sub-acute patients and those who suffer from exacerbations of chronic diseases. Classes are available through GCU’s online APRN learning platform in select states. Students must undergo a supervised clinical/practicum and two on-campus experiences at GCU. In addition to online classroom instruction, students are guided in hands-on, experiential activities to sharpen their skills.
GCU’s post-master’s acute care nurse practitioner certificate program with an emphasis in adult-gerontology is designed to align with the standards established by the following organizations:
- American Nursing Association (ANA)
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC)
- National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university licensures, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page.
Gain Critical Care Skills in AGACNP Post-Master’s Certificate Classes and Labs
A blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience in a collaborative environment comprise this acute care nurse practitioner post-master’s certificate program. You will prepare to provide advanced practice nursing care with acute, critical, complex and chronic conditions of patients starting with the teenage years. Working through an evidence based AGACNP certificate program, you will practice hands-on skills of advanced health assessments, clinical diagnostics, procedural skill acquisition and the care management of diverse patient populations. Graduates are prepared to confidently lead nursing teams, make ethical decisions and skillfully communicate to diverse audiences. Some of the specific courses students take include the following:
- Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
- Advanced Pharmacology
- Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning with Skills Lab
- Health Promotion and Maintenance and On-Campus Experience I
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I and II
- On-Campus Experience I and II
Prepare for a Potential Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Through Nursing Simulation Experiences
This online AGACNP post-master’s certificate includes 675 hours of directly supervised clinical practice to align with national norms. Students are required to attend two on-campus experiences. The clinical experiences explore the physiological and psychosocial effects of acute and critical illnesses.
During the first on-campus experience, there are emphases on simulation experiences, skills, procedures, and specific lectures to prepare for clinical. The experience also focuses on examining community resources and integrating family and support systems into care. During the on-campus experiences, students are given instruction and hands-on experience to prepare them as nurse practitioners.1 Some of the areas of practice include suturing, incision, intubation, casting, catheter insertion, lumbar puncture, radiology interpretation and ventilator management.
Earn a Post-Master’s Acute Care NP – AGACNP Certificate for Specialized Nursing Career Opportunities
Nurse practitioners qualified as AGACNPs specialize in diagnosing and treating the acute medical as well as chronic conditions of patients from adolescence into advanced age. Some of the main objectives of an AGACNP are to:
- Stabilize the patient
- Lower the risk of complications
- Restore the patient to optimal health
- Offer palliative care
- Make appropriate referrals to specialists
Since AGACNPs focus on acute care and chronic care management, they may pursue work at hospitals, clinics and other outpatient facilities. As an alternative to working directly with patients, some acute care nurse practitioners may decide to pursue opportunities as postsecondary nursing instructors.
Post Master’s Acute Care NP – AGACNP Certificate FAQs
An AGACNP post-master’s certificate is a program designed for graduate-level nurse practitioners who want to expand their role into the area of adult-gerontology acute care. The curriculum in an AGACNP post-master’s certificate program prepares nursing students to provide general care for adults and geriatric patients with acute, critical and chronic health issues.
Graduates of the post-master’s acute care nurse practitioner certificate program are eligible to sit for a national nurse practitioner certification exam in adult-gerontology acute care. The AGACNP certification exam is administered by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Once a graduate passes the national certification exam, they will be able to apply for certification in their state to practice as a certified registered nurse practitioner in adult-gerontology acute care.
The post-master’s acute care adult-gerontology nurse practitioner certificate program at GCU is offered in a hybrid format. The courses are available through GCU’s online APRN learning platform in select states. In addition to the online courses, students must also complete 675 hours of supervised clinicals and two on-campus experiences at GCU which include both classroom instruction and hands-on simulation practice.
AGACNP certified nurses are also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). They provide specialty healthcare for adult and geriatric patients. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners have a median annual wage of $111,680 as of May 2020.2
Primary care nurse practitioners typically work with patients who require routine healthcare or who have chronic conditions that do not require immediate medical attention. Acute care nurse practitioners will work with patients who need short-term care for more severe illnesses and health conditions.
1 Grand Canyon University does not administer AGACNP certification exams and must be completed through an external certification provider.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Practitioners as of May 2020. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Nurse Practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. 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. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course focuses on advanced physiology and pathophysiology principles across the life span. This course is used to guide the advanced nursing practice learner 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: NUR-590.
Course Description
This course focuses on the basic concepts and principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their practical implication in clinical practice across the life span. This course also places an emphasis on the strong influence of physiological variables (age, ethnicity, or pregnancy) and pathological conditions (hepatic or renal insufficiency, cardiac dysfunction) on drugs’ pharmacological response. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between patient’s physiological/pathological variables and pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics can provide additional insight for practitioners in predicting potential drug interactions, and thus will provide additional guidance in prescribing strategies. This course also includes clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; clinical toxicology; and pathology and pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular, psychiatric, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, bone and joint, infectious, reproductive, and dermatological disorders. Prerequisite: NUR-631.
Course Description
This course builds upon the learner's undergraduate and clinical assessment skills, offering advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced practice nursing role across the life span. 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. Learners learn a systematic method of diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision making to establish differential diagnoses. Prerequisites: NUR-631, and either NUR-632, NUR-633, or NUR-635.
Course Description
This course covers preventive health care practices and integrates cultural and spiritual considerations, environmental factors, genetic influences, and national public health objectives. Emphasis is placed on development of the advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, and promotion of healthy lifestyle changes. Learners explore concepts relevant to acute care, including integration of the family and patient support systems into care. Specific emphasis is placed on clinical diagnostic reasoning and interpretation and the development of differential diagnoses based on clinical practice guidelines. Learners examine professional and patient community resources and evaluate the use of integrative healing strategies in assisting patients to achieve health goals using evidence-based research. This course includes a required 3-day, on-campus experience. Prerequisite: NUR-634.
Course Description
This course covers preventive health care practices and integrates cultural and spiritual considerations, environmental factors, genetic influences, and national public health objectives. Emphasis is placed on development of the advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship to enhance the effectiveness of patient education, counseling, and promotion of healthy lifestyle changes. Learners explore concepts relevant to acute care, including integration of the family and patient support systems into care. Specific emphasis is placed on clinical diagnostic reasoning and interpretation and the development of differential diagnoses based on clinical practice guidelines. Learners examine professional and patient community resources and evaluate the use of integrative healing strategies in assisting patients to achieve health goals using evidence-based research. This course includes a required 3-day, on-campus experience. Prerequisite: NUR-634.
Course Description
This course focuses on evidence-based theory and research related to adult-gerontological patients experiencing acute illnesses with comorbidities. Learners synthesize data from a variety of health resources related to the care of the adult-gerontological patient. Learners analyze common problems seen in the acute care setting to develop prioritized differential diagnoses, make clinical judgments, and recommend appropriate treatments for acute alterations in health with particular emphasis on restorative care. Clinical practice affords learners 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-gerontological patients. Practicum experiences emphasize the physiological and psychosocial impact of acute and critical illness on patients, family, and community. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: ANP-635.
Course Description
This course continues to focus on evidenced-based theory and research related to acute illnesses in the adult-gerontological population in the acute care setting. Learners 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, learners further develop clinical judgment and decision-making skills in order to recommend treatments for alterations in different systems as they develop an evidence-based plan of care. Clinical practice affords learners 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-gerontological patients. Practicum experiences emphasize the physiological and psychosocial impact of acute and critical illness on patients, family, and community. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: ANP-650.
Course Description
This course serves as the final synthesis of evidenced-based theory and research related to care of complex, acute, and critically ill adult-gerontological and frail elderly patients with comorbidities. Learners 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, learners further develop 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-gerontological patients. Practicum 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 in the diagnosis and management of chronic, exacerbated, acute, and life-threatening health problems. This course includes a required 2-day, on-campus experience. Practicum/field experience hours: 225. Prerequisite: ANP-652.
Course Description
This course serves as the final synthesis of evidenced-based theory and research related to care of complex, acute, and critically ill adult-gerontological and frail elderly patients with comorbidities. Learners 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, learners further develop 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-gerontological patients. Practicum 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 in the diagnosis and management of chronic, exacerbated, acute, and life-threatening health problems. This course includes a required 2-day, on-campus experience. Prerequisite: ANP-652.
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
* Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change.