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University of Pittsburgh    
2024-2025 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog 
    
 
  Nov 27, 2024
 
2024-2025 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate


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Post-Professional Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

This non-degree certificate is designed for nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists with a previous Master of Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice who are seeking to expand their roles via nurse practitioner certification in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care. The total credits required are 24.

Overview

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) Post-Professional Certificate is designed for graduate-prepared Nurse Practitioners (NP) or Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) who are seeking to expand their roles via nurse practitioner certification in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care. The curriculum prepares nurse practitioners to function as generalist, principal providers of care for adults and older adults with acute, critical and complex chronic health problems across the continuum of acute care services.

AG-ACNP students select a clinical emphasis for directed study. The directed study allows students to design clinical experiences around a particular area of interest (i.e., internal medicine, general surgery). The curriculum consists of NP and AG-ACNP specialty courses and clinical practice hours.

Graduates of the AG-ACNP Post-Professional Certificate are eligible to sit for a national nurse practitioner certification examination in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care offered by either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Successful passing of the national certification examination entitles the graduate to apply for certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care by the State Board of Nurse Examiners of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Board of Nursing in the student’s US State/Territory or location of employment.

Curriculum Format

  • Full time or part time (~3-5 terms)
  • 540 clinical hours*
  • Online or onsite
  • Students are required to attend a 3-day onsite laboratory intensive, usually scheduled in the Summer term, 2nd term of study. Each student will be responsible for transportation costs and for room and board costs during the lab intensive.
  • Students will need to arrange for clinical placements and appropriate physician or nurse practitioner preceptors, as directed by their academic advisor.
  • An Affiliation Agreement between the University and the clinical site is required before clinical hours can begin. This process often takes some time to finalize, so applicants are highly encouraged to apply early and begin this process as soon as accepted into the program so that there will be no delay in beginning clinical rotations.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the AG-ACNP Post-Professional Certificate are prepared to accomplish the following:

  • Assume responsibility for promoting, maintaining, and restoring health to acutely ill, critically ill, and complex chronically ill adults and older adults
  • Identify health risks, promote wellness, and diagnose and manage acute and chronic illness
  • Participate in multi-disciplinary research and provide leadership in mobilizing health services

Admission Criteria

  • Valid registered nurse license in US State/Territory or location where clinical experiences are performed
  • Minimum of one year nursing experience recommended
  • BSN required
  • Previous MS, MSN, or DNP as a NP or CNS (from ACEN, NLN, or CCNE accredited program)
  • GPA ≥ 3.0 in the MS, MSN, or DNP degree
  • Pre-admission interview
  • Complete online application
  • International applicants: see https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/admissions/international-applicants and www.ois.pitt.edu
  • Spring term admission only

Admission of International Applicants

Applications from international students are reviewed according to the admission criteria stated above, and admissions deadlines for all programs are available online. The online application must be completed in English.  See the School of Nursing International Applicants page for specific admission requirements.

Full-Time Curriculum


Notes


Successful completion of the AG-ACNP Specialty Comprehensive Exam is required.

*Dependent on the individual’s previous role, population of patients, and years of experience as a nurse practitioner in an acute or critical care setting with adult/gerontology patients, up to 300 clinical hours may be completed through the option of credit by course examination.

The total credits required will vary based on evaluation of the student’s previous coursework. Applicants must have completed courses in their prior MSN or DNP nurse practitioner program that meet the core course requirements to sit for the AG-ACNP certification examination (Advanced Pathophysiology across the Lifespan, Advanced Pharmacology across the Lifespan, Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan, and Health Promotion). Additional coursework may be required and/or credit may be given for previous coursework that meets the core curriculum requirements.

Total Credits: 24


*Courses with a “D” are delivered synchronously via distance technology for qualified onsite students as per Policy 438

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