AG-ACNP Program of Study
The curriculum is comprised of core courses that cover research and theoretical considerations of advanced nursing practice, and professional and economic issues associated with today's healthcare environment. The specialty specific courses address the basic and advanced principles and practices of family practice with an emphasis on the Three P's: pathophysiology, physical assessment and pharmacology.
The core specialty courses begin in the first fall semester with Advanced Pathophysiology and Advanced Health Assessment. The first spring semester places the student in the Primary Care of Children and the associated practicum and Advanced Pharmacology. This is an integrated program. Students experience a didactic and clinical course concurrently, reinforcing what is learning in class with experiences in the clinical practicum. Students begin to develop plans of care and management under the guidance of and Advanced Practice Nurse or physician. Our curriculum is demanding and rigorous but at the same time accommodates the student who chooses to work either full or part time.
Summer Year I |
Hours |
Clinical Hrs |
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N5000 Conceptual Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Prerequisites: Admission to the MSN programs or permission of the Director. The role of the advanced practice nurse within the framework of nursing science. Selected theoretical and conceptual nursing frameworks, which provide a foundation for advanced nursing practice. |
3 |
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N5160 Diversity & Ethical Issues in Advanced Practice Prerequisite: Admission to the Graduate Program or permission of the Director. Provides a basis for decisions regarding ethical issues in healthcare as they affect the person, communities, society and the health care profession as well as explore the wide diversity of cultural influences on behavior including ethnic, racial, gender and age differences. |
3 |
|
|
N5510 Health Promotion & Disease Prevention in Primary Care Prerequisite: Admission to Family Nurse Practitioner concentration or permission of Director. Theoretical foundations in health promotion, illness prevention and maintenance of function across the health-illness continuum with clients: the individual, family and community. |
3 |
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Fall Year I |
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N5830 Advanced Health Assessment Prerequisites: Undergraduate health assessment. Advanced health assessment of clients of all ages, including formulation of a clinical diagnosis based upon the health assessment findings. |
2 |
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N5840 Advanced Health Assessment Lab Prerequisites: Undergrad Health Assessment, Pre or Corequisite NURS 5830. Application of advanced health assessment techniques of clients of all ages, including formulation of a clinical diagnosis based upon the health assessment findings. |
1 |
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N5040 Advanced Pathophysiology Prerequisites: Undergraduate pathophysiology or permission of the Director. Analysis of complex interrelationships and interdependence of pathophysiological concepts that serve as a primary component of the foundation for clinical assessment, decision making, and management for advanced nursing practice. |
3 |
|
Spring Year I |
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N5800 Advanced Pharmacology Prerequisites: admission to nursing graduate program or permission of the Director. Essential pharmacotherapeutics for advanced nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on commonly prescribed medications for clients of all ages. |
3 |
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NURS 5710 Acute Diagnostic Reasoning Prerequisite: NURS 5830, NURS 5840, and NURS 5800. This didactic course emphasizes principles of diagnostic reasoning, common invasive procedures, emergency therapeutics, standards of care, and use of information systems in the acute care setting. Content is included but not limited to analysis of laboratory data; interpretation of radiographs; fluid replacement; pre-operative evaluation; suturing; and hemodynamic monitoring. |
3 |
|
Summer Year II |
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N5120 Health Policy, Finance & Economics An examination of health care policy, economics, and finance in health care systems including a focus on the advanced practice nursing role. |
3 |
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NURS 5720 Advanced Acute Care Prerequisite: NURS 5040, NURS 5830, NURS 5840, NURS 5800 and NURS 5710. This didactic course fosters clinical competency and stresses evidence- based practice in the complex care of acutely-ill adult and frail elderly patients frequently encountered in acute care settings. Content includes but is not limited to altered mental status/encephalopathy, acute pain management, accelerated hypertension, shortness of breath, atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndromes, sepsis/shock, abdominal pain, acute kidney injury, diabetic emergencies, endocrine emergencies, and preventing functional decline in the hospitalized adult client. |
2 |
|
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NURS 5730 Advanced Acute Care Practicum Prerequisite: NURS 5040, NURS 5830, NURS 5840, NURS 5800 and NURS 5710. Corequisite: NURS 5720 This clinical course is designed to provide experiential learning in development and application of the roles of the acute care nurse practitioner with a hospitalist focus. Students will apply and evaluate nursing theory and concepts in both the planning and delivery of care in the hospital setting. Emphasis is placed on physical assessment, interpretation of medical data, differential diagnoses, development and implementation of management plans, documentation in the medical record, and billing. |
4 |
180 |
Fall Year II |
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N5010 Nursing Research with Statistical Applications Prerequisite: Undergraduate level statistics: pre or co-NURS 5110 & NURS 5000. An examination of methods and statistical applications in nursing research, utilizing nursing theory both as a basis for research and in practice. |
4 |
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NURS 5740 Advanced Critical Care Prerequisite: NURS 5040, NURS 5830, NURS 5840, NURS 5800 and NURS 5710. This didactic course continues to foster clinical competency and stress evidence-based practice in the complex care of adult and geriatric patients with the highest acuity of the disease entities in the critical care setting. Content includes but is not limited to stroke, trauma, valvular heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, respiratory failure, hepatic failure, organ transplantation, and oncologic emergencies. |
2 |
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NURS 5750 Advanced Critical Care Practicum NURS 5040, NURS 5830, NURS 5840, NURS 5800 and NURS 5710. Corequisite: NURS 5740 This clinical course is designed to provide experiential learning in development and application of the roles of the acute care nurse practitioner with an intensivist focus. Students will apply and evaluate nursing theory and concepts in both the planning and delivery of care in the intensive care setting. Emphasis is placed on physical assessment, interpretation of medical data, differential diagnoses, development and implementation of management plans, documentation in the medical record, billing, and performing relevant procedures in the critically-ill adult-geriatric population. |
4 |
180 |
Spring Year II |
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Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses in the AGACNP concentration. This final clinical residency is designed to provide experiential learning by applying and integrating of the roles of the acute care nurse practitioner that students have learned in their previous two practicum courses. This hospital-based clinical experience will be used for application, synthesis, and evaluation of nursing theory and concepts. By the end of this rotation, each student must be able to demonstrate competence in pathophysiology, diagnoses, and therapeutic management of episodic and chronic problems found in the adult and geriatric populations of the acute care setting. |
6 |
270 |
|
SOCW 5223 Theories of Aging and Development Exploration of theoretical paradigms used to understand the aging process. Emphasis placed on using theory to understand development throughout the life course to inform social work practice with older adults. |
3 |
|
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Total Curriculum Hours |
48 |
630 |
Curriculum is subject to modification at the discretion of director and/or program coordinator.