Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Program (Post Master's Certificate)
(Formerly Offered as Nursing Practice)
The School of Nursing offers Post-Graduate APRN Certificates in the following concentrations:
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (this program is not currently accepting new students)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
These certificates are appropriate for registered nurses (RNs) with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree who wish to pursue an APRN concentration. Each concentration consists of population-focused practicum courses and their associated theory courses. Faculty track directors may require additional coursework on an individual basis. Applicants must possess a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) from their graduate program in nursing.
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: AGACNP graduates are prepared as advance practice nurses to assess, diagnose, monitor, treat and coordinate care of acutely and critically ill individuals from adolescence to senescence. The core competencies emphasize teaching/coaching, consultation and evidence-based practice. The focus of the role is to provide services ranging from disease prevention to critical care to stabilize the patient’s condition, prevent complications, restore maximum health and/or provide palliative care. The AGACNP practice focuses on patients who are characterized as “physiologically unstable, technologically dependent, and/or are highly vulnerable to complications” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2012). Graduates of this concentration are prepared to apply for eligibility to take the AGACNP certification examination prepared by an approved national organization.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 5060 | Advanced Pathophysiology: Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 5500 | Advanced Diagnosis for APN Practice | 3 |
| NURS 5550 | Common and Chronic Health Problems in AGNP Practice I: Population Specific AGACNP | 3 |
| NURS 5559 | AGNP Acute Care Clinical Practicum I | 3 |
| NURS 5560 | Complex and Comorbid Health Problems in AGNP Acute Care Practice II: Population Specific AGACNP | 3 |
| NURS 5562 | Adv. Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Nurse Practitioner Role: AGACNP Population Focus | 3 |
| NURS 5569 | AGNP Acute Care Clinical Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 5570 | Complex and Comorbid Health Problems in AGNP Acute Care Practice III: Population Specific AGACNP | 3 |
| NURS 5579 | AGNP Acute Care Clinical Practicum III | 3 |
| NURS 5590 | Adv. Pharmacodynamics and Implications for Nursing Actions Adult Gerontology Acute Care Population | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
(This program is not currently accepting new students)
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: AGPCNP graduates are prepared as advance practice nurses to assess, diagnose, monitor, treat and coordinate care of individuals from adolescence to senescence with common acute and chronic conditions within the context of family and community. The focus of the role is on the delivery of primary care to the individual including health promotion, disease prevention, and disease management activities to support healthy lives. The core competencies emphasize teaching/coaching, consultation and evidence based practice. Graduates of this concentration are prepared to apply for eligibility to take the AGPCNP certification examination prepared by an approved national organization.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 5060 | Advanced Pathophysiology: Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 5062 | Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 5400 | EBP for Health Promotion, Prevention, and Common Health Problems I: Population Specific AGPCNP, FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5405 | EBP for Common and Chronic Health Problems II: Population Specific AGPCNP and FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5409 | APN Clinical Practicum I | 3 |
| NURS 5410 | Evidence-based Practice for Common and Comorbid Health Problems III Population Specific AGPCNP & FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5419 | Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP Clinical Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 5420 | Evidence-based Practice for Complex and Comorbid Health Problems IV: Population Specific AGPCNP FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5429 | Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP Clinical Practicum III | 3 |
| NURS 5470 | Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice Primary Care Focus | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: FNP graduates are prepared as advance practice nurses to assess, diagnose, monitor, treat and coordinate care of individuals across the lifespan with common acute and chronic conditions within the context of family and community. The focus of the specialty is on the delivery of primary care to the individual across the lifespan within the context of the family and community including health promotion, disease prevention, and disease management activities to support healthy lives. The core competencies emphasize teaching/coaching, consultation and evidence based practice. Graduates of this concentration are prepared to apply for eligibility to take the FNP certification examination prepared by an approved national organization.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 5060 | Advanced Pathophysiology: Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 5062 | Advanced Health Assessment across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 5400 | EBP for Health Promotion, Prevention, and Common Health Problems I: Population Specific AGPCNP, FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5405 | EBP for Common and Chronic Health Problems II: Population Specific AGPCNP and FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5409 | APN Clinical Practicum I | 3 |
| NURS 5410 | Evidence-based Practice for Common and Comorbid Health Problems III Population Specific AGPCNP & FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5420 | Evidence-based Practice for Complex and Comorbid Health Problems IV: Population Specific AGPCNP FNP | 3 |
| NURS 5430 | Management of Childbearing Women and Children | 3 |
| NURS 5439 | Family Primary Care NP Clinical Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 5449 | Family Primary Care NP Clinical Practicum III | 3 |
| NURS 5470 | Advanced Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice Primary Care Focus | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Post-Graduate APRN Certificate: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
Advanced practice roles in neonatology are among the oldest and most respected of all advanced practice roles in the U.S. Educational preparation as a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) provides experienced neonatal nurses with an increased opportunity to make significant contributions to patient care and to influence neonatal population outcomes. Graduates of the NNP Program assume leadership roles guiding patient management plans in neonatal intensive care units, level II special care nurseries, and well-baby nurseries, among other settings. Graduates are prepared to apply for eligibility to take the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner examination given by the National Certification Corporation.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 5350 | Advanced Embryology and Neonatal Physiology | 3 |
| NURS 5362 | Advanced Health Assessment for the Nurse Practitioner Role: Neonatal Population-focus | 3 |
| NURS 5365 | Advanced Neonatal Nursing Theory I | 3 |
| NURS 5370 | Advanced Principles of Pharmacology and Management: Neonatal Population-focus | 3 |
| NURS 5369 | Advanced Neonatal Practicum I | 2 |
| NURS 5375 | Advanced Neonatal Nursing Theory II | 3 |
| NURS 5379 | Advanced Neonatal Practicum II | 3 |
| NURS 5385 | Advanced Neonatal Nursing III | 3 |
| NURS 5389 | Advanced Neonatal Practicum III | 3 |
| Total Credits | 26 | |
Note
The required coursework for the above four post-graduate APRN certificate program concentrations are the core courses (if not completed in original graduate degree program) and the related concentration specific courses.