Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Graduate Certificate - Post Master's - CHHS, UNH

The purpose of this post-master’s certificate program is to prepare the advanced practice nurse (APRN) for the role of Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) and increase patient access to acute care medical and surgical services. With backgrounds as either nurse practitioners or master’s prepared nurses with significant acute or critical care clinical experience, graduates can apply newly learned knowledge and skills within the acute care setting, including and not limited to hospitals and ambulatory care centers. Training will help increase the qualified workforce to meet acute and critical medical needs, including in rural areas where recruitment and retention has been a significant challenge.

This program is designed for the APRN with a master’s degree within nursing, including nurse practitioners of other specialties or a master’s degree and significant clinical experience in an acute or critical care setting. The aim of this program is to prepare APRNs at an advanced level to successfully diagnose and manage medical-surgical patients who are acutely or critically ill through prescribing of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, coordination of consultations and care, and continued management of chronic illnesses, comorbidities, and end of life needs.

Courses will focus on the adult-gerontological population with an emphasis on integration of prior coursework, such as pathophysiology and physical assessment, to build skills in diagnostic reasoning and subsequent management of the acutely ill patient using evidenced based practice.

A customized plan of study will be created for admitted students and is based upon prior course work. Additional foundational coursework may be required to meet AACN or ANCC certification requirements.

Certificate Requirements

Clinical Hours: 750*

*

Clinical hours are completed through the following required courses: NURS 851, NURS 853, NURS 855, NURS 857, NURS 859.

Program Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the post-master's nursing program, the graduate student is prepared to:

• Systematically use improvement methods to monitor and evaluate care processes and outcomes and applies data for continuous improvement and safety
• Advocate for social justice through policy, professional and political engagement.
• Apply leadership principles that support inter-professional practice.
• Meet eligibility requirements for certification as an AGACNP with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or as an ACNPC-AG with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
• Meet state requirements for certification, licensure, and prescriptive authority.
• Obtain federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorization to prescribe controlled substances .(Schedules II through IV) for patients within the AGACNP’s practice area
• Participate in the education of future AGACNPs through preceptorship.
• Be lifelong learners.
• Design and implement health promotion and clinical prevention strategies across the health/illness continuum to optimize health and disease management.
• Use translational science and analytic methods to develop, identify, implement, and evaluate best practices to improve health care and health care systems.
• Use data analytic methods, information systems and technology to evaluate, integrate and apply knowledge that will improve programs of care, outcomes of care and care systems.
• Act as a practice scholar to design, direct and evaluate system changes to promote safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered care.
• Serve in a healthcare leadership and change agent role as part of a diverse, complex, and patient-centered health care system.

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However,  completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria.

UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states. Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification and requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online). The University provides guidance below but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for information about whether this program meets professional licensure requirements in your state.

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall: May 1
• Spring: N/A
• Summer: N/A

Application fee: $25

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Distance Education Licensing Requirements

NC-SARA does not cover professional licensing board approval for programs leading to state licensure or certification. If the online program that you are considering is designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in your state, please read the professional licensure page at the UNH Online website for more information.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of Recommendation: 2 Required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Resume

Current resume limited to no more than one page.

Department Requirements

The admission criteria for the PM-AGACNP program includes transcript evidence for advanced pathophysiology throughout the lifespan, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment in order to meet the requirements for ANCC certification testing. Candidates without three separate courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, and advanced health assessment will be reviewed on a case by case basis and may be required to complete the missing course work before being endorsed for ANCC certification testing. 

Enrollment Deposit

This program requires an enrollment deposit of $200. If admitted the deposit will be due by the deadline specified in your admit letter. For more information please see our enrollment deposits help page.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.