This 70-semester hour specialty track in the DNP program prepares graduates as Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AGACNP) at the doctoral level. Students complete a total of 1000 clinical hours with 600 of the clinical hours being in a variety of acute care settings with qualified preceptor supervision and the additional clinical hours in the doctoral project courses. A DNP project must be completed to fulfill degree requirements. The goal of the program is to prepare graduates for advanced practice nursing care with acutely ill adults and geriatric populations. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to write the AGACNP specialty certification examination administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Admissions Requirements
- Applicants must have a BSN degree from a CNEA, ACEN, or CCNE accredited nursing program.
- Proof of a current unencumbered nursing license.
- A nursing grade point average of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale.
*Applicants with deficiencies in the requirements will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BIO 526 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3.0 |
| ECO 605 | Health Care Economics & Finance | 3.0 |
| NUR 600 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3.0 |
| NUR 651 | Advanced Pharmacology I | 3.0 |
| NUR 655 | Diagnostic Reasoning | 3.0 |
| NUR 656 | Management of Acutely Ill Adults and Geriatrics I | 6.0 |
| NUR 657 | Management of Acutely Ill Adults and Geriatrics II | 6.0 |
| NUR 658 | Management of Acutely Ill Adults and Geriatrics III | 6.0 |
| NUR 690 | Professional Aspects of Advanced Nursing Practice | 2.0 |
| NUR 700 | Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Science | 3.0 |
| NUR 703 | Health Promotion in Populations | 3.0 |
| NUR 705 | Research Design and Statistical Methods | 3.0 |
| NUR 720 | Methods in Evidence Based Practice | 3.0 |
| NUR 735 | Leadership in Advance Nursing Practice | 3.0 |
| NUR 740 | Healthcare Policy and Ethics in Advanced Practice Nursing | 3.0 |
| NUR 752 | Advanced Health Informatics | 3.0 |
| NUR 840 | DNP Clinical Practice | 1.0-4.0 |
| NUR 841 | DNP Project I | 3.0 |
| NUR 842 | DNP Project II | 3.0 |
| NUR 843 | DNP Project III | 3.0 |
| NUR 844 | DNP Project IV | 3.0 |
| Total Hours | 69-72 |
Comprehensive Assessment
All students are required to take a comprehensive assessment prior to graduation.
DNP Project
All students in the DNP program are required to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a DNP project. The DNP project is guided by evidence-based practice or quality improvement processes focused on system or population changes that positively influence healthcare outcomes through direct or indirect patient care.
