Post-Master's Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) Certificate: Adult-Gerontology Emphasis

Post-Master's Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) Certificate Image
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Program offered in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Texas

Overview

Focus Your ACNP Studies in Adult-Gerontology

A post-master's acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) certificate at Grand Canyon University can help you develop your knowledge and skills in a specialty area of nursing. The Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with an Emphasis in Adult-Gerontology Certificate provides a focus in chronic condition care and is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions. These post-master's AGACNP courses are available to students who hold a master's degree in nursing and wish to position themselves for potential career advancement.

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Locations

Online

Tuition Rate

Online: $740 per credit [More Info]

Course Information

Credits: 37

Online: 16 weeks 

[More Info]

Transfer Credits

Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)

Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer

Admission Requirements

  • Undergraduate Degree*
  • 2.8+ GPA
  • Or Passing Test Scores:

  • GMAT: 500
  • GRE: 300 combined**

Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).
The average median annual wage for nurse practitioners is $126,260 as of May 20231
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Why GCU

Benefits of Earning Your Post-Master's AGACNP Certificate From GCU

The online post-master's acute care nurse practitioner certificate with an emphasis in adult-gerontology focuses on adult and geriatric acute care patients.2 Curriculum in the post master's ACNP with an emphasis in adult-gerontology certificate also focuses on sub-acute patients and those who suffer from exacerbations of chronic diseases. Classes are available through GCU's online learning platform in select states. Students must undergo a supervised clinical/practicum and two on-campus experiences at GCU. In addition to online classroom instruction, students are guided in hands-on, experiential activities to sharpen their skills.

A Curriculum Designed To Enhance Your Skills

A blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience in a collaborative environment comprise this acute care nurse practitioner post-master's certificate experience. You will prepare to provide advanced practice nursing care with acute, critical, complex and chronic conditions of patients starting with the teenage years. Working through an evidence based AGACNP post-master's certificate program, you will practice hands-on skills of advanced health assessments, clinical diagnostics, procedural skill acquisition and the care management of diverse patient populations.

image of female nursing student sitting on a bench

Some of the specific course topics you can study include the following:

Physiology and pathophysiology
Pharmacology
Health assessment and diagnostic reasoning
Health promotion and maintenance
Adult-gerontology acute care

Upon graduation, you could be prepared to lead nursing teams, make ethical decisions and communicate to diverse audiences.

CourseWork

Attend Immersive Nursing Simulation Experiences

Coursework in the post-master's acute care NP online certificate experience includes 675 hours of directly supervised clinical practice to align with national norms.2 You are required to attend two on-campus experiences as a student seeking a post-master's ACNP certificate. The clinical experiences explore the physiological and psychosocial effects of acute and critical illnesses.

During your first on-campus experience, there are emphases on simulation experiences, skills, procedures and specific lectures to prepare you for your clinicals. The experience also focuses on examining community resources and integrating family and support systems into care. You are given instruction and hands-on experience that can help prepare you as a nurse practitioner.3

Some of the areas of practice include:

  • Suturing
  • Incision
  • Intubation
  • Casting
  • Catheter insertion
  • Lumbar puncture
  • Radiology interpretation
  • Ventilator management
Careers

Specialized Nursing Career Opportunities With a Post-Master's Acute Care NP Certificate

Nurse practitioners qualified as acute care NPs in adult-gerontology will diagnose and treat acute medical as well as chronic conditions of patients from adolescence into advanced age. Some of the main roles of an acute care nurse practitioner in this specialty are to:

  • Stabilize the patient
  • Lower the risk of complications
  • Restore the patient to optimal health
  • Offer palliative care
  • Make appropriate referrals to specialists

Since ACNPs in adult-gerontology focus on acute care and chronic care management, they may pursue work at hospitals, clinics and other outpatient facilities. As an alternative to working directly with patients, some acute care nurse practitioners may decide to pursue opportunities as postsecondary nursing instructors.

image of nursing student checking on patient with a stethoscope
Accreditation

GCU Offers Accredited Nursing Certificate Programs

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GCU's post-master's acute care nurse practitioner certificate program with an emphasis in adult-gerontology is designed to align with the standards established by the following organizations:

  • American Nursing Association (ANA)
  • Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC)
  • National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing
  • American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)

For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page.

Post-Master's Acute Care NP Certificate: Adult-Gerontology Emphasis FAQs

Review some of our most frequently asked questions about the post-masters AGACNP certificate to learn more information about pursuing the career path of an acute care nurse practitioner.

What is an ACNP certificate vs. certification?
Are post-master's acute care NP classes offered online at GCU?
What's the expected salary for a certified nurse practitioner?
What's the difference between a primary care and an acute care nurse practitioner?
Why choose a post-master's ACNP certificate program?
Courses

Course List

Credit Summary

Major37 Credits

Degree Requirements37 Credits

Core Courses

NUR-631

4 Total Credits

Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology

View Course Description

NUR-635

4 Total Credits

Advanced Pharmacology

View Course Description

NUR-634

4 Total Credits

Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning With Skills Lab

View Course Description

ANP-635

4 Total Credits

Health Promotion and Maintenance and On-Campus Experience I

View Course Description

ANP-635CE

0 Total Credits

ANP-635 On-Campus Experience I

View Course Description

ANP-650

7 Total Credits

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care I

View Course Description

ANP-652

7 Total Credits

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care II

View Course Description

ANP-654

7 Total Credits

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care III and On-Campus Experience II

View Course Description

ANP-654CE

0 Total Credits

ANP-654 On-Campus Experience II

View Course Description
image of a nursing student smiling at patient

Make an Impact in Geriatric Patient Experiences

To learn more about earning your post-master's acute care NP online certificate,2 fill out the form on this page to get in contact with a university counselor.

  1. The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Practitioners as of May 2023, retrieved April 24, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse practitioners, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates' salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate's experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
  2. While all courses are completed online, you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally.
  3. Grand Canyon University does not administer AGACNP certification exams and must be completed through an external certification provider.