Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP Specialty Track), BSN to DNP Degree
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) specialty track is a 75-credit hour graduate nursing curriculum to prepare registered nurses to serve as an advocate for patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic illness, disability, and/or injury to improve patient outcomes in diverse populations. The role encompasses care ranging from disease prevention to acute and critical care management. The AGACNP provides direct healthcare services to improve patient outcomes by utilizing evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional collaboration. The AGACNP provides specialized care for patients 18 years and older with greater autonomy at the highest level in multiple settings including the ICU, ER, trauma units, specialty clinics, surgery, other hospital services, and long-term care facilities. This is an online program with 3 required virtual or on-campus immersions. The program utilizes a variety of clinical experiences.
The program of study conforms to educational guidelines from the Texas Board of Nursing, the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2021), the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), and Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (NTF, 2016). Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for national Adult-Gerontology examinations offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN ).
APRN DNP/Adult Gerontology Acute Care Required Specialty Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 5103 | Diagnostic Reasoning | 1 |
| NUR 5213 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP Management I: Practicum | 2 |
| NUR 5214 | (NUR 5214::AGACNP II Practicum) | 2 |
| NUR 5215 | (NUR 5215::AGACNP Residency) | 2 |
| NUR 5311 | Gerontology Considerations for APRN Practice | 3 |
| NUR 5333 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP Management I: Common Problems | 3 |
| NUR 5334 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP Management II: Chronic Problems | 3 |
| NUR 5335 | (NUR 5335::AGACNP Management III) | 3 |
| NUR 5336 | (NUR 5336::AGAC III Practicum) | 3 |
Sample Curriculum Plan for APRN DNP/Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP(AGACNP) - Spring Start
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring Trimester | Hours | |
| NUR 5209 | Theoretical Concepts for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse | 2 |
| NUR 5201 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 2 |
| NUR 5211 | Servant Leadership and Advanced Practice Nursing | 2 |
| NUR 5351 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Summer Trimester | ||
| NUR 5349 | Global Healthcare and Missions | 3 |
| NUR 6316 | Transforming Health Care Organizations and Changing Outcomes | 3 |
| NUR 5312 | The Roles and Business of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Fall Trimester | ||
| NUR 5332 | Advanced Human Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NUR 5314 | Scientific Inquiry | 3 |
| NUR 6272 | Applied Ethics for Advanced Practice Nursing | 2 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Spring Trimester | ||
| NUR 5354 | Advanced Health Assessment/Promotion/Disease Prevention | 3 |
| NUR 6377 | Policy and Implications for Health | 3 |
| NUR 5311 | Gerontology Considerations for APRN Practice | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Summer Trimester | ||
| NUR 5103 | Diagnostic Reasoning | 1 |
| NUR 5333 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP Management I: Common Problems | 3 |
| NUR 5213 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP Management I: Practicum (150 hours) | 2 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fall Trimester | ||
| NUR 6375 | Translational Science | 3 |
| NUR 5334 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP Management II: Chronic Problems | 3 |
| NUR 5214 | NUR 5214::AGACNP II Practicum | 2 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Spring Trimester | ||
| NUR 5335 | NUR 5335::AGACNP Management III | 3 |
| NUR 5336 | NUR 5336::AGAC III Practicum | 3 |
| NUR 5280 | Health Informatics and Innovations in Technology | 2 |
| NUR 6110 | Data Management for the Advanced Practice Nurse | 1 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Summer Trimester | ||
| NUR 5215 | NUR 5215::AGACNP Residency | 2 |
| NUR 6373 | Clinical Epidemiology | 3 |
| NUR 63C1 | DNP Project I | 3 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Fall Trimester | ||
| NUR 6V76 | Advanced Practice Nursing Residency (225 hours) | 3 |
| NUR 61C2 | DNP Project II | 1 |
| Hours | 4 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Spring Trimester | ||
| NUR 62C3 | DNP Project III | 2 |
| NUR 6V76 | Advanced Practice Nursing Residency (225 hours) | 3 |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 75 | |