Laura A. Talbot, PhD, EdD, RN, dean for the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, recently announced the launch of a new online certificate program for experienced nurse practitioners – the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program. The one-year, online certificate program is open only to nurse practitioners (NPs) who are certified in another specialty. Applications for the fall 2014 session will be accepted through April 15.
“NPs who work in fast-paced acute care settings are being required to obtain certification as acute care nurse practitioners in order to oversee the care of patients in these high-energy environments,” Dean Talbot said. “We want to meet the needs of this specialized NP population, by offering an online, 22-credit program that provides the specific training and credentialing their employers now require.”
To be eligible for the post-graduate Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) Certificate Program, applicants must be advanced practice nurses (APNs) with an MSN or DNP degree, who are certified in another specialty. The UT College of Nursing, a unit of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), plans to enroll up to 10 online students per year in the new certificate program.
The AG-ACNP certificate program prepares APNs with the skills and competencies needed to provide patient-centered care to adults of all ages who are physiologically unstable, technologically dependent, or highly vulnerable to complications, and require frequent monitoring and intervention. Didactic and clinical practicums prepare the graduate to provide a full spectrum of care ranging from disease prevention to acute and critical care management and palliative care, with consideration to the developmental, life-stage needs of adults across the age spectrum.
Graduates will be able to: Synthesize nursing and other scientific knowledge, with contemporary clinical knowledge, for the assessment and management of health and illness states of adult-gerontology patients. Demonstrate advanced levels of nursing practice including health promotion, health protection, disease prevention, treatment, and referrals for the acute, critical, and chronically ill or injured patient. Engage in advocacy, modeling and teaching to advance health outcomes of complex acute, critical, or chronically ill patients. Develop collaborative professional relationships. Provide leadership for the delivery of clinical services within an integrated system of health care. Analyze practice outcomes to foster quality health care practices and improve patient outcomes. Integrate professional values and ethical decision-making in advanced nursing practice.
To learn more about the AG-ACNP certificate program, contact Jamie Overton in the Office of Student Affairs, UTHSC College of Nursing via phone: (901) 448-6125 or email: JOverton@uthsc.edu. Or for more information, visit: www.uthsc.edu/nursing.
The UT College of Nursing is the leading producer of nursing faculty and graduate nurses in the Mid-South region. With more than 5,200 alumni, the college is consistently cited on the U.S. News & World Report annual list of America’s Best Graduate Schools.