Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
ADMISSION AND PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MSN DEGREE
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner concentration offers nurses with an acute care/critical care clinical practice background the opportunity to provide care to acutely ill adults. These advanced practice registered nurses will be prepared to function as Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AGACNP). Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners provide evidence-based care to acutely ill adults with urgent and emergent complex health issues and critically ill adults with life threatening, rapidly changing physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The program is implemented in partnership with the Carolinas Healthcare System. Graduates with this concentration will be eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation (AACN Certcorp) examination for Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners.
Admission and Progression Requirements for the MSN degree
In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the following are required for graduate study in nursing:
1. Unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina
2. Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree (or its US equivalent) from a regionally accredited college or university.
3. One year of professional nursing practice in acute/critical care at time of application
4. Overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the last degree and 60 hours of nursing coursework
5. Completion of an undergraduate statistics course with a grade of C or above
6. Statement of Purpose in the application packet explaining the applicant’s career goal in relation to acute/critical care practice. (Note: Statement of Purpose should not exceed two double-spaced typed pages.)
7. References should be from professional colleagues and should speak to clinical knowledge and expertise and one’s ability to function as a member of the healthcare team. At least one reference from a supervisory person is preferred.
Degree Requirements
The MSN degree requires completion of 47 graduate credit hours for the AGACNP specialty. All specialties require a Capstone Project. Specific requirements for this specialty are listed below. This program is designed to accommodate full-time students, many classes are held in the late afternoon or evening. The program includes a minimum of 600 hours of supervised clinical experience.
Up to a total of six graduate semester credit hours may be accepted from another accredited institution or from a post-baccalaureate program at UNC Charlotte. All courses must be approved prior to transfer by the student’s advisor, the Associate Director of the Graduate Division, and the Dean of the Graduate School. All coursework, including accepted transfer credits, must be completed within a six-year period just prior to graduation.
Application Instructions
Students are admitted annually. Applications for entry in the Fall Semester are due to the Graduate School by December 1st.
Core Courses (9 hours)
NURS 6101 Theoretical Basis for Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 6160 Research in Nursing and Health Professions (3)
NURS 6115 Health Policy and Planning in the U.S. (3)
Cognate Courses (6 hours)
STAT 6127 Introduction to Biostatistics (3)
BIOL 6274 Pathophysiology (3)
Advanced Clinical Core (9 hours)
NURS 6220 Pharmacotherapeutics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
NURS 6230 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice (3)
NURS 6430 Advanced Health Assessment Practicum (1)*
NURS 6210 Family Health in Advanced Practice Nursing (2)
AGACNP Specialty Courses (20 hours)
NUNP 6202 Complex Healthcare Management of Adults (3)
NUNP 6203 Advanced Care of Critically Ill Adults (3)
NUNP 6250 Advanced Primary Care and Health Promotion of Adults Across the Lifespan (3)
NUNP 6401 Advanced Care and Health Promotion Adults Practicum (2)*
NUNP 6402 Advanced Practice Nursing in Complex Care Practicum (4)*
NUNP 6403 Advanced Care of Critically Ill Adults Practicum (4)*
NUNP 6431 Advanced Acute Care Skills Lab (1)*
Synthesis Project or Thesis (3 hours)
NURS 6603 Synthesis and Integration in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
*Clinical Course that requires 60 hours practice for each 1 credit hours
Additional Degree Requirements
- A minimum of 600 hours of supervised clinical experience as a Nurse Practitioner student is required.
- Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
- In order to progress in the specialty, a grade of B or above is required in the following courses:
- BIOL 6274 Pathophysiology
- NURS 6220 Pharmacotherapeutics in Advanced Nursing Practice (3)
- NURS 6230 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning for Advanced Practice (3)
- NURS 6430 Advanced Health Assessment Practicum (1)*
- All required courses with a NUNP prefix
- Faculty advising is required.
Research Opportunities
Students who choose to do so have the opportunity to serve as Research Assistants on faculty research projects.
Contact information
Advanced Clinical Nursing Coordinator
Tonya Anderson, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNE
UNC Charlotte School of Nursing
Charlotte, North Carolina
704-687-7482
hander19@uncc.edu
Associate Director for Graduate Programs
David Langford, PhD, RN
drlangfo@uncc.edu
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and the post-graduate Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.