MSN: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Curriculum

The MSN: Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track is a three-year, 49-credit hour program. All coursework outside of clinicals and practicums takes place online.

Course Schedule

YEAR ONE: FALL SEMESTER Credit Hours

Theoretical Foundations For Advanced Nursing Practice

Focuses on philosophical and theoretical foundations of advanced nursing practice. An emphasis is placed on concepts, conceptual models, and theories as they have developed in nursing, as well as theoretical foundations from related disciplines. The relationships between theory, research and clinical practice is analyzed. Ethical, cultural, legal and political issues and their impact on the profession and the delivery of health care are discussed from a variety of perspectives. Graduates are prepared to wholistically care for a variety of clients incorporating a theory basis for their practice. Read More about Theoretical Foundations For Advanced Nursing Practice

Foundations Of Advanced Nursing Practice

Students have the opportunity to prepare for practice as an advanced practice registered nurse. Didactic experiences focus on the complex dynamics and issues encountered in clinical practice, education and administration as well as the attendant ethical and legal issues. Students develop knowledge and competencies to practice collaboratively with other health care providers, assume leadership for wholistic client care and advocacy for clients and the public. The practicum focuses on initial practice in the advanced practice roles as an educator, researcher, advocate, clinician, consultant, collaborator, and systems manager. Read More about Foundations Of Advanced Nursing Practice

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Throughout the Lifespan

Provides a basis for advanced practice nursing through the exploration of the human health experience of clients across healthcare settings. Emphasizes health promotion, acute episodic care, and chronic community based care within a human caring framework. Focuses on the use of current research to direct advanced practice nursing skills and care. Read More about Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Throughout the Lifespan
YEAR ONE: SPRING SEMESTER Credit Hours

Research Methods for Advanced Practice Nursing

Focuses on methods of inquiry as a basis for the expansion of nursing knowledge and application of research in advanced clinical practice. Selection of research methods to identify client-focused clinical nursing problems and appropriate interventions in advanced practice are addressed within an ethical context. Read More about Research Methods for Advanced Practice Nursing

Pathophysiology for Registered Nurses (RN-BSN Only)

Focuses on cellular physiological and pathophysiological processes through the lifespan, in order to provide a foundation for wholistic clinical assessment, decision-making, and clinical management. Emphasis is on commonly found altered health states based on current epidemiological trends. Integration of current research from nursing and other disciplines is used to explore the pathophysiological processes, the compensatory mechanisms, and the rationales for clinical interventions. The advanced practice clinician will be able to utilize this knowledge as a basis for interpreting changes in normal physiologic function, and in prescribing appropriate treatment modalities. Read More about Pathophysiology for Registered Nurses (RN-BSN Only)
YEAR ONE: SUMMER Credit Hours

Advanced Health Assessment

This course focuses on the expansion and refinement of the clinician’s skills in collecting and integrating wholistic data necessary for a comprehensive health assessment, including functional assessment, recognition of medical genetics conditions, health history, physical examination and indicated lab and diagnostic testing. Read More about Advanced Health Assessment

Advanced Practice Skills Lab

This laboratory course focuses on the competencies of technical clinical skills for advanced practice. Read More about Advanced Practice Skills Lab

Cultural Competence in Health Care

This course will increase the student’s awareness regarding the dimensions and complexities involved in caring for people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The issues of health care delivery will be explored and contrasted with the choices that people must make when attempting to deal with health care issues. Read More about Cultural Competence in Health Care

YEAR TWO: FALL SEMESTER Credit Hours

Advanced Pharmacology

This course presents advanced principles of pharmacology, including both the pharmacotherapeutics and pharmacokinetics of selected drug groups and their clinical application. It is designed to build upon the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of disease processes and wholistic health assessment, and to provide the foundation for clinical competency in therapeutic drug prescription and administration. Emphasis is placed on developing knowledge and aptitudes in safely and effectively assessing, diagnosing, and treating common health alterations, and the related professional, ethical and legal issues in prescriptive practice. Synthesis and application of pharmacological principles will also be integrated within the clinical practice experience. Read More about Advanced Pharmacology

Primary Care of the Adult I

This course explores utilization of all levels of prevention with a focus on primary health care delivery and primary and secondary prevention with the mid-life family: health promotion, risk screening, disease prevention, and diagnosis and early treatment of health alterations. Read More about Primary Care of the Adult I
YEAR TWO: SPRING SEMESTER Credit Hours

Heath Care System: Paradigms, Policy And Ethics

This course surveys the current health care milieu from both a national and global perspective. Particular consideration of governmental/legal, fiscal and society values and philosophies, spiritual, moral/ethical issues will unfold the current context of health care delivery. In depth analysis focuses on health care organizations, ethics, financing and public policy, and the associated role of the advanced practice nurse in light of the social contact with the public, and opportunities to advocate for social justice and healthy environments. Read More about Heath Care System: Paradigms, Policy And Ethics

Primary Care of the Adult II

This course explores utilization of all levels of prevention with a focus on primary health care delivery and secondary and tertiary prevention with the older-adult family: diagnosis and early treatment of health alterations and reduction of complications and health maintenance. Read More about Primary Care of the Adult II
YEAR TWO: SUMMER Credit Hours

Evidence Based Practice II

A continuation of NURS 621. Read More about Evidence Based Practice II

Gerontology Practicum

This course sequence is specific to the AGNP option. It is designed to help provide 60 of the minimum 540 hours of clinical practice to meet the MSN certification exam requirement. Read More about Gerontology Practicum
YEAR THREE: FALL SEMESTER Credit Hours

Evidence Based Practice I

This course offers the opportunity to develop and/or revise nursing clinical practice or protocols based on scientific rigorous empirical and qualitative evidence. Includes actual implementation of the proposed change. Read More about Evidence Based Practice I

Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum

This course sequence is specific to the AGNP option. NURS 750-756 are designed to provide a minimum of 1000 hours of clinical practice in order to meet eligibility for the DNP certification examination (or the minimum 540 hours of clinical practice to meet the MSN certification exam requirement). Read More about Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum
YEAR THREE: SPRING SEMESTER Credit Hours

Evidence Based Practice III

A continuation of NURS 622. Read More about Evidence Based Practice III

Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum

This course sequence is specific to the AGNP option. NURS 750-756 are designed to provide a minimum of 1000 hours of clinical practice in order to meet eligibility for the DNP certification examination (or the minimum 540 hours of clinical practice to meet the MSN certification exam requirement). Read More about Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum

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