Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate

Description and Outcomes

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate is designed for master’s-prepared nurses who want to obtain further knowledge in the professional practice of medical, surgical, and critical care management of acutely ill adult patient populations. Graduates may expect to practice in acute and complex care settings in roles such as a hospitalist in a medical-surgical unit or an intensivist in a general or specialty critical care unit. Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners function within the interprofessional acute care team providing direct care management including diagnosis and treatment planning.

Note: the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate program is not available in all states. Refer to Program Availability Information details. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Clinical Practice Experience

You will complete a series of clinical practice sessions designed to provide the opportunity for application of theoretical knowledge while working with a designated, qualified preceptor. Additionally, the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate requires a virtual reality immersive learning acute care skills experience.

Refer to the School of Nursing's Progression Requirements section for additional requirements for clinical and practicum experiences.

Program Length

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate program consists of a minimum of 57 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be awarded a certificate.

Program Outcomes

  1. Synthesize theory and research-based knowledge that reflects the distinct and shared perspectives of nursing and other disciplines to form a foundation for clinical judgment and nursing practice.
  2. Develop holistic, culturally competent, and compassionate person-centered care through the planning and management of evidence-based practice for individuals, families, and populations. 
  3. Design partnerships that create equitable health policy and determine the socioeconomic impact of population health management. 
  4. Integrate evidence from current and relevant scholarly research that contributes to optimal, ethical, and equitable care delivery. 
  5. Create a culture of safety that incorporates evidence-based practice principles in quality care delivery for patients by the health care team while in the clinical setting. 
  6. Apply principles of effective team leadership to foster interprofessional collaboration and communication that reflect shared values among health care partners. 
  7. Differentiate levels of clinical judgment within complex health care systems to coordinate cost-effective resources to provide safe, quality, and equitable care to diverse populations. 
  8. Analyze information and communication technologies to deliver effective care and improve outcomes for patients, communities, and populations in accordance with ethical, legal, professional, and regulatory standards. 
  9. Show professionalism through the delivery of diverse, equitable, and inclusive nursing care while maintaining accountability to all legal, societal, and professional norms that are reflected within the professional codes of nursing. 
  10. Formulate leadership practices that promote a commitment to fostering personal well-being, resiliency, flexibility, and professional maturity while supporting the nursing profession.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Admissions Requirements

You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.

You must have an approved criminal background check. The criminal background check must not contain information that would prohibit you from being licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse and/or being granted prescriptive authority under your state’s Nurse Practice Act.

If applying for admission, you must submit a current, professional resume or curriculum vitae that verifies you have a minimum of one year of recent full-time practice (2,000 hours) as a registered nurse in a critical care setting that the School of Nursing has determined addresses the clinical skills and experience needed to serve as a basis for entering an acute care nurse practitioner program. Acceptance into the program is determined by the School of Nursing's review of your professional resume or curriculum vitae.

Prior to enrollment, you must provide evidence of current advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification. Your ACLS certification must remain current during the course of your enrollment.

You must have a master's degree with an upper-level major in nursing and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited institution. Refer to the Admissions Requirements for more information on prior degree submission.

If your master’s degree nursing focus is in one of the four advanced practice registered nurse roles (nurse midwife, registered nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner), or you have completed a postgraduate certificate in one of the four roles, you must also submit evidence of national certification and/or advanced practice recognition/licensure from your state in the role in order to be considered for admission to the program.

Progression Requirements

  1. You will complete clinical courses as part of the requirements for this program. You are required to follow University Catalog and School of Nursing Handbook requirements in completion of your clinical courses.

    In addition, you must complete the virtual reality immersive learning acute care skills experience.
  2. You must submit all credit for prior learning to the School of Nursing for review and approval.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.

If eligible, upon completion of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Certificate, you may sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification. These are acute care certifications.  After earning either certification, you may be academically eligible for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse in any state in which the program is available for enrollment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Please note that most states require nurses to be nationally certified and to have completed an accredited graduate nursing program in order to obtain licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse. Each national certification provider and state Board of Nursing will have eligibility requirements in addition to these educational requirements, such as passing a criminal background check. It is your responsibility to determine whether you will be eligible for state Board of Nursing approval and certification as an advanced practice registered nurse in your state. Please visit the following websites for more information: