Why Elms for your Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree?
- Designed for practicing RNs to discover your unique path in nursing.
- Specialize in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track.
- Complete a practice-focused scholarly quality improvement project in a faculty-mentored environment.
- Educated in the knowledge and skills to pass the ANCC board certification.
- Clinical placement support provided.
- Course and clinical faculty are committed educators as well as nurse practitioners, each continues to practice professionally to remain grounded in clinical practice.
DNP in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is for registered nurses who have an entry level degree in nursing such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or professional master’s entry-level nursing degree and are interested in expanding and advancing their scope of responsibility, specialized practice, and their impact upon care and populations whom they will care for.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum prepares a registered nurse in the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner role. The AGACNP specializes in the care of patients in acute settings such as medical/surgical units, emergency departments, intensive care units, skilled nursing facilities, and in ambulatory specialty clinics managing diverse patients with complex acute and chronic health conditions across the entire adult age spectrum.
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) strongly recommends obtaining a DNP degree as a pathway for preparation and entry into the nurse practitioner role by 2025.
The competencies of the AGACNP are centered on assessment and advanced care for critically ill patients to diagnose and treat chronic, acute, and critical medical conditions. The AGACNP curriculum is designed with in-depth content about pathophysiology and management of complex patient problems with various illnesses intended to help both the patient and family achieve the highest degree of wellness possible.
The AGACNP student is educated through practice experiences, skill labs and advanced nurse competency skills to find employment working in acute care settings such as trauma, emergency care, critical care, surgical services, rehabilitation units, and specialty settings.
DNP SCHOLARLY FINAL PROJECT
The Elms DNP AGACNP program culminates in a practice-focused quality improvement project completed over the course of several semesters. The DNP scholarly project demonstrates a student’s ability to synthesize scientific evidence focused on new systems or population health approaches for improved outcomes in a practice setting.
Certification
Upon program completion, students are prepared to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) examination as Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
Admission to Elms College is by formal application to Graduate Admissions. To be considered for admission to the Elms College Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) track, the ideal candidate will have met the following requirements in their application for one of two points of entry.
- BSN to DNP (baccalaureate degree in nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice degree): Projected three year full-time study program or a four year extended program of study encompassing approximately 80 credits of required coursework; 1,000 hours of required clinical practicum and immersion experiences; and distinguished completion of a scholarly experience that builds toward the achievement of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and nurse practitioner competencies. The knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct the scholarly experience is developed across the program and demonstrated in the DNP final project.
- MSN to DNP: Earned master’s degree in nursing and are seeking to be an advanced practice nurse. The course of study will be approximately 70 credits for coursework over a projected three year full-time study program or a four year extended program; 1,000 hours of required clinical practicum and immersion experiences; and distinguished completion of a scholarly experience that builds toward the achievement of the AACN’s Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and nurse practitioner competencies. The knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct the scholarly experience is developed across the program and demonstrated in the DNP final project.
Application requirements:
- Apply to the DNP program
- Submit professional resume
- Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended
- Current Registered Nurse licensure (MA, CT, RI, or NY) Two letters of reference, preferably an academic and/or professional recommendation
- Submit 1-2 page goal statement
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION DEADLINE
Applications are reviewed based upon the date of submission and the candidate’s qualifications.
Curriculum
Click to view course requirements for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) DNP.
The DNP program offers a three-year plan for completion of program requirements; year one – fully online with some scheduled Zoom coursework, year two – in person & some scheduled Zoom coursework, year three – mostly online with some scheduled Zoom coursework.
Foundational Core – 10 Credits (BS-DNP only)
Online & scheduled Zoom course requirements
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 7408 | Innovating in Practice | 1 |
| NUR 5105 | Translating and Integrating Evidence into Practice | 3 |
| NUR 5005 | Nursing Knowledge and Practice | 3 |
| NUR 5302 | Health Care Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
Clinical Core: Advanced Practice – 15 Credits
Zoom & In-person course requirements
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 6006 | Advanced Diagnostic Analysis, Health and Physical Assessment with 30 hours of supervised lab practicum practice hours | 4 |
| NUR 6004 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 4 |
| NUR 6007 | Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics | 4 |
| NUR 7600 | Clinical Decision Making and Diagnostic Reasoning for the Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 |
DNP Theory Core – 30 Credits
Online & scheduled Zoom course requirements
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 7105 | Organizational Systems and Quality Improvement | 3 |
| NUR 7306 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| NUR 7307 | Research Methods and Translation for Advanced Practice | 3 |
| NUR 7400 | Financial Management in Health Care Delivery | 3 |
| NUR 7304 | Population Health and Epidemiology | 3 |
| NUR 7406 | Leadership and Collaboration in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| NUR 7100 | DNP Immersion I: Role Development of the APRN Nurse Practitioner | 3 |
| NUR 7111 | DNP Immersion II: Scholarly Project – Project Idea | 3 |
| NUR 7112 | DNP Immersion III: Scholarly Project – Project Development | 1 |
| NUR 7113 | DNP Immersion IV: Scholarly Project – Project Implementation | 1 |
| NUR 7114 | DNP Capstone: Scholarly Project – Project Evaluation | 3 |
Advanced Practice Specialty: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nure Practitioner (AGACNP) – 25 Credits
Zoom & In-person course requirements
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NUR 7206 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I and Practicum | 5 |
| NUR 7207 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II and Practicum | 5 |
| NUR 7208 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care III and Practicum | 4 |
| NUR 7209 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care IV and NP Practicum | 4 |
| NUR 7601 | Clinical Procedures in Critical Emergency Care | 2 |
| NUR 7309 | Ethics for Advanced Practice | 3 |
| NUR 7404 | Transition into Practice and Certification Seminar | 2 |