Graduate Program Director
Wendy M. Thomas, DNP, CNS, FNP
3313 Cushwa Hall
(330) 941-2638
wmthomas@ysu.edu
Prepare to provide comprehensive and holistic care to a culturally diverse, acutely and chronically ill population with the knowledge and skills you will gain in the Master of Science in Nursing – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner online program from YSU.
In this online MSN AG-ACNP program, you will learn clinical manifestations of and patient response to particular patient care challenges (pulmonary, cardiovascular, etc.) with an emphasis on physical assessment findings for determining diagnoses and planning patient care needs as well as health promotion and maintenance.
This accredited nursing program includes a supervised clinical practicum consisting of 540 hours in an acute care setting. Our MSN core curriculum features an integrated capstone course, along with studies of pathophysiology, diagnostics and technologies, pharmacology, and more.
The program is delivered in a fully online format.
Youngstown State University online nursing program must meet the standards of the state(s) in which we possess authority to provide education and may only admit students from states in which we have approval. Online nursing program students must complete the program in the state of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, or Florida.
Graduates of this program will be qualified and eligible to take the American Nurses Credentialing Center certification examination. Following national certification, graduates are also qualified to be recognized as an Adult Gerontology - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and are granted prescriptive authority through the State Board of Nursing.
Admission Requirements – AG-ACNP MSN
Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended
BSN degree with 3.0 undergraduate GPA
Valid, current unencumbered RN license in the state you will complete practicum hours
1 year of recent critical care experience
- Complete graduate admissions application and pay $45 non-refundable application fee
- BSN degree from an accredited program
- Regular admission requires a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and verification of work experience
- Minimum 1 year of *recent practice as a registered nurse by admission start date
- Minimum 1 year of recent critical care experience is required (this can include emergency room, ICU, or intermediate acute care experience) prior to registering for the first specialty course
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Verification of a current, unencumbered RN license and expiration date in the state in which the student is licensed and practices and will be completing practicum hours
Clinical Hours and Experience
Applicants will complete a Supplemental Employment Verification form as part of the application process. This is used to verify *recent clinical hours and experience.
*Recent clinical experience is defined as clinical RN work experience within 3 years of first practicum course.
- Current BLS certification, immunizations, drug screen and criminal background checks are maintained while in the program annually
- Current ACLS certification required prior to the start of clinicals
The YSU online nursing programs must meet the standards of the state(s) in which authority is approved to provide education and may only admit students from those states. Online nursing students must complete the program in the state of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Michigan.
The areas of coursework in the MSN program include core courses, and one of the following options:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The breakdown of these course requirements is as follows:
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| NURS 6900 | Healthcare Issues and Trends | 3 |
| NURS 6901 | Theoretical Foundations in Science and Research | 3 |
| NURS 6902 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 6903 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 6904 | Advanced Health Assessment | 3 |
| NURS 6917 | Differential Diagnosis | 3 |
| NURS 6918 | Advanced Diagnostics and Technologies | 3 |
| NURS 7003 | Role Development in Advanced Practice | 3 |
| NURS 7005 | Capstone Practicum | 3 |
| Adult Gero Acute Care Option Courses | ||
| NURS 7037 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 1 | 3 |
| NURS 7038 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 1 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7039 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 2 | 3 |
| NURS 7040 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 2 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7041 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 3 | 3 |
| NURS 7042 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 3 Practicum | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 45 | |
Centofanti School of Nursing MSN/Post-Master’s Grade Requirements
Satisfactory academic progress at the graduate level is maintained by satisfying the following criteria:
- A degree-seeking graduate student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). *Any required course grade of D or F must be repeated and passed with a grade of C or better.
- A degree-seeking graduate student must successfully meet the requirements, including the time requirement, of all comprehensive examinations of the degree program.
- A degree-seeking graduate student must complete with a passing grade any thesis requirements (or the equivalent) of the degree program.
- A non-degree graduate student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
- *Grades of D and F carry no graduate credit but will be used to determine the student’s grade point average. A student has the privilege of repeating a course once, but the repetition is treated merely as another course, along with the first, in calculating the student’s grade point average.
- *Any required course grade of D or F must be repeated and passed with a grade of C or better. Students may not advance in the program until they have taken the failed course, passed with a grade of C or better and maintain a GPA of 3.0.
For degree programs requiring up to 39 semester hours for completion, a student may count no more than six semester hours of coursework with a grade of C toward the minimum graduation hour requirements. For students in programs requiring 40 semester hours or more for completion, no more than nine semester hours of coursework with a grade of C may count toward the minimum graduation hour requirement.
*Grade Policy – Graduate Nursing Option-specific courses
In the six (6) AGACNP courses (NURS 7037, 7038, 7039, 7040, 7041, 7042), the student MUST earn a grade of B or A. If a student earns a C or lower grade in any of these courses, the course MUST be repeated. The student can only repeat the course once. If a grade of B or A is not earned on the second attempt, the student will not be permitted to progress in the Graduate Nursing program.
MSN Student Learning Outcomes
All graduates of the program are prepared to:
- Synthesize theory and research from nursing and related disciplines for advanced nursing roles.
- Utilize leadership strategies to influence health and health care and to promote the nursing profession in the advanced nursing role.
- Expand the knowledge of evidence-based practice by identifying nursing research problems and contributing to research investigations.
- Integrate assessment of own learning in developing a lifelong pattern of scholarly inquiry.
Upon successful completion of the MSN program, graduates are eligible to sit for national certification examinations. Once certified, graduates must apply for a Certificate of Authority to practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse in the State of Ohio or in the state in which they intend to practice.