Centofanti School of Nursing
Certificate Director
Wendy M. Thomas, DNP, CNS, FNP
3313 Cushwa Hall
(330) 941-2638
wmthomas@ysu.edu
Cynthia Shields, AG-ACNP Coordinator
2328 Cushwa Hall
(330) 941-1345
cmshields@ysu.edu
Certificate Description
The online Post Master's Adult Gerontology – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) Certificate program option is designed to prepare the post-master's prepared nurse with opportunities to build upon their current knowledge and obtain additional advanced practice knowledge and skill to enable them to provide direct acute care to adult and older adult individuals and families.
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 AG-ACNP certification examination. Following national certification, graduates are also qualified to be recognized as an Adult Gerontology – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and is granted prescriptive authority through the State Board of Nursing.
Advanced Standing Program (18 hours)
Applicants who have already earned an MSN degree with nurse practitioner qualifications are automatically considered for advanced standing status. The advanced standing program permits students to complete all requirements of the Adult Gerontology - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option in 18 hours. This unique program blends online coursework and clinical experiences, including a practicum consisting of 540 hours in a variety of acute care settings.
Admission Requirements
Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended
MSN 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
- MSN 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 clinical practicums
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, Michigan, or Florida.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 6902 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
| NURS 6903 | Advanced Pharmacology (unless completed previously ) | 3 |
| NURS 6904 | Advanced Health Assessment (unless completed previously ) | 3 |
| NURS 6917 | Differential Diagnosis | 3 |
| NURS 6918 | Advanced Diagnostics and Technologies | 3 |
| NURS 7003 | Role Development in Advanced Practice | 3 |
| 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 | 36 | |
Advanced Standing Program (18 hours)
Applicants who have already earned an MSN degree with nurse practitioner qualifications are automatically considered for advanced standing status. The advanced standing program permits students to complete all requirements of the Adult Gerontology - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option in 18 hours. This unique program blends online coursework and clinical experiences, including a practicum consisting of 540 hours in a variety of acute care settings.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 7037 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 1 | 3 |
| NURS 7039 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 2 | 3 |
| NURS 7041 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 3 | 3 |
| NURS 7038 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 1 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7040 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 2 Practicum | 3 |
| NURS 7042 | Adult Gerontology Acute Care 3 Practicum | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
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 seven (7) FNP courses (NURS 7045, NURS 7046, NURS 7047, NURS 7048, NURS 7049, NURS 7050, NURS 7051), 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.
Learning Outcomes
- Provide direct acute care to the adult and older adult population within the Health Care Delivery System.
- Incorporate a variety of theories from nursing and related fields into the acute care nurse practitioner role.
- Analyze social issues related to the Health Care Delivery systems and Advanced Nursing Practice.