Our Graduate Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) offers experienced advanced practice nurses the chance to broaden their scope of practice. This program is designed for those who have earned or are pursuing a graduate degree in nursing (MN, DNP, or PhD) and wish to develop the expertise needed to provide primary care management to adults across the age spectrum, from adolescence through old age, and throughout the health continuum.
This certificate is ideal for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists, who are looking to expand their current practice.
In this Graduate Certificate program, you will complete 12 to 15 months of study. Your program plan, including fieldwork placements, is customized through close collaboration with a faculty adviser based on a formal gap analysis and an evaluation of your prior education and experience.
Clinical practice experiences are available in both urban and rural settings.
Many core Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP-AC) courses require weekly in-person classroom attendance in addition to clinical practicum hours.
At the end of the program, the graduate will:
- Provide, safe, competent, high-quality care as an adult/gerontology primary care nurse practitioner.
- Provide culturally sensitive care to address the diversity of health needs among older adolescents, adults, older adults, families, and populations.
- Critically evaluate and apply research findings to advanced nursing practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of care to older adolescents, adults, and older adults.
- Demonstrate effective communication and leadership skills to promote positive health outcomes for individuals, families, and populations.
- Apply relationship-building values and the principles of team dynamics to perform effectively in different team roles to plan, deliver, and evaluate patient/population-centered care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable.
- Demonstrate a personal commitment to professionalism, values, and ethical behaviors inherent in adult/gerontology advanced practice nursing.
After completion of the graduate certificate, you are eligible to apply for certification as an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner: Primary Care and for licensure as a nurse practitioner through either the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
Not yet an APRN?
If you’re interested in adult gerontology but are not yet an APRN — whether you’re a nurse educator, nurse informaticist, or nurse leader — we encourage you to explore our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) tracks: