Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
MS/BS-DNP admits in fall / Post-Grad Certificate admits in spring
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) specialty prepares nurses to provide care for adult and older adult patients with acute, critical, and complex chronic illnesses. The need for appropriately educated and certified adult-gerontology acute care NPs has increased over the past 10 years. The demand continues to grow for the specialized advanced practice nurse.
For more information regarding graduation rates, the median debt of students completing our certificate programs, and other important information, please visit the University of Colorado Denver Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
Graduates of this specialty track are eligible to apply for national certification by examination. You will learn more about the certification organizations appropriate for this specialty during the completion of your program. Upon successful completion of the certification examination, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners are eligible for licensure in all 50 states, including Colorado (visit the Colorado Board of Nursing APRN application forms page), where licensure is granted as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and is required for practice.
Plans of Study
Nurse practitioner students are prepared to provide safe, competent and satisfying care to their patients within their specialty. AG-ACNP's are prepared to formulate clinical, administrative or policy decisions to promote health with clients experiencing acute or chronic illness and to develop, manage and evaluate the care within hospitals and health care systems. This specialty is designed to meet the educational and clinical competency requirements for professional certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the AACN Certification Corporation.
Post-Graduate Certificate Information
A post-graduate certificate is available in this specialty.
For more information regarding graduation rates, the median debt of students completing our certificate programs and other important information, please visit the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
Recent graduate currently working, or experience as staff nurse in acute care.
- Transcript documentation of 500 clinical hours in a previous NP program (ANP/AGNP/GNP/FNP/AGPCNP).
- Transcript documentation of Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Physical Assessment (The 3 P's).
- Please see the Post-Graduate Certificate Plan of Study. Program plans may include additional semesters depending on the gap analysis completed from their original program.
Adventures in Nursing: Finding Passion in Acute Care
Post-grad CU College of Nursing Kate Redlinger was inspired to pursue nursing by watching her mother save lives. She is now working on obtaining the Adult-Gerontology Acute Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) certificate through CU Nursing and is enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing program as well.