Return to: School of Nursing: Programs/Courses
This track prepares nurses for advanced practice in the care of young adults, adults, older adults and frail older adult patients across the continuum of illness to wellness. The AGCNS track allows students to determine the focus of their specialization (e.g., cardiology, wound/ostomy/continence, neurology or neurosurgery, general surgery, ER/trauma, pulmonary, etc.) and build expertise around the defined patient population. Emphasis is placed on providing students with the advanced theoretical knowledge and practice skills needed to care for patients while collaborating with interprofessional teams and addressing system issues that interfere with optimal outcomes. The roles of clinician, educator and researcher, as well as clinical consultant and leader are key aspects of this specialty. Evidence-based practice, quality improvement, change agency, clinical research, and advanced clinical decision-making are emphasized. The required 560 hours of preceptorship exceeds the recommendation of the National Association of CNS’s for 500 hours. At the completion of this track, students are qualified to sit for the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) certification examination for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care CNS certification.
