Program Overview
The dual Adult Gerontology Acute and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program (AG A/PCNP) prepares advanced practice nurses as acute and primary care providers to manage the health of individuals from adolescence through end of life. The AG A/PCNP provides leadership and promotes health utilizing research findings to maximize health care delivery services for adolescents, adults, older adults, and their families. Emphasis is on health promotion and restoration, illness prevention, management of minor and life-threatening acute and chronic illnesses and chronic complex health management. The scope of practice of the dual role includes managing the needs of individuals who may be physiologically unstable, technologically dependent, and/or vulnerable for the development of complications as well as caring for individuals to maintain optimal health in acute and chronic disease that is managed in the community setting.
Graduates are prepared to take the National Certification Exam as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and as Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. They are then eligible to be licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse by the state Board of Nursing.
This program provides a background to:
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Assume responsibility as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG A/PCNP) to provide health care to adolescents, adults, older adults, their families, and communities in the primary, secondary, and tertiary settings.
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Collaborate with health professionals and use essential resources to implement quality, continuous care to adolescents, adults, and their families.
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Coordinate within multidisciplinary teams to deliver quality health care across the continuum of acute and chronic illness services.
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Demonstrate clinical expertise in assessment, diagnosis and management minor and chronic illnesses and disease prevention and promotion of adolescents, adults, older adults, and their families.
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Provide health care to adolescents, adults, older adults, and their families that maximizes their quality of life and promotes a peaceful death, when appropriate.
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Use research and theoretical principles in the management and quality improvement of health care delivery and clinical outcomes in AG A/PCNP practice.
Admission Requirements
Basic admission requirements must be met before a student can be accepted. Prospective students must apply to the university through the Office of Admissions, pay the application fee, and submit official transcripts to the UT Arlington’s Graduate Admission’s Office. The Graduate Admission’s Office is also responsible for calculating the admission GPA. All steps necessary to complete an application (i.e. submitting transcripts, paying fees) must be completed prior to progressing in the application process.
Prospective students should review of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) graduate program specific requirements. A CONHI Graduate Academic Advisor will review the application file for nursing specific requirements. Specific program requirements can be found in the University Catalog - Nursing, Graduate Programs.
If accepted, applicants will receive an acceptance form that must be signed and returned. If an applicant is denied, the option to appeal the decision is available.
Once the acceptance form has been completed and returned, an official email notification will be sent from the University to the student’s personal email. Accepted students with transfer credit should submit the transfer request form to the CONHI Academic Advisor during this time.
Clinical Requirements
The clinical requirements included in the MSN Nursing Education and MSN and Certification Nurse Practitioner programs at UTA are intended to provide students with experiential learning opportunities to enable them to transition successfully into the role of the nurse educator or nurse practitioner. An essential part of each clinical experience is active, hands-on practice, guided by a licensed preceptor with expertise in their advanced nursing practice specialty.
Clinical placement at The University of Texas at Arlington in the Department of Graduate Nursing is a collaborative process with each student. Students are asked to locate a preceptor which is aligned with their program requirements; however, the Department of Graduate Nursing will provide assistance with clinical placement when a student is experiencing difficulty. Clinical placement policies are available in the Graduate Nursing clinical management system, InPlace, and are available to all students upon admission.
Applicants should be aware of expectations concerning Graduate Nursing Clinical Clearance Requirements.
Note: Some graduate programs have required courses and events scheduled on Saturdays. Please consult with the director of the program you are interested in, before applying for admission.
Nursing License Verification
Students are required to provide verification of an unencumbered license for acceptance into the Nursing program. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation uses NURSYS, a national database, to verify student license credentials. The NURSYS licensure and disciplinary database is the repository of the data provided directly from the Nursing Commission to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN) and is primary source equivalent. To learn more about NURSYS, please click or tap here.
To assist in expeditiously verifying your credentials, please ensure your information is available in this database.
We also encourage you to sign up for NURSYS e-notify. As a nurse you will enjoy receiving license expiration reminders, status updates to your license, and tracking your nurse license verifications for endorsement. Visit the link above to learn more about the benefits of e-notify.
Resources
Policies
While University faculty and staff members give students academic advice and assistance, each student is expected to take responsibility for his or her education and personal development. The student must know and abide by the academic and disciplinary policies given in the catalog and MSN handbook, including rules governing quantity of work, the standard of work required to continue in the University, scholastic probation and dismissal, and enforced withdrawal.
Students will not be relieved of their responsibility to know the policies, deadlines and rules of the University on the grounds that they were not told. If students have questions regarding policies, it is the University’s expectation that the student will consult his/her academic advisor for guidance and resolution.
All students are expected to be familiar with the following sources of information.
Course Load
Graduate nursing education requires students to have dedicated time to devote to studying, completing assignments, preparing for, and completing clinicals and other course work. Students are encouraged to consider their work schedules and commitments considering the demands of the MSN/PMC program and adjust accordingly. Commitments which compete with graduate study may result in suboptimal academic performance and place the student in academic jeopardy.
Study Time Recommendations
In general, for every-one graduate nursing semester credit hour of enrollment a student should allocate 5 hours of study time outside of class. For example, a 3 semester credit hours course, may reasonably require 15 hours of work, outside of class, plus anytime needed to complete clinicals.
Employment Recommendations
It is recommended that a student’s employment not exceed 16-20 hours per week in either regular or summer semesters. Students are encouraged to evaluate their energy level, familial and personal obligations, and school commitments before starting their degree program.
Tuition
Academic Calendar
Students should review the academic calendar prior to enrolling and prepare accordingly.
Students Success
MSN Student Success resources are available to all students achieving academic success at UT Arlington. Our dedicated faculty make every effort to assist students in meeting their academic goals across a wide variety of subject areas.
UTA CONHI is unique among many comparable universities for the remarkable amount of resources dedicated to student success. Learn more about our offerings on help with courses and writing/speaking.
Academic Advising
Students in the MSN program are welcome to meet with an advisor. Once admitted to UT Arlington, students may enroll in their coursework using the degree plan provided by the academic advisor and proceed to registration. Students are encouraged to contact their advisor with any questions. Learn more about Graduate Nursing Advising.
UTA's Department of Graduate Nursing is unique among many comparable universities for the remarkable amount of resources dedicated to student success. Learn more about our offerings on help with courses and writing/speaking.