Advanced Practice Nursing in Adult Health and Illness

The advanced practice nursing area of specialization in adult health and illness prepares advanced practice nurses who will synthesize the knowledge and skills of the nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist roles for practice in acute and chronic health care settings. Graduates will be prepared to provide primary, secondary and tertiary care services to adolescents and adults of all ages.

Advanced practice nurses provide accessible, cost-effective, high quality health care in a variety of acute, chronic, and home settings. This program prepares students for leadership roles in advanced practice nursing. Graduates will be employed in settings where they will be able to:

• demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills and abilities of both the traditional nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist;
• manage the care of adult patients with acute and chronic health problems in collaboration with other health care providers;
• use state of the art technology to manage health care needs of adult patients ranging from critical care to the home;
• evaluate structure, process and outcomes of care considering both quality and cost;
• manage a case load of patients and families across the health care continuum/settings considering the needs of patients who are in transition;
• use continuous quality improvement methods to develop standards of care, clinical protocols and pathways and evaluate health care outcomes; and
• use expert knowledge to develop educational programs for patients, families, other health care providers and patient groups.

Upon completion of the MSN program in this area of specialization, students will be eligible to take one of the following certification examinations:

• Adult Nurse Practitioner
• Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Specialist in Medical-Surgical Nursing

This 49-50 credit hour program of study consists of advanced adult health and illness content and a final semester of specialization in acute care or oncology settings. Special attention is given to the care of multicultural, diverse or vulnerable adult populations. Clinical learning experiences consider your areas of need and interest in adult health and illness. Collaboration with physicians, nurses, other health professionals, policymakers and consumers is an integral part of the learning experience.

• MSN Core Courses
• AHI Clinical and Specialty Courses

Applications for admission are considered once a year in May. The application deadline is February 1. Students admitted in May will start classes in the Fall.

Please join us for an informational session/open house. Information Session Schedule