AGACNP clinical courses
The AGACNP track includes three courses with an included clinical practicum. Read each course's description, course competencies, and clinical competencies below.
This is a 5-credit course: 3-credit didactic, 1-credit laboratory, and 1-credit clinical
Description
This course focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and collaborative management of adult and geriatric clients experiencing acute and exacerbation of chronic illness commonly seen across the continuum of acute care delivery systems. Through didactic information, clinical practice, and laboratory experiences students develop knowledge and skills fundamental to promoting health maintenance and disease prevention.
Course Competencies - Didactic
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Examine the Adult–Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role in clinical decision-making while focusing on health promotion and disease prevention in the adult and geriatric population.
- Analyze pathophysiological concepts related to the management of adult and geriatric client experiencing acute and chronic health problems.
- Utilize and interpret laboratory and radiographic diagnostic tests in the formulation of collaborative management plans of care.
- Formulate differential diagnoses and collaborative management plans of care that addresses acute and chronic health problems across diverse patient populations.
- Integrate theoretical frameworks and evidence-based research findings related to the management of acutely/chronically ill adult and geriatric clients to enhance practice knowledge.
- Evaluate factors including: healthcare access, cost, and safety contributing to the quality of care in the acutely/chronically ill adult and geriatric patient.
Course Competencies - Clinical
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to perform a comprehensive health history and physical exam on adult and geriatric clients experiencing acute and chronic health problems in an acute clinical setting.
- Obtain problem-focused histories and assessments of chief complaints or presenting symptoms.
- Interpret diagnostic data to assist in the diagnostic reasoning process.
- Formulate a prioritized problem list including differential diagnoses.
- Communicate accurate written and oral information of the client's health status.
- Demonstrate use of technology, devices, and equipment in the management of acute and chronically ill clients.
- Demonstrate culturally and ethically sensitive healthcare for clients and families.
- Assess barriers to healthcare access, cost, and safety contributing to the quality of care in the acutely/chronically ill adult and geriatric patient in an acute clinical setting.
Students complete 75 supervised clinical hours during Summer I and II sessions.
This is a 6-credit course: 2-credit didactic, 1-credit laboratory, and 3-credit clinical
Description
This course focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and collaborative management of adults who are acutely/critically ill or are experiencing exacerbation of a chronic health problem. Clinical focus is on the role of the acute care nurse practitioner working with a multidisciplinary team to facilitate and accelerate the patient's return to optimal health.
Course Competencies - Didactic
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Examine the Adult–Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner role in clinical decision-making while focusing on health promotion, disease prevention and risk reduction in the adult and geriatric population.
- Utilize scientific knowledge and theoretical foundations to differentiate between normal and abnormal variations in physiological, psychological, and sociological development and aging among adult and geriatric clients.
- Interpret physiological and technological derived data in the formulation of differential diagnoses and collaborative management plan of care in the adult and geriatric clients experiencing acute illness and/or exacerbation of chronic illness.
- Analyze pathophysiological and pharmacologic concepts related to the management of adult and geriatric clients experiencing acute and chronic health problems.
- Formulate differential diagnoses and evidence-based collaborative management plan of care that addresses acute and chronic health problems across diverse patient populations and transition of care settings.
- Formulate a collaborative management plan of care that addresses mental health and/or substance use disorders in the context of complex acute and chronic illness.
- Evaluate interventions and therapies to support a client with deteriorating physiologic conditions.
- Evaluate factors including healthcare cost, access to healthcare, efficient use of resources, and safety contributing to the quality of care in the acutely/chronically ill adult and geriatric patient.
Course Competencies - Clinical
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to perform a comprehensive health history, physical exam, and diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on adult and geriatric clients experiencing acute and chronic health problems in an acute clinical setting.
- Interpret physiological and technological-derived data to assist in the diagnostic reasoning process.
- Examine the presence of comorbidities, potential for rapid physiological and mental health deterioration, and risk for iatrogenesis in the context of complex acute and chronic illness.
- Formulate a prioritized problem list including primary, secondary, and differential diagnoses during physiologic stability, rapid physiologic instability, and mental health deterioration.
- Perform a pharmacologic assessment addressing pharmacologic risk.
- Communicate accurate written and oral information of the client's health status.
- Collaborate with intraprofessional and interprofessional team, client, and caregiver to achieve evidence-based plan of care to promote optimal client outcomes during acute and chronic illness.
- Demonstrate use of technology, devices, and equipment in the management of acute and chronically ill clients.
Students complete 225 supervised clinical hours during the fall semester.
This is a 6-credit course: 3-credit didactic and 3-credit clinical
Description
This course focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and collaborative management of adults who are acutely/critically ill or experiencing exacerbation of a chronic health problem. Clinical focus is on the role of the acute care nurse practitioner working with a multidisciplinary team to facilitate/accelerate the patient's return to optimal health.
Course Competencies - Didactic
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyze pathophysiological concepts related to the management of adults experiencing acute and episodic chronic health problems.
- Perform comprehensive history and physical assessments on the acutely/critically ill adult with selected health problems.
- Formulate diagnoses and collaborative management plans of care that address selected acute and episodic chronic health problems.
- Evaluate the care of the acutely/critically ill client with selected health problems.
- Utilize and interpret laboratory and radiographic diagnostic tests in the formulation of collaborative management plans.
- Demonstrate culturally sensitive communication skills with the acutely/critically ill client and family members.
- Integrate into clinical practice theoretical frameworks appropriate to the care of the acutely/critically ill client and family members.
- Discuss research findings related to the management of acutely/critically ill adult clients with selected health problems.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills when formulating diagnoses and plans of care for acutely/critically clients with select health problems.
Course Competencies - Clinical
At the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to perform a comprehensive health history, physical exam, and diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on adult & geriatric clients experiencing acute, critical and complex chronic health problems in an acute clinical setting.
- Interpret physiological and technological derived data to formulate differential diagnoses and promote health outcomes.
- Examine the presence of co-morbidities, potential for rapid physiological and mental health deterioration, and risk for iatrogenesis in the context of complex acute, critical and complex chronic illness.
- Formulate a prioritized problem list including primary, secondary, and differential diagnoses during physiologic stability, rapid physiologic instability, and mental health deterioration.
- Perform a pharmacologic assessment addressing pharmacologic risk, complex medical regimens and potential for drug interactions and events.
- Communicate accurate written and oral information of the client's health status.
- Collaborate with intraprofessional and interprofessional team, client and caregiver to achieve evidence-based plan of care to promote health literacy and optimal client outcomes during acute, critical and complex chronic illness.
- Demonstrate use of technology, devices, and equipment in the management of acute, critical and complex chronically ill clients while using ethical and legal standards.
- Demonstrate culturally, legally, and ethically sensitive healthcare for clients and families across diverse patient populations and transition of care settings.
Students complete 225 supervised clinical hours during the spring semester.