Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Curriculum
The Acute Care Nurse Practitioner curriculum consists of courses totaling 44 semester credit hours. Of these, 14 credits are in nursing core courses consisting of theories and concepts in nursing practice, research, leadership, and role development. In addition, 28 credits in the area of primary health care and related courses are required. The program culminates with a written comprehensive examination and the submission of a substantial scholarly work involving significant independent study which is referred to as the major paper. This requirement is an extension of work completed from prior coursework in the master's program.
Download the Curriculum Sheet (PDF)
Required Masters Core Courses (14 credits)
NUR 500 Theoretical Study of the Phenomena in Nursing (4 credits)NUR 505 Nursing Research (3 credits)
NUR 507 Theories of Practice for Nursing (3 credits)
NUR 510 Advanced Leadership in the Health Policy Process (3 credits)
NUR 520 Graduate Study Seminar (1 credit)
Required Advanced Practice Courses for Acute Care (30 credits)
NUR 503 Advanced Adult Physical Assessment (4 credits) Expansion of nursing assessment skills, including health history taking and physical, psychological and social assessment skills.NUR 509 Advanced Assessment for ACNP Practice (2 credits). An advanced physical assessment course that expands and refines history taking and physical exam for the comprehensive evaluation of the acutely and critically ill adults.
NUR 535 Pathophysiology for Advanced Practice Nurses (3 credits) Clinical decision making based on synthesis of in-depth study of pathophysiological phenomena across the life span.
NUR 565 ACNP I (3 credits) Didactic knowledge and clinical decision making skills necessary to manage health conditions common to the acute or critically ill in emergency departments, acute and critical care units.
NUR 566 ACNP Practicum (3 credits) Application of clinical decision making skills necessary to the management of patients who are acutely and critically ill in hospital emergency, acute and critical care units.
NUR 567 ACNP II (3 credits) This course builds on the principles learned in ACNP I. The focus is on the management of chronic illness exacerbations that require care in sub-acute, acute or critical care.
NUR 568 ACNP Practicum II (6 credits) Individually precepted clinical experiences with the focus on developing management skills in the care of clients with exacerbations of chronic illness who are hospitalized in acute care facilities.
NUR 582 Pharmacotherapeutics in Advanced Practice Nursing (3 credits) Integration of pharmacotherapeutic and decision-making theories with human pathophysiology.
NUR 590 Directed Advanced Study & Practice (3 credits). In depth study and supervised clinical practice in a specialized area of nursing.
Clinical Practice
Clinical practice is available in a variety of settings - hospital emergency departments, critical and acute care hospital units.Preceptorship on a one-to-one basis is provided by nurse practitioners and physicians. Students manage a patient caseload with increasing independence as they progress in the program. The practicum experiences are planned with the student, taking into consideration the student's interests, learning needs, employment plans, and acute care nurse practitioner competencies.
Certificate Option
The post-master's certificate option consists of courses totaling 30 credits ~ NUR503, NUR509, NUR535, NUR565, NUR566, NUR567, NUR568, NUR582, NUR590.Transportation
A car is necessary to reach the various clinical practice locations in the cities and rural areas. A local bus service connects the University to most major health service facilities, shopping, and service centers, but the bus routes and schedules may not always be convenient for the graduate student.Admission Requirements
- Admission to the Graduate School.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Three letters of recommendation (academic and professional).
- Curriculum vita or resume
- Completion of MAT or GRE with a satisfactory score.
- Baccalaureate degree in nursing accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing or the National League for Nursing with an upper-division major in nursing.
- Eligibility for R.N. licensure in Rhode Island.
- Two years of clinical nursing experience, relevant to the acute care role (ie: tertiary health care center) prior to enrollment in the advanced practice clinical courses for acute care.
- A basic statistics course is a prerequisite for NUR 505.
- Candidates with non-nursing degrees will be evaluated on an individual basis. Completion of challenge of upper-division nursing courses is required prior to acceptance into the master's program.
Contact
For further information, contact:Denise Coppa, PhD, RNP, FAANP
Director of NP Programs
College of Nursing
University of Rhode Island
White Hall, 39 Butterfield Road
Kingston, RI 02881
Tel: 401-874-5306
Email: dcoppa@ds.uri.edu
John Kenna, MS, ACNP
Acute Care Emphasis Coordinator
College of Nursing
University of Rhode Island
White Hall, 39 Butterfield Road
Kingston, RI 02881
Tel: 401-874-7609
Email: jkenna@ds.uri.edu
graduate student links
graduate degree programs
- Nursing Education
- Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric/ Mental Health (ON HOLD)
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
graduate student contacts
Bethany Fay
Graduate Studies Secretary
p. 401.874.5334
bfay@uri.edu
Patricia Burbank, D.N.Sc., RN
Director of Graduate Studies
p. 401.874.5339
mcsullivan@uri.edu
