The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, and the demand for highly skilled advanced practice providers is greater than ever, especially for those specializing in acute care. Patients with complex and critical conditions require a specialized level of attention, driving the need for Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs). Inpatient facilities and specialized care settings increasingly seek out Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) with acute care certifications, recognizing their crucial role in delivering comprehensive patient management and care coordination. For aspiring advanced practice nurses looking to make a significant impact in acute care settings, North Carolina offers exceptional educational opportunities. Among these, the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program offered through a dynamic partnership in Charlotte stands out as a premier choice for your advanced nursing education.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program: A Collaboration for Excellence
At the forefront of nursing education in North Carolina is the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program, a collaborative effort between Atrium Health, a leading healthcare system, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). This accredited, campus-based graduate nursing program is meticulously designed to equip advanced practice nurses with the expertise and clinical proficiency necessary to excel in today’s demanding healthcare environment. The program’s curriculum is strategically structured to address the increasing complexity of patient care, ensuring graduates are well-prepared to meet the challenges of modern healthcare settings.
Why Choose This AGACNP Program?
This 47-credit-hour master’s degree program is specifically tailored to prepare graduates for impactful roles in both inpatient and outpatient acute care settings, as well as specialized practices. Students in this program gain comprehensive knowledge and skills to effectively manage adolescent to older adult patients facing a spectrum of complex acute and chronic health issues. The program’s strength lies in its balanced approach, integrating a robust theoretical foundation with evidence-based clinical practice. Key areas of focus include in-depth pathophysiology, advanced differential diagnosis, critical decision-making processes, comprehensive patient management strategies, and the mastery of advanced technical skills. Furthermore, the curriculum emphasizes the crucial aspects of promoting both physical and psychological well-being in patients, ensuring a holistic approach to acute care nursing. The synergy between a renowned university and a major healthcare provider creates an unparalleled learning environment, offering students exceptional academic resources combined with superior clinical access. This unique partnership ensures graduates are not only academically strong but also clinically confident and ready to lead in acute care settings.
Immersive Clinical Experiences at Atrium Health
A distinctive advantage of this AGACNP program is its deep integration with Atrium Health. Students benefit immensely from clinical experiences within the Atrium Health system, guided by board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners who are leaders in their fields. This collaboration provides an exceptional resource for hands-on clinical training across a diverse range of specialties. The program ensures individualized attention from experienced healthcare providers in various clinical settings, offering a rich and varied learning experience. Clinical rotations include:
- Inpatient Medicine / Hospital Medicine
- Medical/Surgical Critical Care / Cardiovascular Recovery
- General Surgery / Trauma
- Cardiology (Inpatient/Outpatient)
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
- Nephrology
- Medical/Surgical Critical Care
- General Surgery / Trauma
- Gastrointestinal
- Hepaticopancreaticobiliary Surgery (HPB)
- Transplant Surgery
- Neurology / Neurosurgery
These diverse clinical placements guarantee that graduates gain exposure to a broad spectrum of acute care scenarios, enhancing their readiness to handle complex cases and diverse patient populations upon entering practice.
Certification and Career Advancement
Graduates of the AGACNP program from UNC Charlotte and Atrium Health are well-prepared to pursue national certification, a crucial step in advancing their careers as acute care nurse practitioners. The program’s curriculum is specifically designed to meet the requirements for certification exams offered by both the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Achieving certification from either of these esteemed organizations signifies a nurse practitioner’s advanced competency and expertise in acute care, enhancing their professional credibility and opening doors to greater career opportunities and leadership roles within healthcare systems.
Post-Master’s Certificate Option for Nurse Practitioners
For actively practicing nurse practitioners seeking to specialize in acute care, the program offers a Post-Master’s Certificate in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty. This certificate program typically involves approximately 20 graduate credit hours of coursework and focused clinical experiences. It is an ideal pathway for certified nurse practitioners in other specialties such as Adult (Adult-Gerontology Primary Care), Family, Psychiatric, or Pediatric, who wish to expand their expertise and obtain board certification as an AGACNP. Admission to the Post-Master’s Certificate program generally requires applicants to have completed Advanced Pathophysiology, Health Assessment, and Advanced Pharmacology within the past five years. However, the UNCC Graduate Admissions Committee will evaluate transcripts of currently practicing and board-certified nurse practitioners to assess their qualifications for admission, considering their existing advanced practice credentials and experience. All coursework for the Post-Master’s Certificate must be completed within four years, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to maintain good standing in the program.
Connect With Us to Learn More
For more detailed information about the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, including application deadlines and specific curriculum details, please visit the UNC Charlotte graduate nursing website.
Atrium Health Contacts for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program:
Amy M. Winiger, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC
Atrium Health AGACNP Program Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Leslie Beth Sossoman, DNP, ACNP-BC, CV-RN, CHPQ
Faculty Specialist AGACNP Program
Email: [email protected]
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Contacts:
Erin Najarian, DNP, ACNP-BC, RN, CCRN
Assistant Coordinator of the AGACNP program
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Tonya Anderson, PHD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CNE
Advanced Clinical Nursing Coordinator
UNC Charlotte School of Nursing
Email: [email protected]
2025 Application Deadlines:
Applications are currently being accepted for the August 2025 traditional student cohort and May 2025 post-Masters student cohort until programs are full. Applications will be reviewed after the start of the fall semester in October 2024 by the graduate admissions committee.
