Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Program
Overview

Program Overview

Managing the Critically Ill Adult Patient

At the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, nurses who want to improve outcomes for acutely and critically ill adult patients will experience a vigorous academic setting and benefit from rich and varied clinical opportunities to manage adult patients across the continuum of acute, chronic, and critical care. With access to unparalled Hopkins resources, clinical sites, and faculty, you will learn to develop and apply your assessment, diagnostic, and treatment skills for fast-paced environments where patients are physiologically unstable, technologically dependent, and highly vulnerable to complications.

The curriculum builds your knowledge of nursing theory, research, nursing informatics, statistics, ethics, and the various medical technology and life support devices required to evaluate and treat a demanding patient population.

Those who earn a master's degree for the nurse practitioner in adult-gerontology acute care:

• Work in acute and complex care practices such as critical care, post-operative care, and intensive care units in hospitals; specialty services; and medical evacuation and transport units
• Diagnose and treat medical conditions, develop pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic care plans, and review conditions and treatment options with adult patients
• Provide direct patient management from admission to discharge, in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team
• Are eligible to apply for American Nurses Credentialing Center/American Association of Critical Care Nurses (ANCC/AACN) certification as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

To apply, you must have one year of full-time experience as a registered nurse in an acute care setting prior to clinical sequence.

The application and all supporting documentation must be received by the deadline. However to be given consideration for a Merit Scholarship Award, you must be accepted for admission by March 1. Please note that on average it takes the Admissions Committee approximately one month to reach a decision upon receipt of a completed application.

Program
Requirements

Program Requirements

Students may apply for full- or part-time study.

The school seeks individuals who will bring to the student body the qualities of scholarship, motivation, and commitment. The Admissions Committee is interested in each applicant as an individual and will consider both academic potential and personal qualities. Therefore, school records, test scores, recommendations, and essays about goals and interests are important.

Recommendations about a student's character, intellectual curiosity, seriousness of purpose, and range of extracurricular activities are considered.

Selection factors include:

• Bachelor of Science degree in nursing
• Scholastic Grade Point Average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from an accredited college or university
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores within the past five years (for MSN/MPH and MSN/MBA applicants only)
• Demonstrated commitment to nursing practice and scholarly pursuit
• Community service and professional commitment
• Interview with faculty member*
• Written expression of goals
• Letters of recommendation
• Applicants must submit evidence of current nursing licensure. Students must have or obtain Maryland Registered Nurse licensure for matriculation

*Interview with a faculty member may or may not be requested.

Additionally, applicants for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program

• Will be exceptional students who are carefully chosen based on a number of factors including previous experiences.  Direct care acute care experiences will be required;
  OR 
• Will be required to attend part time during their first year in the program while working as a staff nurse in a critical care unit full time (more than 36 hours per week), and will not begin NP clinical courses until their second year.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit is granted on an individual basis. The decision is based on equivalent content (for required courses), credit allotment and satisfactory completion of courses. You may petition for permission to substitute a course from another college or university by submitting a request to the Office of Admissions and Student Services along with the complete course syllabus.

Up to 6 credits of graduate course work taken at Johns Hopkins University or elsewhere may be accepted for transfer. Course work must have been completed within the last five years. Course work at the undergraduate level will not be considered for advanced standing credit.

Admissions
Procedures

Admissions Procedures

Start Early

Students are strongly encouraged to complete the application process early. Candidates for admission will be notified of a decision in writing after all the application documents are received and the Admissions Committee's review.

Note: The admissions committee for the Public Health Nursing, Nurse-Midwifery Track consists of representatives from both Johns Hopkins University and Shenandoah University.

Follow all instructions carefully to avoid delays in the processing of application materials. To expedite the application process, students may submit all supporting documentation, including official transcripts and recommendations, in sealed envelopes in one package (test scores excluded). Application supporting documentation may also arrive separately. Before a final admission decision can be made, all supporting documentation must be received.

Submit

• Completed and signed application form
• Signed statement acknowledging the School's Ethics Policy
• $75 non-refundable application fee
  (Make check or money order payable to "Johns Hopkins University")
• Goal statement
• Three recommendations:
  • At least one recommendation from an academic source (current or previous professor)
  • Remaining two recommendations may be from either an academic or professional source (employment/volunteer supervisor)
  • Recommendations should be enclosed in sealed envelopes with the recommender's signature across the envelope flap
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (including Johns Hopkins University)
• Current résumé
• Official GRE scores, if applying to the MSN/MPH or MSN/MBA programs, sent to the School of Nursing (School code: 5767)
• Verification of current RN license, all RN's must obtain a Maryland RN license and present verification by the time of matriculation

Note: Due to changing clinical site regulations, students are required to undergo a criminal background check prior to matriculation. The School will provide information about this process to accepted students.

Applicants Who Have Studied Abroad

International applicants and applicants who have completed courses outside of the United States must submit:

• Official course-by-course evaluation from the World Education Services (WES) or Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
  (If any academic credit was granted from an academic institution outside the United States, credits must be evaluated)
• Official Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) scores for international students whose native language is not English
• All international students seeking an F-1 visa are required to submit official documents in English showing proof of funding

More information for international applicants 
Office of International Student, Faculty, and Staff Services

Curriculum
 

Curriculum

Core Courses (12 credits)

Advanced Core Courses (9 credits)

Specialty Courses (16 credits)

Sample Courses
of Study

Sample Courses of Study

This master's option may be completed in 15 months (4 semesters) and provides more than 500 clinical hours. To apply, you must have completed one year of full-time experience as a registered nurse in an acute care setting prior to clinical sequence.

Full-time

Fall I (13 credits)

Spring I (12 credits)

Summer I (3 credits)

Fall II (10 credits)

Part-time

Fall I (6 credits)

Spring I (8 credits)

Summer I (3 credits)

Fall II (7 credits)

Spring II (7 credits)

Summer II (3 credits)

Fall III (4 credits)

Tuition
 

Tuition

Tuition and Other Costs

*Full-time: 12 credit hours per semester
**All students must have health coverage.  Purchase of the School’s plan is optional.
***Amounts for other expenses vary based upon student's selection of books, supplies, and living arrangements.

Billed expenses are subject to change without prior notice.