Happy Nurse Appreciation Month! Candidates that complete their Fall 2023 Application in the month of May can receive an application Fee Waiver!*
The 48-credit M.S.N., A.G.N.P. program prepares graduates to provide a range of healthcare services that promote wellness, prevent illness and manage health and illness needs of adults across the lifespan.
- Core courses:
9 credits - Track courses:
39 credits
Each track includes three, four-credit clinical courses as well as nine clinical courses. Students can take up to two courses per semester. Clinical hours for both the Primary and Acute track are met through the four practicums.
- The Acute track requires 675 total hours. Practicum 1 requires 135 clinical (and seminar) hours. Practica II, III, IV require 180 clinical hours each. The curriculum meets AACN/CCNE/NONPF requirements for a dual ANP/GNP program.
- The Primary track requires 600 total hours. Practicum 1 requires 120 clinical hours. Practica II, III, IV require 160 clinical hours each. The curriculum meets AACN/CCNE/NONPF requirements for a dual ANP/GNP program.
AGNP Program Immersions
There are three immersion experiences in the AGNP Program. Online students will complete immersions at Seton Hall’s Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus in Nutley, New Jersey.
The IHS campus creates a forward-thinking approach to healthcare education, bringing together future doctors, nurses and health professionals in the fields of medicine, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, athletic training and speech language pathology.
Take a virtual tour of the campus
Each immersion will provide students with an opportunity to practice skills, network with faculty and other students, and participate in career development activities. Former graduates speak to the students about their experiences after graduation. Students are also able to interact with the career center about their job search and building their resume.
Click below to learn more about each immersion experience:
Immersion 1 – Orientation (offered in-person or virtually)
This first immersion allows students to meet their peers and faculty in the program either in-person or virtually. It allows them to become oriented to the program and the university. Sessions cover topics such as an introduction to the learning management system, APA writing format, library services and financial aid.
Immersion 2 – Practicum - Occurs 2 years into program
The second immersion experience gives students an opportunity to learn and practice advanced clinical skills in a simulated environment. These include practicing physical exams and GYN/GU exams on standardized patients. Other opportunities include suturing, incision and drainage, and performance of punch biopsies. A list of population specific skills is below.
- Acute Care: During the acute care sessions, the students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with intubation, EKG Interpretation, chest tube insertion and other skills.
- Primary Care: During the primary care sessions, the students attend and participate in sessions to provide transcultural healthcare focusing on a variety of topics addressing health promotion and prevention for the adolescent through the older adult. Sessions include differentiating abnormal and normal findings of the physical assessment, EKG and radiology interpretation and antibiotic review.
Immersion 3 – Practicum
The third immersion includes several guest lectures, allowing students to gain insights from a variety of people who are experts in their field, topics can include: clinical diagnostic skills, wound care management, X-Ray interpretation. Hands On experience includes suturing, local nerve blocks and removing fish hooks.
- Acute Care: Students will develop skills in central venous pressure and arterial line insertion, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, and other clinical skills. Students gain experience through OSCE simulations.
- Primary Care: In addition to training in the clinical diagnostic skills typically seen in the primary care setting such as suturing, punch biopsy, and wound care including incision and drainage students receive additional instruction in complex care conditions of older adults such as management of chronic conditions, mental health and palliative care.
Required Courses
Core Course Descriptions
NURS 6124 Forces in Health Care (3 credit hours)
This course examines the issues and concepts that are relevant to an understanding of the relationships among forces in health care. Emphasis will be placed on the process by which health care policies are formulated and on identifying the central issues within policies together with their supportive and non-supportive argumentation.
NURS 6123 Theoretical Basis of Nursing (3 credit hours)
The course focus includes study of selected contemporary nursing and related theories. Major philosophical and theoretical orientations that provide the foundation for nursing practice are analyzed. Theory development and its connection to empirical research are evaluated.
NURS 7141 Nursing Research (3 credit hours)
This course examines methods of nursing research. Critique of published quantitative and qualitative nursing research studies is conducted. Emphasis is on the utilization of knowledge to provide evidence-based nursing skills. Students develop skills for preparing practice focused, nursing research utilization projects. Prerequisites: Undergraduate Nursing Research course, Undergraduate Basic Statistics Course.
Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Track Course Descriptions
NURS 6223 Health Promotion (3 credit hours)
The course focuses on primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention across the life span. Age and condition specific strategies for health promotion and risk reduction are synthesized from the physical, social and psychological sciences. The student views the person/family/community from a nursing perspective, while integrating new theories and strategies for screening and early intervention programs. The provision of comprehensive health promotion and screening are analyzed from an interdisciplinary and public health perspective.
NURS 6411 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology (3 credit hours)
Pathogenesis of major conditions will be presented. Symptoms and signs of clinical situations will be analyzed and discussed in order that the student may have an understanding of the etiology of health deviations as well as a cognizance of the rationale for their management.
NURS 6415 Clinical Pharmacology (3 credit hours)
This course provides a working knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics with emphasis on the needs of clients throughout the lifespan. Concepts in qualitative and quantitative drug actions within the body are discussed. Prerequisite: NURS 6411.
NURS 7370 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (3 credit hours)
The focus of this course is on advanced comprehensive and integrated assessment skills leading to the making of accurate, efficacious, and expedient clinical decisions in the expanded nursing role. Relevancy of data is considered in the context of the patients’ bio-psycho-socio-economic, cultural, developmental, and functional status. Strategies in shared decision making and decision support are explored. Failed heuristics, biases, and cognitive dispositions to respond are addressed. Assessments relevant to specialties are included. Prerequisite: NURS 6415, Corequisite: NURS 7333 or NURS 7334.
NURS 7333 Graduate Nursing Practicum I: Older Years (3 credit hours)
Students spend 120 hours in a practice setting where they acquire mastery of advanced comprehensive and integrated assessment skills. These include bio-psycho-socio-economic, developmental and functional appraisals of all age groups, with a focus on cultural competence. Specialty assessments are incorporated. The student practices advanced assessment skills and begins role acculturation under close preceptorship supervision. Prerequisites: Matriculation for the Master of Science in Nursing Degree or acceptance for the Post-Master’s Certificate. Basic Physical Assessment course completed within previous three years, NURS 6415 Corequisite: NURS 7370.
NURS 7243 Advanced Practice Nursing I: Older Years (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on providing the student nurse practitioner with the necessary knowledge and skills to formulate clinical judgments needed to initiate, manage and evaluate culturally competent health care regimens for adults. Content is built upon concepts of the biopsychosocial aspects taught in the required prerequisites. Emphasis is placed on commonly occurring health problems. The concepts of health promotion and health maintenance are integrated throughout this course. Prerequisites: Successful completion of core courses and NURS 7333 and 7370. Corequisite: NURS 7349.
NURS 7349 Graduate Nursing Practicum II: Older Years (4 credit hours)
Students spend 160 hours in a clinical practice setting where they gain skill in providing scientifically-based, culturally competent primary health care to adults and the aged. With faculty guidance and preceptor supervision, students manage the health and illness of clients based upon analysis of findings from health histories, physical examination, developmental and behavioral assessments. Prerequisite: NURS 7333. Corequisite: NURS 7243.
NURS 7246 Advanced Practice Nursing II: Older Years (3 credit hours)
This course builds on information taught in the required prerequisites and provides the student with the necessary knowledge and skill to formulate complex clinical judgments needed to initiate, manage, and evaluate culturally competent primary health care regimens for adults. The concepts of health promotion and health maintenance continue to be integrated throughout this course. Students will continue to synthesize and evaluate theoretical knowledge in primary health care of adults with increased independence and decision-making ability. Prerequisites: NURS 7243 and 7343. Corequisite: NURS 7356.
NURS 7359 Graduate Nursing Practicum III: Older Years (4 credit hours)
Students spend 160 hours in a clinical practice setting where they continue to develop skills needed to provide culturally competent primary health care to adults and the aged with increasingly complex health and illness issues. With faculty guidance and preceptor supervision, students manage the health and illness of clients. Prerequisites: NURS 7243, 7349. Corequisite: NURS 7246.
NURS 7366 Graduate Nursing Practicum IV: Older Years (4 credit hours)
Students spend 160 hours in a clinical practice setting where they continue to integrate and synthesize data and demonstrate expert clinical judgment and decision making in the provisions of culturally competent care for adults and the aged. With faculty and preceptor consultation, students manage the health and illness of increasing numbers of clients with complex problems. Prerequisites: NURS 7359, 7246. Corequisite: NURS 7470.
NURS 6221 Health Concepts of Aging (3 credit hours)
This didactic course is designed to explore issues related to care of the elderly, including healthful aging, and issues related to chronic illness and frailty. Age related changes and the biopsychosocial theories of aging will provide the foundation for understanding key aspects of healthful aging. Principles of evidence-based practice will be utilized to explore the management of chronic health problems unique to older adults. An analysis of public policy and the impact of the prospective payment system in long-term care will highlight the constraints of healthcare services to institutionalize and community residing elders. Prerequisite: NURS 7243 or 7236.
NURS 7470 Advanced Professional Role Enactment (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on sensitizing the student to the emerging and ever changing role of the Advanced Practice Nurse. Students will explore the societal, economic, and politico-legal developments affecting acceptance and utilization of the role. Issues related to role development, leadership skills and case management for diverse client populations are analyzed. Prerequisite: Three semesters of advanced practice clinical nursing courses.
Acute Care Adult-Gerontological Track Course Descriptions
NURS 6223 Health Promotion (3 credit hours)
The course focuses on primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention across the life span. Age and condition specific strategies for health promotion and risk reduction are synthesized from the physical, social and psychological sciences. The student views the person/family/community from a nursing perspective, while integrating new theories and strategies for screening and early intervention programs. The provision of comprehensive health promotion and screening are analyzed from an interdisciplinary and public health perspective.
NURS 6411 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology (3 credit hours)
Pathogenesis of major conditions will be presented. Symptoms and signs of clinical situations will be analyzed and discussed in order that the student may have an understanding of the etiology of health deviations as well as a cognizance of the rationale for their management.
NURS 6415 Clinical Pharmacology (3 credit hours)
This course provides a working knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics with emphasis on the needs of clients throughout the lifespan. Concepts in qualitative and quantitative drug actions within the body are discussed. Prerequisite: NURS 6411.
NURS 7370 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making (3 credit hours)
The focus of this course is on advanced comprehensive and integrated assessment skills leading to the making of accurate, efficacious, and expedient clinical decisions in the expanded nursing role. Relevancy of data is considered in the context of the patients’ bio-psycho-socio-economic, cultural, developmental, and functional status. Strategies in shared decision making and decision support are explored. Failed heuristics, biases, and cognitive dispositions to respond are addressed. Assessments relevant to specialties are included. Prerequisite: NURS 6415, Corequisite: NURS 7333 or NURS 7334.
NURS 7333 Graduate Nursing Practicum I: Acute (3 credit hours)
Students spend 135 hours in a practice setting where they acquire mastery of advanced comprehensive and integrated assessment skills. These include bio-psycho-socio-economic, developmental and functional appraisals of all age groups, with a focus on cultural competence. Specialty assessments are incorporated. The student practices advanced assessment skills and begins role acculturation under close preceptorship supervision. Prerequisites: Matriculation for the Master of Science in Nursing Degree or acceptance for the Post-Master’s Certificate. Basic Physical Assessment course completed within previous three years, NURS 6415 Corequisite: NURS 7370.
NURS 7348 Graduate Nursing Practicum II: Acute (4 credit hours)
Students spend 180 hours in a clinical practice setting where they gain skill in providing scientifically based culturally competent acute health care to adults and the aged. With faculty guidance and preceptor supervision students manage the health and illness of clients based upon analysis and findings from health histories, physical examination, developmental and behavior assessments within the acute care setting. Prerequisites: NURS 7333. Corequisites: NURS 7236.
NURS 7236 Acute Care Theory I (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on providing the student nurse practitioner with the necessary knowledge and skills to formulate clinical judgments needed to initiate, manage and evaluate culturally competent health care regimens for adults and the aged in the acute care setting. Content is built upon concepts of the biopsychological aspects taught in the required prerequisites. Emphasis is placed on commonly occurring health problems within the acute care setting. The concepts of health promotion and health maintenance are integrated throughout the course. Prerequisites: Successful completion of core courses and Practicum I. Corequisites NURS 7348 Graduate Nursing Practicum II: Acute.
NURS 7250 Advanced Specialty Theory (3 credit hours)
This course builds on information taught in the required prerequisites and provides the student with the necessary knowledge and skill to formulate complex clinical judgements need to initiate, manage, and evaluate culturally competent acute care regimes for adults and aged. The concepts of health promotion and health maintenance continue to be integrated throughout this course. Students will continue to synthesize and evaluate theoretical knowledge in acute care of adults and the aged with increased independence and decision making ability. Prerequisites: NURS 7236 and NURS 7348. Corequisite: NURS 7360.
NURS 7360 Graduate Nursing Practicum III: Acute (4 credit hours)
Students spend 180 hours in a clinical practice setting where they continue to develop skills needed to provide culturally competent acute health care to adults and the aged with increasingly complex health and illness issues. With faculty guidance and preceptor supervisions students manage the health and illness of clients in acute care setting Prerequisites: NURS 7348. Corequisite: NURS 7250.
NURS 7369 Graduate Nursing Practicum IV: Acute (4 credit hours)
Students spend 180 hours in a clinical practice setting where they continue to integrate, synthesize and demonstrate expert clinical judgment and decision making in the provision of culturally competent care to adults and the aged in the acute care setting. With faculty and preceptor consultations students manage the health and illness of increasing numbers of clients with complex acute care problems. Prerequisites: NURS 7360. Corequisites: NURS 7470.
NURS 7470 Advanced Professional Role Enactment (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on sensitizing the student to the emerging and ever changing role of the Advanced Practice Nurse. Students will explore the societal, economic, and politico-legal developments affecting acceptance and utilization of the role. Issues related to role development, leadership skills and case management for diverse client populations are analyzed. Prerequisite: Three semesters of advanced practice clinical nursing courses.
NURS 6221 Health Concepts of Aging (3 credit hours)
This didactic course is designed to explore issues related to care of the elderly, including healthful aging, and issues related to chronic illness and frailty. Age related changes and the biopsychosocial theories of aging will provide the foundation for understanding key aspects of healthful aging. Principles of evidence-based practice will be utilized to explore the management of chronic health problems unique to older adults. An analysis of public policy and the impact of the prospective payment system in long-term care will highlight the constraints of healthcare services to institutionalize and community residing elders. Prerequisite: NURS 7243 or 7236.