Here are the best bridge programs for FNP to ACNP/AGACNP.
Acute care nurse practitioner programs teach nurses to care for and assist critically sick patients.
Programs for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), which include acute care nurse practitioner programs, are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
However, the American Association of Critical-Care Nursing provides multiple acute nurse practitioner certifications for registered nurses and APRNs in adult, pediatric, neonatal, and gerontology.
At the same time, ANCC only renews the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification, ACNP-BC.
FNP to Acute Care NP / AGACNP
1. Azusa Pacific University
When we took a peek at Azusa Pacific University’s nursing faculty, we immediately saw something.
There are almost a hundred doctoral-degree holders among the university’s hundreds of deans, professors, and associate professors.
A dedication to pupils bolsters this dedication to knowledge. The APU School of Nursing has a comprehensive list of materials to assist you in investing in your professional future.
These opportunities include federal traineeships, tuition reduction agreements, and scholarships that do not need repayment if you maintain a 3.0 GPA.
At the APU School of Nursing, the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program has much flexibility to offer.
Full and part-time tracks are available, and start dates are in the fall, spring, and summer. Classes are held a few days a week, and travel to Africa.
In South Africa, you’ll discover frequent options for mission trips and study abroad segments.
2. Boise State University
The AGNP board examinations were a complete success. Any nursing school’s goal, but 18 students who just graduated from the American Graduate Nursing Program (AGNP) did that.
The Boise State University School of Nursing has recently announced that its inaugural graduating class of Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners is excellent.
This program is lauded because it helps you focus on your studies rather than worrying about finding a preceptor. You are given a dedicated preceptor placement coordinator to handle these time-consuming details.
BSU’s School of Nursing’s high-tech simulation facility was the first in Idaho to be certified by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, a significant accomplishment.
Mannequins varying in age from baby to adult are included in the set. Practicing your talents in a risk-free setting where you can learn from your failures is the best way to learn.
An accredited program must comply with seven critical requirements for at least two years to get the Society’s seal of approval.
3. California State University, Long Beach
We like how the Cal State Long Beach School of Nursing puts you in control. The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) program faculty is among the finest in the business.
This program’s adaptability shows how it prioritizes the needs of its students.
Depending on your interests, you may complete a thesis, a guided project, or a specialty project. You have the option of pursuing your education full or part-time.
Finally, if you want, you may apply for one of three different types of scholarships to assist you in funding your investment in your future.
The CSULB School of Nursing is committed to your success and has a vast database of scholarship possibilities for graduate students.
The school’s Nursing Learning Center provides a sophisticated simulation lab, a valuable resource for MSN students.
It’s no surprise that the CCNE has accredited this curriculum. This optional accreditation may only be obtained by dedicating to 12 core principles essential to a nursing career.
4. Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University’s staff is a big reason why 93% of students recommend it.
She has worked in hospitals for 20 years and is a member of the AACN, the National League for Nursing (NLN), and Arizona’s League of Nursing.
In addition, faculty members participate in the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching and the Journal of Institutional Research.
You may use these tools to learn more about adult gerontology, find peer-reviewed research, and meet other professionals. Designed for working nurses, the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program focusing on Adult-Gerontology is easy to get to.
You may study whenever and wherever you choose with the online option, while the campus-based version offers nighttime sessions to fit around your regular work hours.
Some focus areas include leadership, advocacy, illness prevention, and health promotion. Because of the rigorous admissions process, you’ll be studying from some of the best and brightest minds in the industry.
CCNE accreditation, achieved after a thorough review process that acknowledges the program’s quality and efficacy, is an appropriate match for this.
5. San Diego State University
San Diego State University’s School of Nursing’s Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) program captivates us for so many reasons that it’s hard to know where to begin.
It’s the only one in the country that allows you to sit for the primary care AGNP and CNS exams.
Every program’s graduates have passed the AGPCNP-BC exam for the last two years. As part of the College of Health and Human Services, the school has many resources to ensure that students get the finest education possible.
The health assessment lab, media lab, and Sharp Healthcare Human Patient Simulation Center are included in one facility.
Six patient simulators are included in this cutting-edge facility: four adults, one infant, and one pediatrician. It has everything you’d expect to find in a hospital, including a childbirth simulator.
In reality, it’s modeled like a hospital’s nursing unit, with situations ranging from hip fractures to septic shock on hand. Numerous professional publications are found among the nursing school’s faculty members.
All of them are engaged in active careers as professionals in their respective professions.
If that weren’t enough, you’d have a graduate nursing academic advisor assigned to you when you enroll in the program. To guarantee your success, they are there to guide you through finding employment after graduation.
6. University Of California, Los Angeles
Adult and senior nursing research flourish at UCLA’s School of Nursing.
Center for Vulnerable Population Research and the Center for the Advancement of Gerontological Nursing Science are two nationally known institutes offering groundbreaking research and bringing together professionals from across the globe with shared interests.
Regarding NIH-funded research, the school ranks ninth in the U.S. and is in the top 3% of master’s in nursing schools in the United States.
The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Institution and The Health Center at the Union Rescue Mission, the oldest NP-run health center in the United States, are just two examples of the more than 200 community partners you may work with to obtain your perfect clinical experience.
Faculty members of the School of Nursing have Ph.D. degrees in their respective fields, and half are fellows or fellow electives in the distinguished American Academy of Nursing.
Another twenty academic members, ranging from HIV and stem cell research to drug-resistant epilepsy and memory loss, are also researching.
Over the last decade, professors have written more than 346 pieces for some of the most prestigious health magazines in the country.
UCLA School of Nursing faculty members were selected to head healthcare recovery efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.
7. University Of Nevada, Reno
Reno’s Orvis School of Nursing is regarded as one of the finest in Western America.
The adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner MSN program is recognized by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and is well-known.
After a thorough review, the program was awarded the prestigious CCNE accreditation for its commitment to student success, mission, curriculum, and teaching-learning practices.
This program offers flexible time frames for graduation and final culmination projects. This year’s Mae Orvis Health Care Symposium will be held in the School of Nursing.
This well-known event puts you ahead of the action when setting a health care policy. Healthcare experts worldwide gather here yearly to brainstorm new approaches for the future.
The American Academy of Nursing, a national leader in creating health care policy, recently accepted two Orvis School of Nursing alums.
8. University Of Northern Colorado
One of the best nursing schools in the country, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, stands out from all the others.
This institution offered a DNP degree, an acute care nurse practitioner program, and a gerontological nursing program for the first time. It’s also possible to specialize in flight nursing as a bonus!
The University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, and MetroHealth Medical Center are within drive distance from Case Western Reserve University’s campus.
For research, you have six Centers of Excellence to choose from, including the Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence, the University Center on Aging and Health, the Self-Management Advancement through Research and Translation (SMART) Center, and the Full Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Research (FIND) Lab.
As a result of their success in this program, graduates have held leadership positions in organizations such as Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing and other prominent nursing organizations.
This program is regarded as a leader in preparing students for a successful career in nursing.
With all that, the School of Nursing offers a nurse leadership summit that brings together specialists from across the globe, offering you an excellent platform to build your professional network.
9. University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor School of Nursing has a long history of accomplishment. It has been training nurses since 1891, and there are no indications of it slowing down soon.
While its AGPCNP program was placed in the nation’s top ten, its master’s program in nursing was recognized among the finest in the country.
The UM Ann Arbor School of Nursing’s Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program piqued our interest, including its excellent staff.
AACN awards for research, induction as a fellow into the International Academy of Addiction Nursing, induction into the National Academy of Medicine, and selection as an American Academy of Nursing and an AANP fellow are just some of the honors you can expect to learn from the instructors.
The School of Nursing grants students scholarships and travel and achievement prizes every year. An occupational health nursing emphasis is available in the AGPCNP program.
Additionally, we were pleased by the World Health Organization’s recognition of the School of Nursing as a Collaborating Center.
Only ten U.S. nursing schools and 42 programs globally have earned this distinction.
The award highlights health promotion research and training programs and the school’s worldwide approach to research, teaching, and service.
You may work and study in countries like Ghana, Honduras, Thailand, and Liberia via the school’s Office of Global Affairs, which has a stellar international reputation.
10. Kent State University
What’s better than a 100% job placement record for graduates within six months, a 95% pass rate on the AGNP certification examinations, and a state-of-the-art simulation lab?
You are studying at your speed in a supportive learning environment with all of the above.
Kent State University College of Nursing’s MSN Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program has everything.
Those aspects drew our attention when we learned about the AGNP program from the National League for Nursing, which has recognized this institution as a Center of Excellence.
Be ready for a memorable educational experience.
Almost all of the teaching members in this program have Ph.D. degrees, and there are over 350 collaborating clinical partners from whom you may select to perform your clinical.
If you want to study on a global campus, you may do so. The college’s study abroad program offers many study-abroad opportunities in Switzerland, Northern Ireland, and Italy.
11. University Of Southern Indiana
University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions students get the best clinical experiences because of this school.
A classroom has been turned into an operating room in most nursing schools, although you may still find a blackboard and a few bags in the corner.
That is not the case, though. Here, you’ll be studying at a medical facility.
In this Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program, you’ll study in a specialized education wing of either Saint Mary’s Medical Center or Deaconess Hospital.
You’ll be partnered with a staff nurse for your clinical rotations.
A $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has allowed students additional clinical experience at three community health centers (Glenwood Leadership Academy, Cedar Hall Community School, and Lodge Community School).
There is also a Clinical Simulation Center where students may learn more conventionally, including patient rooms and equipment and high-fidelity simulations of patients, a clinical exam room, a medical records system, and a fully-equipped utility room.
Thanks to a dedicated research center focused on healthy aging and well-being and key healthcare conferences held throughout the academic year. This program has earned its spot on our list.
In the last two years, you passed the AGPCNP exam with a perfect score, and over the previous six years, you passed the AGACNP exam with a near-perfect score of 98 percent.
Your professors are committed to your success.
12. Marquette University
The nursing program at Marquette University is on the mend.
This is doubly true for the MSN in Nursing for the Elderly program. The student-to-faculty ratio here is 8 to 1; every student receives a guaranteed clinical placement.
Having trained nurses for almost a century, they know what they’re doing—the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has been given a nearly $1 million grant to the College of Nursing-led Wisconsin Geriatric Education Center to continue advanced training and extend its programs to concentrate on Alzheimer’s and opioid abuse.
The Institute for Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education, the Institute for Natural Family Planning, the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Center for Clinical Simulation, the Marquette Clinic for Women and Children, Project Beyond, the Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship, and the Wisconsin Center for NURSING are just a few of the professional institutions associated with the College of Nursing.
You may apply for a summer semester in Washington, DC, to stay on the cutting edge of the nation’s healthcare industry.
Taking a peek at the laws and regulations that regulate healthcare is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students at the Marquette College of Nursing, and this unique chance helps us stand out from the rest.
13. Northern Kentucky University
An online MSN AC-AGNP degree from Northern Kentucky University (NKU) can be completed in 20 months.
An application needs official transcripts, an authorized BSN degree, an undergraduate course in statistics, and verification of an unencumbered and current license to practice nursing.
A bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field is acceptable if specific conditions are completed. U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs ranks NKU’s program in the top 25.
14. University Of Alabama-Birmingham
The University of Alabama-MSN Birmingham’s AG-ACNP degree is a mixed, distance-accessible program that includes online education and requires on-campus attendance.
Orientation and three two- or three-day campus intensives are required for students to attend the Birmingham campus.
Graduates of this program are prepared to sit for certification exams offered by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
The program includes 600 clinical hours of direct patient care (ANCC).
UAB has been ranked as one ofamong25 online graduate nursing programs by U.S. News and World Report and among the top 10 nursing schools for nurse practitioner adult/senior care.
An unencumbered license, GRE, GMAT, MAT exam results, academic transcripts, etc., are all necessary for admission to an authorized nursing school.
Students should check whether their state of residence qualifies for admission before applying to UAB. State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements National Council.
15. Maryville University
Maryville University has been named one of the Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs by U.S. News and World Report.
The MSN AG-ACNP degree may be done online in St. Louis, with no school visits necessary. Submitting GRE or MAT results or taking any undergraduate statistics courses to apply is unnecessary.
Students may fulfill the program’s clinical hours requirement of 830 in their hometown.
You may speak with the Office of Admissions to learn more about the specific prerequisites for entering Maryville University.
16. Graceland University
GU is located in Independence, Missouri, the home of Graceland University. An online MSN with an AG-ACNP focus is a new degree option for G.U.’s School of Nursing.
This program accepts applications three times a year. It requires candidates to have an authorized BSN degree, a current nursing license, three letters of recommendation, and a criminal background check, among other requirements.
Additionally, Graceland University offers an alternative for people with an ADN or a nursing degree from a recognized institution to get their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
17. Creighton University
Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, offers a hybrid DNP program with an AG-ACNP concentration for students who want to pursue a BSN-DNP or MSN-DNP degree.
Some classes must be in-person, but most may be completed online. U.S. News & World Report has named Creighton University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program one of the top 100 best nursing schools.
States such as Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire prohibit Creighton University from accepting students from these states.
Admission to the program needs a bachelor’s degree in nursing, the ability to get a Nebraska nursing license, and a minimum of 2,000 hours of direct patient care.
18. Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia University Students may get an MSN AG-ACNP from the Jefferson College of Nursing at TJU in two to five years, whether they are full- or part-time students.
Core MSN studies are combined with AG-ACNP-specific training throughout the program’s curriculum. Although the program may be completed online, some clinical courses must be taken on the Philadelphia campus.
Students must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a current nursing license, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification, completed prerequisite courses in health assessment and statistics, and a year of clinical experience.
The Jefferson College of Nursing has been named one of the Best Nursing Schools: Masters’ Programs by U.S. News and World Report.
19. Seton Hall University
Established in 1856, Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private research university in South Orange, New Jersey.
Two practical and three campus immersions in orientation are part of the university’s hybrid MSN AG-ACNP degree program. You’ll need to put in 675 clinical hours to complete this program.
During these immersions, students may learn about a range of subjects via hands-on experience, skill labs, and guest speakers. In its Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs and Best Nursing Schools: Master’s Degrees, U.S. News & World Report ranks Seton Hall in the top 100.
Institution entrance requires candidates to have a BSN from a recognized program, a valid and current license, professional liability insurance, and letters of recommendation, among other requirements.
Students also require a minimum of two years of clinical, patient-care experience.
20. Saint Louis University
There is a post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Saint Louis University (SLU) in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGA).
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a 3.5 GPA, one year of clinical experience, an unencumbered nursing license from the state in which clinical experience will be conducted, active CPR certification, undergraduate coursework in statistics, and a beginning course in health assessment, among other things, to be considered for admission.
Once a year, the program accepts new students into its ranks. St. Louis University does not take students from all 50 states, so prospective students should check with their state’s admissions office before applying.
According to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Schools rankings, SLU’s DNP program is in the top 100 nursing programs.
Conclusion
Adult and pediatric acute care nurse practitioners are also available. ACNPs often work in ICUs, ERs, and other critical care units to offer care to patients who have suffered a severe accident or illness.
The typical annual salary for a nurse practitioner in 2020 was $117,670, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics study on nurse anesthetists, midwives, and nurse practitioners.
California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Ohio are the states having the most nurse practitioner jobs.
In inner cities and rural regions, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are expected to be in great demand. As a result, APRNs can provide a broader range of services in certain states.
