An Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who provides direct care for acutely ill patients. AGACNP patients cover the patient’s life span from adolescence to older adults, including those with complex acute or chronic health conditions.
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner performs patient assessments, orders and interprets diagnostic tests, and develops diagnoses. Additionally, AGACNPs design, order, and monitor treatment plans and conduct follow-up patient monitoring. As part of a healthcare team, the AGACNP refers patients to specialists for specialized care when needed.
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners apply the latest Evidence-Based Practices to stabilize and maximize each patient’s overall health.
The AGACNP attends to a patient’s immediate and often critical healthcare needs. By contrast, the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) attends to a patient’s long-term healthcare needs.
Visit the Nurse Practitioner (NP) job description overview for more information about NP practice.
Practice Specialties
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may practice in an area of specialization where they have already developed strong nursing skills as a Registered Nurse (RN). Elective study during AGACNP education or post-graduate certification provides the additional knowledge and experience required to practice as an AGACNP in these areas of specialization.
Instruction in areas of specialization varies by school and can include one or more of the following:
- Cardiology – Heart Failure, Hypertension, and Myocardial Infarctions,
- Critical Care – Surgical, Medical, and Coronary,
- Endocrinology – Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, Metabolism,
- Nephrology – Renal Disease and Dialysis,
- Neurology – Neuropathy, Stroke, Dementia, Seizures and Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,
- Oncology – Cancers,
- Pulmonology – Asthma, Tuberculosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS),
- Rehabilitation,
- Surgery,
- Transplantation – Lung, Heart, Kidney, Eye, and Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), and
- Trauma / Emergency.
Certification offered by Certification Boards and professional associations provides additional education in these and other areas of specialization.
Practice Settings
The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may work in many acute care settings. These are located chiefly in Specialty Clinics or inpatient hospital units, such as:
- Hospital-to-Clinic Settings,
- Hospital Acute and Sub-Acute Care Units,
- Intensive Care Units,
- Emergency or Trauma Departments,
- Specialty Laboratories, and
- Specialty Clinics.
Scope of Practice
Scope of Practice refers to the degree to which an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may practice independently of oversight by a Physician. Aspects of AGACNP practice independence vary by state and include:
- Practice Autonomy,
- Prescriptive Authority,
- Physical Therapy Referral Authority,
- Death Certificate Signature Authority,
- Handicap Parking Permit Signature Authority, and
- Workers’ Compensation Claim Signature Authority.
The ability of Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners to practice with little or no Physician involvement distinguishes the AGACNP from the Physician Assistant (PA). Licensing restricts PAs to practice only under the direct supervision of a Physician. Nurse Practitioners’ Prescriptive Authority varies by state and is regulated more tightly for controlled substances.
Scope of Practice varies by state, depending on state legislative and regulatory rules. Visit the Color Coded Map and Sortable List to view how the Scope of Practice varies by state. For more detailed information, visit the Board of Nursing for the state of interest. Individual employers may impose Scope of Practice rules more restrictive than the state permits.
The growing nationwide shortage of internal medicine and primary care physicians leads to increasingly independent Nurse Practitioner Practice Autonomy and Authority.
Education
The ability to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner requires a graduate-level nursing education. There are several degrees or certificate types:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-NM), or Master of Nursing (MN) – The master’s degree has been the most commonly offered degree type and is the minimum degree required for Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner education. These degree programs are offered widely by public and private schools. The master’s degree in nursing focuses on advanced nursing theory and care practice. Read more...
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – In addition to studying advanced nursing theory and care practice, the DNP emphasizes using research results to improve the NP‘s nursing practice. DNP programs also emphasize the application of Evidence-Based Practice to improve the quality of patient care. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties is committed to transitioning all entry-level NP programs to the DNP by 2025. Read more...
- Post-Master's or Post-Doctorate Certificates – Eligibility is limited to individuals with a graduate-level or doctoral-level nursing degree. For example, someone holding an MSN as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) would be eligible to enroll in an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certificate program. Read more...
Prospective students should verify that the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program they are considering is accredited. Proper accreditation ensures that graduates are eligible to sit for the certification exams required before becoming licensed to practice.
Use the Nurse Practitioner Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated Degree Programs generally cost less and can be completed more quickly than enrolling in consecutive BSN and MSN or doctoral programs. Use the Accelerated Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Certificate Programs
Most schools that offer an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner master’s or doctoral degree also offer an AGACNP post-graduate or post-doctoral Certificate Program. These programs are open to individuals with a master’s or doctoral degree in another nursing specialty who wish to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. These Certificate Programs should not be confused with certifications offered by Certification Boards or Professional Associations.
Dual Programs
Some schools offer Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner study in Dual Degree and Dual Practice programs. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework.
Dual Degree Programs
Dual Degree Programs award two degrees in separate but related areas of study. Students enrich their nursing education with study in another academic department. These programs award an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree with an additional non-nursing degree, such as:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – AGACNP, paired with a:
- Master of Arts in Bioethics (MAB),
- Master of Arts in Religion (MAR),
- Master of Divinity (MDiv), or
- Master of Public Health (MPH).
Use this Dual Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Graduates from these Dual Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Dual Practice Programs
Some schools offer Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner study in a Dual Practice Program. These programs award a single degree that combines the AGACNP with an additional clinical practice role. Education in Dual Practice roles enables graduates to work in an expanded range of practice settings and patient populations. This versatility provides the graduate with more career flexibility and growth opportunities.
AGACNP Dual Practice Programs may offer these additional practice roles:
- CNS-AGAC: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care (AGACCNS), see Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS),
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP),
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), or
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).
Graduates from these Dual Practice Programs are eligible to sit both sets of national certification exams and become licensed in both practice roles.
Use this Dual Practice Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other practice combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Tandem Degree Programs
Tandem Degree Programs award two degrees in the course of Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner study. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework. Some schools offer AGACNP Tandem Degree combinations, such as:
- Bachelor of Science, Nursing Major (BS-N), followed by a:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by a:
- Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-N), followed by a:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), followed by a:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), followed by a:
Graduates from these Tandem Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use this Tandem Degree Program Search Tool to identify Tandem Degree programs from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Top 10 Degree and Certificate Offerings
This table displays a count of the Top 10 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degrees and certificates offered by more than 710 graduate nursing programs. This count includes degrees awarded singly, as the higher degree in a Tandem Degree Program, or as part of Dual Practice and Dual Degree Program offerings.
Certification
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) , a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA) , offers an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner exam to graduates from an AGACNP degree or certificate program.
Individuals who pass the exam receive the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (AGACNP-BC) credential. This certification is a prerequisite for a state license to practice as an AGACNP.
Additional certifications are available for Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners to develop further expertise in related areas of nursing and healthcare. Review this site’s survey of more than 300 additional nursing and associated healthcare certifications.
License to Practice
The Board of Nursing for each state issues licenses to practice as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner within their state. The AGACNP scope of practice, including Practice Autonomy and Prescriptive Authority, varies by state.
States participating in the APRN Compact and Nurse Licensure Compact have multistate APRN and RN license agreements. These Compacts ease the transfer of AGACNP licenses and the ability to practice among participating states. Participation in these Compacts varies by state. Check with your state’s Board of Nursing for more detailed information.