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Next Start: September 3, 2024
Advanced Practice Nursing Foundations
Incorporate scientific and theoretical concepts from nursing and other relevant disciplines to improve nursing practice in a variety of settings
Evidence-Informed Quality Improvement
Adopt a lifelong learning approach to care that draws upon research and data to ensure safety and quality for patients and organizations
Leadership, Systems, and Policy
Serve as an effective and collaborative nurse leader from organizational, systems, and policy perspectives
Students from Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia are welcome to apply to the online AGACNP program. Please see our State Authorization page for more detailed information. Please see our State Authorization page for more detailed information.
Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences is approved by the State of Missouri to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). As a participating institution, Saint Luke’s College may offer online programs to students in other SARA member states without seeking authorization in that state.
Rockhurst University and Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The online Master of Science in Nursing–Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)*.
*The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at Rockhurst University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Learn why Lori Walters, MSN, was motivated to help others and pay forward the compassionate care of nurses in her life. A graduate of two MSN programs with dual certifications as an AGACNP and FNP, she chose Rockhurst University to enrich her nursing career and become a nurse practitioner.
This introductory course examines the role of advanced practice nurses as influenced by social, cultural, political, and economic forces. Issues present in the changing health care environment are examined for quality and patient safety initiatives to improve patient outcomes. The ethical dimensions and legal parameters for advanced nursing practice are investigated. (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide acute care nurse practitioner students the knowledge of a variety of topics commonly encountered in the acute care setting. The students will increase their knowledge of advanced pharmacologic management, advanced pathophysiology, and diagnostic testing interpretation of hospitalized and critically-ill patients, while applying advanced knowledge gained through previous or concurrent coursework. (1 credit) Prerequisites or Concurrent: NUR 5650, NUR 5750, NUR 5950
This course provides didactic content to prepare the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP) to provide care to the late adolescent through the geriatric populations experiencing common health problems in one or more body systems. The didactic content addresses comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients with common acute and chronic health problems. The AGACNP student will focus on the appropriate assessment, risk factors, diagnostic tests, management, prevention, and follow-up care consistent with evidence-based practice guidelines. Professional, ethical, and legal issues are threaded throughout the course. (4 credits) Prerequisites: NUR 5650, NUR 5750, NUR 5950, NUR 5200, NUR 5230
This course will provide students with a graduate-level understanding of concepts in statistics used in research. The objective of this course is to equip students with the basic knowledge of statistical methods for designing studies and analyzing data from research studies. This course will provide students a foundation for evaluating outcomes of research, including statistical and clinical significance, as well as prepare them to be more critical consumers of the research literature. Students will assess published research for the appropriate use of statistical analyzes and determine whether or not to incorporate findings into advanced nursing practice. (3 credits)
If you don’t find the answers to your questions here, contact your Rockhurst University (RU) enrollment adviser and schedule a time to talk that’s convenient for you.
You will learn from active clinicians who bring real-world experience into the online classroom. As trusted Rockhurst faculty members, they are committed to your success as an advanced practice nurse.
Yes. Clinical placement services are built into the cost of the program. A dedicated Rockhurst placement coordinator will identify an appropriate site and preceptor within a reasonable driving distance from where you live.
The online AGACNP program is offered on a full-time and part-time basis. The full-time track takes 6 semesters to complete, while the part-time track takes 8 semesters.
The online AGACNP program requires 49 credits of coursework and 750 clinical hours to graduate.
Our online AGACNP program costs $734.69 per credit hour, for a total program investment of $35,999.81 plus fees ($78.30/credit hour). Financial aid may be available to our online students.
In addition to one virtual immersion, Online AGACNP students will attend one clinical immersion on the Rockhurst campus in Kansas City, Missouri, for three days of clinical instruction in the new, state-of-the-art simulation lab and renovated nursing facilities. In this immersive clinical experience, students will receive hands-on skills training, complete high- and low-fidelity simulation, and demonstrate competencies through objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).
Following the campus immersion, students will return home and continue their online coursework. Additionally, they will complete the rest of their clinical hours at a predetermined site under the direct supervision of a licensed preceptor and the indirect supervision of a Rockhurst clinical faculty supervisor.
92% First-time certification exam
pass rates that exceed national average
100% online coursework
plus campus immersion(s)
52% Projected NP job growth by 2030
Source: BLS
Some of our students elect to enroll in the dual degree track in which they earn two online MSN nurse practitioner specializations in one program: family practice and adult-gerontology acute care. Earning two specializations through a single MSN program saves you time and money, streamlines the educational experience, and opens doors to a variety of roles in health care. Our individual online MSN programs each require 49 credits to graduate, whereas the MSN Dual Track only requires 62 credits.
Due to the surging demand for providers in primary and acute care settings, holding both specializations expands your scope of practice and gives you the versatility to work in a wide range of environments. The dual MSN degree offers a significant opportunity to care for all types of patients, influence health promotion, provide primary care to individuals across the life span, and support the acute needs of chronically ill adult patients who may experience life-threatening emergencies.
A dedicated enrollment adviser can answer your questions and guide you through the application process. Click the link below to fill out a form and start the conversation.
Your adviser can help with:
To proceed with either the BSN to MSN FNP or the BSN to DNP FNP, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree and hold your RN license.
If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us.
To proceed with the EdD in Educational Leadership and Organizational Leadership, you are required to have a master’s degree.
If you don’t meet this requirement but would still like further information, please contact us.
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