The Post Master’s Certificate in the Adult- Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track is for RNs with a Master’s Degree in Nursing who want to advance their career in an Advanced Practice role. The theoretical content for courses in the Post Master’s Certificate Program is offered via an online delivery method with clinical hours and single on-campus intensive for PM-AGPCNP and PM-FNP and virtual intensive for PM-PMHNP tracks prior to clinical hours starting. With the guidance of qualified faculty, and based on meeting the course objectives, students have experiences with approved preceptors in clinical practicum sites for completion of clinical hours. A Post Master’s Certificate is awarded after successful completion of the program. Those completing the Post Master’s Certificate Program are qualified to take the national certification exam from the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
Program Outcomes – Post Master’s Certificates
Graduates of the program will:
- Integrate nursing science, biophysical sciences, and psychosocial sciences into the planning and delivery of patient-centered and population- focused care.
- Assume a leadership role in effectively initiating innovations in safety and quality improvement.
- Synthesize quality and safety evidence to promote an inter-professional culture of excellence.
- Critically evaluate evidence from the literature for translation into diverse practice settings.
- Integrate current and emerging technologies into quality improvement strategies to optimize health outcomes.
- Implement health policy initiatives which focus on clinical prevention and optimal health for vulnerable populations while advocating for social justice, equity, and ethical polices in health care.
- Utilize collaborative strategies within the inter- professional healthcare team to improve patient and population health outcomes.
- Implement patient-centered and population- focused clinical prevention strategies to improve health outcomes.
- Apply advanced knowledge to the design, implementation, and evaluation of patient centered and population-focused care.
- Act with ethical comportment in all aspects of advanced nursing practice.
Admission Requirements – Post Master’s Certificates
- A completed application.
- A Master’s Degree in Nursing degree from a program accredited by a national accrediting agency.
- 3.0 or higher GPA.
- Licensure as a professional Registered Nurse in the State of New Jersey or other accepted state. Submission of all professional Registered Nurse licenses. The licensee cannot have any current or pending disciplinary action against their nursing license from any Board of Nursing.
- Submission of all official academic transcripts.
- A notarized copy of the photo page of a government-issued identification such as passport or driver’s license.
- International academic credentials are reviewed by an international accrediting agency (World Education Services) on an individual basis.
- A minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 6.5 IELTS is required of graduates of non-English speaking countries.
- Requirements specific to the program track.
At a selected point in the program following admission, a criminal history background check is conducted, and students must comply with all requirements mandated by the practicum site in order to progress. Exclusion from the placement site as a result of criminal history background check results or failure to comply with other mandated requirements shall result in dismissal from the program.
All APN track clinical or practicum hours must be completed in approved, and APN students must hold licensure as a professional Registered Nurse in an accepted state. Students may not complete clinical hours unless they have received Approval to Start from their course faculty.
Program start dates are dependent upon enrollment.
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Tracks
- Successful completion of undergraduate or graduate courses in statistics, and health assessment and a graduate course in nursing research.
Certificate Requirements
Post Master’s Certificate in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) / Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) / Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).
All tracks require pre-requisite graduate courses in Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology, Pharmacology/ Prescriptive Practice and Advanced Health Assessment. Gap analysis of MSN transcript will determine if courses to be taken with curriculum (NURS 505 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology- 3 credits; NURS 540- Pharmacology/ Prescriptive Practice; NURS 530 Advanced Health Assessment (60 virtual Lab Hours). MSN level pharmacology course must be taken within 5 years of projected program completion.
Successful completion of:
Adult–Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Track
- 18 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better (minimum grade of B in all courses in the program) – on-campus intensive – plus 750 direct care clinical hours
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate
| NURS-661 | Primary Care I: Prevention and Education | 3 |
| NURS-662 | Primary Care II: Diagnosis and Mgmt | 4 |
| NURS-674 | Practicum:primary Care Adult Gerontology | 4 |
| NURS-675 | Practicum: Subacute/Long-Term Care | 4 |
| NURS-676 | Practicum: Primary Care Adult Geron II | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 27 |
Family Nurse Practitioner Track
- 21 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better (minimum grade of B in all courses in the program) – on-campus intensive – plus 750 direct care clinical hours
Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate
| NURS-661 | Primary Care I: Prevention and Education | 3 |
| NURS-662 | Primary Care II: Diagnosis and Mgmt | 4 |
| NURS-635 | Primary Care Pediatric Population | 3 |
| NURS-684 | Practicum: Primary Care Across Lifespan | 4 |
| NURS-685 | Practicum:pedicatric and Maternal Health | 4 |
| NURS-686 | Practicum: Primary Care Acr Lifespan II | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 21 |
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- 21 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better (minimum grade of B in all courses in the program) – virtual intensive – plus 750 direct care clinical hours
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master’s Certificate
| NURS-661 | Primary Care I: Prevention and Education | 3 |
| NURS-541 | Psychopharmacology | 3 |
NURS-663
| | |
NURS-694
| | |
NURS-695
| | |
NURS-696
| | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 21 |
Certificate requirements must be completed within a 5-year period from the date of admission, including the project work. Leaves-of-absence are included in a five-year timeframe.