Online Master's Degree in Nursing

Population Focus Areas

• Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner population focus area

  The adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner population focus area is designed to prepare registered nurses as practitioners for professional practice in the medical, surgical, and critical care management of acutely ill adult patient populations. Graduates may expect to practice in acute and complex care settings in roles such as a hospitalist in a medical-surgical unit or an intensivist in a general or specialty critical care unit.

  Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners function within the interprofessional acute care team providing direct care management including diagnosis and treatment planning. This population focus area also includes an online skills lab that incorporates an Oculus Quest virtual reality (VR) headset for a virtual lab experience, allowing you to work remotely with faculty and staff.

• Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner population focus area

  The adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner population focus area is designed to educate you on the topics of how to best provide primary care as a member of an interprofessional team and improve the availability of evidence-based, culturally relevant health care in diverse communities. The curriculum helps you develop the skills to evaluate the health and wellness of individuals, families, and their communities.

  The nurse practitioner is expected to possess skills in diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic health conditions, delivering primary and preventive care, and participating in the development of appropriate policy and evidence-based practice.

• Family nurse practitioner primary care population focus area

  The family nurse practitioner population focus area is designed to educate you on the topics of how to best provide primary care as a member of an interprofessional team and improve the availability of evidence-based, culturally relevant health care in diverse communities. The curriculum helps you develop the skills to evaluate the health and wellness of individuals, families, and their communities.

  The nurse practitioner is expected to possess skills in diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic health conditions, delivering primary and preventive care, and participating in the development of appropriate policy and evidence-based practice.

• Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner population focus area

  The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner population focus area is designed for master’s prepared nurses who want to obtain further knowledge to provide comprehensive psychiatric mental health care through the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of psychiatric mental health disorders, medical organic brain disorders, substance abuse problems, and complex co-occurring disease processes and disorders across the lifespan.

  Graduates may expect to practice in acute care and primary care settings in hospitals, community mental health centers, home health care, partial hospital care, residential settings, prisons, or private practices as well as in collaborative practices with other specialties.

  Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners function within the interprofessional acute care or primary care team providing direct care management including diagnosis, treatment planning, conducting therapy, prescribing psychotropic medications, and providing emergency psychiatric services. This population focus area also incorporates an Oculus Quest virtual reality (VR) headset for a virtual lab experience to augment and enhance concepts presented in the program.

Concentrations

• Executive Leader Concentration

  The executive leader concentration is designed to prepare you to pursue managerial positions and leadership roles in hospitals, community health, long-term care facilities, and other health care systems. The program focuses on the principles of personnel management, policy development and implementation, budgeting, and the use of information technology.

• Nurse Educator

  The nurse educator concentration prepares nurses to effectively teach patients and their families, create staff development, evaluate educational programs, and instruct undergraduate nursing students.

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Executive Leader
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Nurse Executive or Nurse Executive, Advanced (if you meet the organization’s eligibility requirements)
  • American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL): Certified in Executive Nursing Practice
• Family Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Family Nurse Practitioner
  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): Family Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse Educator
  • National League for Nursing: Certified Nurse Educator (CNE)