Adult Health/Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist

Faculty Coordinators:

Cynthia Peden-McAlpine, PhD, RN
612-624-0449 or peden001@umn.edu

Mary Zaccagnini, DNP, RN, CNS
612-626-0402 or zacca003@umn.edu 

Specialty Area Information:
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, with a specialty in adult health and gerontological nursing as a clinical nurse specialist, prepares nurses for leadership as advanced practice nurses and clinical experts to provide advanced nursing care to adults and elders in a variety of settings. The DNP program is for students who already hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing, and involves both coursework and practicum experiences as well as a final internship where the student has the opportunity focus on a sub-specialty area (e.g. oncology, cardiology, palliative care), if desired. Graduates work as expert clinicians and consultants in acute care settings, nursing homes, transitional care, and specialty practices.

The adult health and gerontological specialty offers leadership preparation for nurses desiring expertise in advanced nursing assessment and management for health promotion and disease prevention, management of complex health conditions, and working with interdisciplinary teams to provide care and services for persons ranging from adolescents, adults and older adults. Students ground their studies in the science of nursing interventions, moral/ethical issues, and nursing research. Practicum experiences are arranged to meet the individual needs of students while also meeting accreditation and certification requirements. In addition to completing core studies in the specialty, students also gain skills in evidence-based practice, program evaluation, informatics, teaching/learning, health economics, health care policy, and epidemiology. A final project that is a systematic investigation of a practice problem is planned, implemented, and completed during the curriculum.

• Multiple opportunities are available for students to:
• Work with nationally and internationally recognized faculty members conducting research on health care issues of adults and the elderly.
• Become an active member in and have access to resources available from the School of Nursing Center for Gerontological Nursing
• Apply as a Hartford Nursing Geriatric Education Scholar  (includes a 1 year career development program with financial resources)
• Practice with renowned practitioner preceptors in innovative health care settings.
• Attend lectures/seminars/conferences presented by prominent leaders in nursing and gerontology.
• Participate in innovative interdisciplinary education experiences.

 
Jobs/Roles of ACNS/GCNS
The ACNS/GCNS possess expertise about the nursing care of adults and older adults at various points along the health continuum. The ACNS/GCNS serves as a clinical expert in the planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care standards. A significant role of the ACNS/GCNS is providing staff, patient and family education, identifying clinical research opportunities, and developing and/or coordinating programs specific to the needs of adults and elders.

Certification
Completion of required coursework and practice hours in adult health and gerontological nursing provides eligibility to take both the adult health clinical nurse specialist and gerontological nurse clinical nurse specialist certification examinations through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Admission to the ACNS/GCNS Specialty
ACNS/GCNS course work starts fall term and includes approximately 1000 hours of clinical experience. Efforts are made to provide students with practica in a variety of clinical settings within their geographical area. Practica are under the direction of ACNS/GCNS certified faculty, and supervised by certified nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist preceptors or physicians. Applicants are required to have at least one year of experience working with the adult and elderly population.

Applications are reviewed once a year. Those students interested in ACNS/GCNS specialty that are not selected may be placed on a waiting list. If placed on a waiting list, it does not ensure entrance into the ACNS/GCNS specialty for the following year. If you are not selected from the waiting list, you must reapply to be considered for admission.
Those students already enrolled in Graduate School at the School of Nursing may apply for the ACNS/GCNS specialty by completing a new School of Nursing application and a Graduate School Change of Status form.
Students who have completed a Master's of Science degree in nursing and are interested in pursuing coursework which would allow them to take the ANCC GSNS certification examination or the ANCC ACNS certification exam may apply for the Post-Masters Certificate Program.


Courses in the Curriculum

• Advanced Nursing Care of Older Adults*
• Adv Practice Nurse Internship (with Prescriptive) *
• The Role of the CNS in Acute Care*
• Assessment and Management of Health for Advanced Practice Nurses II*
• CNS Role Across the Lifespan
• DNP Proseminar
• DNP Seminar 1, 2, & 3
• Economics of Health Care
• Epidemiology
• Evidence Based practice
• Health Care Leadership for a Changing World
• Health Policy Leadership
• Holistic Health Assessment
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare Informatics
• Introduction to Complementary & Alternative Therapies
• Moral & Ethical Positions in Nursing
• Nursing Research
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacotherapeutics
• Program Evaluation
• Science of Nursing Intervention
• Statistics
• Teaching & Learning in Nursing

*Includes practicum hours