Master of Science in Nursing: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Program Contact: Susan D'Agostino 203-582-8882

In the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program, you'll develop the necessary skills to provide high-quality, cost-effective primary care across the lifespan from adolescence to geriatrics.  This program can be completed either as a full-time or part-time program, requiring a two or three year commitment, respectively.  Completion of this program makes you eligible to take a national certification exam for adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners.

MSN: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Course Listing
NUR 500	Biostatistics	1
NUR 514	Epidemiology and Population Health	2
NUR 516	Health Policy and Organizational Systems	2
NUR 520	Advanced Health Assessment	3
NUR 520L	Advanced Health Assessment Lab	2
NUR 522	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
NUR 530	Advanced Pharmacology	3
NUR 602	Principles of Ethical Theory in Nursing	1
NUR 630	Advanced Holistic Assessment	3
NUR 630L	Advanced Holistic Assessment Lab	2
NUR 631	Introduction to Clinical Practicum and Seminar I	2
NUR 632	Health Promotion and Advocacy	3
NUR 634	Reproductive Health Problems in Primary Care	3
NUR 636	Common Problems in Primary Care	3
NUR 641	Adult Health Practicum and Seminar I	3
NUR 642	Complex Problems in Primary Care	3
NUR 643	Adult Health Practicum and Seminar II	3
NUR 645	Adult Health Practicum and Seminar III	3
Total Credits		45

Curriculum Note:

The semester-by-semester Learning Pathway for this program is available in the School of Nursing.

The curriculum for this program is subject to modification as deemed necessary by the nursing faculty to provide students with the most meaningful educational experience and to remain current with professional standards and guidelines.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSN program are prepared for higher level professional practice and leadership roles in a variety of healthcare settings, as well as advanced study at the doctoral level.

Specifically, graduates will be able to:

1. Incorporate knowledge from the sciences and humanities for improvement of health care across diverse settings.
2. Demonstrate leadership abilities encompassing ethical and critical decision-making that embraces a systems perspective.
3. Apply appropriate measurement and analysis methods related to organizational quality and safety.
4. Apply evidence-based findings to resolve practice problems, and serve as a catalyst for change.
5. Use informatics and healthcare technology to integrate and coordinate care.
6. Participate in policy development and advocacy strategies at the system level to influence health and healthcare.
7. Collaborate effectively on interprofessional teams to improve health outcomes.
8. Integrate principles of clinical and population health into care delivery and management.
9. Deliver direct and/or indirect nursing practice interventions at the master’s level of practice.

Admission Requirements

An applicant to the MSN program must be a registered nurse or NCLEX-eligible nurse and have a bachelor’s degree in nursing or another field. An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better is required. Applicants should submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. A completed admissions application including a resume and a personal statement addressing the following:
   1. professional goals and motivations
   2. a nursing experience that has influenced or shaped your practice
   3. a healthcare problem that interests you for potential doctoral study
2. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended.
3. Official recent results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for international applicants.
4. Two letters of recommendation from persons with authority to evaluate your professional ability.
5. Proof of current licensure or eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Connecticut.

Candidates applying for full-time admission for the fall term must submit a completed application by May 1. Candidates may be on a wait list for the fall in the event a space becomes available. However, acceptances are not deferred and wait listed candidates need to reapply for the following fall. Exceptions may be made in rare circumstances by the chair of the graduate nursing program.

All accepted students are required to complete a background check and urine drug screen following acceptance and before the start of classes. Acceptances are conditional until satisfactory completion of both.

Progression Requirements

Students are expected to take courses in the order they are presented on the curriculum pathways. Any student wishing to take a course out of sequence must seek permission from the graduate program chair. To preserve quality in our clinical placements, we are not able to accommodate a change in program specialty except on a space-available basis. If a change is desired, students should speak with the graduate program director early in the curriculum to check on any opportunities for change and be placed on a waiting list, if necessary.

According to Quinnipiac University policy, all graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Full-time graduate students are required to achieve a 3.0 GPA each semester. Part-time graduate students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 upon completion of 9 credits and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 thereafter. The grading scale of the Graduate Nursing Program is consistent with that of the university.

A student who earns less than a B minus grade in any nursing course will not progress into the next semester. The student is allowed to repeat the course once at Quinnipiac University provided that the course and the subsequent curriculum sequence are offered and must achieve a B minus or better. The student must achieve a minimum grade of a B minus in all subsequent nursing courses. Failure to meet this requirement will result in dismissal from the program. A student who earns unsatisfactory grades (grade of less than B minus) in two or more nursing courses in any semester is not eligible to repeat the courses and will be required to withdraw from the program.

In clinical practica, students must receive a grade of B minus or better on the final faculty and preceptor clinical evaluations in order to pass the course and progress into the next semester. If a student is not performing satisfactorily in clinical according to the preceptor and/or faculty site visitor, a final faculty visit and evaluation of clinical performance will be made by a full-time faculty member, and this final grade must be B minus or better to pass the course.

A student who receives a grade of Incomplete (I) in any nursing courses or practica must meet all course requirements for conversion to a grade before the start of the subsequent semester.

For post-master’s students, transfer students, or students returning from an elective leave of absence during their course of study, selected courses must have been completed within a specified period of time. For Pathophysiology, credit will be recognized if the course was taken during the previous five years. For Advanced Health Assessment, Pharmacology and any program specialty course, credit will be recognized if the course was taken during the previous three years. For any of these courses which do not meet the specified period of time, the course must be re-taken for credit. Students may be asked to audit courses if the interruption to the continuity of their curriculum plan has been significant.

At the end of each semester, the chair of the graduate nursing programs reviews the cumulative GPA and academic record of graduate nursing students. The graduate nursing program chair will notify both the associate dean and the student in writing, of the student’s failure to meet the academic requirements. Students who are performing at an unsatisfactory level will be: a) placed on probation; b) suspended; or c) dismissed. Students placed on academic probation remain in their program but must take specified corrective action to meet program performance standards. Students should meet with their advisers to identify learning strategies to help them accomplish these goals and the student should draft a list or narrative of these strategies, which will serve as a learning contract. A copy of this contract will be placed in the student’s folder and should be reviewed periodically with their adviser. Students must demonstrate a significantly increased GPA at the end of that semester to continue in the program. Students placed on suspension may also need to take specified actions as directed by the academic dean, graduate nursing program chair or academic adviser.

Appeal Process

1. A student wishing to appeal a progression decision must write a letter to the chair of the graduate nursing program within one week of receiving notice of their inability to progress.
2. Appeals will be considered by a Faculty Appeals Committee and results will be communicated in writing to the student.
3. A student wishing to appeal a course grade should follow the grade appeal process.