Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Program Description

The Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program is designed to prepare nurses to care for patients who are acutely and critically ill across the continuum of acute care services. Students gain a strong background in advanced assessment (including children), therapeutics, and technology. Emphasis is placed on integrating didactic knowledge with patient management and advanced technical skills.

Clinical experiences are provided in leading medical centers within the Columbia University Medical Center facilities and require full time study.

Graduates are eligible to take the national professional certifying exam offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The program is certified for advanced practice/nurse practitioner status by the New York State Education Department.

The Program Director for the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty is Mary Donovan, DNP, ACNP-C.

Clinical Sites

Clinical sites are primarily in New York City with a few selected sites in Northern NJ. Clinical experiences include intensive care (cardiothoracic surgery, trauma, neurosurgery, medicine and more), specialty services such as heart failure, transplant and acute coronary service, emergency department and fast track.

Admission

Please contact the Office of Admissions for details regarding admission and financial aid packages. Faculty review applications on a rolling admission basis so that students may apply throughout the year.

Admission criteria include:

*RN's with an associate degree and a non-nursing baccalaureate degree are required to complete 5 credits in community health in addition to the course requirement listed

Curriculum

For Applicants Who Hold an Undergraduate Degree in Nursing
A sample program plan is provided below to make you aware of the academic requirements of the program. Please be advised that this program plan is a sample, and individual plans of study are reviewed and approved upon acceptance to the program. Progression in the program is contingent upon meeting academic policies. The School of Nursing reserves the right to change the course offering schedule as stated in the student bulletin.

Sample Program Plan

Course Number Course Name Credits Type
Summer I: 9 Credits
N6100 Advanced Physiology 3 Core
N8102 Advanced Pharmacology 3 Core
N8290 Incorporating Genetics into Advanced Nursing Practice 3 Core
Fall I: 15 Credits
N6121 Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan 3 Core
N6720 Introduction to Primary Care 3 Specialty
N6838 Diagnosis and Management of the Critically/Acutely Ill Adult I 3 Specialty
N8786 Advanced Clinical Assessment in Adults 3 Specialty
N8788 Advanced Clinical Assessment: Acute Care 1 Specialty
N8816 Practicum in Critical/Acute Care for the Nurse Practitioner 2 Specialty
Spring I: 10 Credits
N6835 Assessing Clinical Evidence 4 Core
N6839 Diagnosis and Management of the Critically/Acutely Ill Adult II 3 Specialty
N6930 Interpersonal Violence and Abuse: Prevention, Assessment and Intervention for Health Care Professionals 1 Core
N8820 Advanced Practicum in Critical Care for the Nurse Practitioner 2 Specialty
Summer II: 5 Credits
N8823 Advanced Practicum in Acute Care 3 Specialty
N8843 Acute Care Independent Study 2 Specialty
Total Credits 49  

School of Nursing

The School of Nursing has paved the way for professional nursing since 1892 and continues to lead the field as the foremost institution for advanced practice nursing.

The School of Nursing is a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Center for International Nursing Development in Advanced Practice. With urban clinical sites, expert faculty practitioners, cutting edge research, and the strength of the Columbia name and reputation, the School of Nursing produces graduates who possess the skills necessary to bring advanced practice nursing into the new millennium. As medical advances offer a cascade of new and useful therapies, the need for more health care providers will increase exponentially. Our country will face many health care challenges in the next 20 years, and nurse practitioners are essential to providing access to quality primary care.

Founded in 1892 as Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, the School became part of Columbia University in 1937 and began offering the baccalaureate degree. It is one of the oldest schools of nursing in the US. In 1956, it became the first nursing program in the country to award a master’s degree in a clinical nursing specialty. In 1999, the School granted its first doctoral degree. More than 10,000 nurses have graduated since the School opened.

The School shares the Columbia University Health Sciences Campus with the Mailman School of Public Health, the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Each of these schools adds to the richness and diversity of the educational experience of students and faculty.

School of Nursing faculty have substantial experience in curriculum, instructional design, and research. They maintain expertise in their areas of teaching responsibility through participation at local, regional, and national conferences, involvement in scholarly presentations and publications, and faculty practice.

Columbia University School of Nursing is distinguished by the clinical excellence of its programs and graduates. Columbia nurses are making crucial contributions and improving the health of individuals wherever they practice.

This page was last updated on 10/30/2009 and is subject to change at any time.