Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)

The role of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) is to provide advanced nursing care across the continuum of health care services to meet the specialized physiologic and psychological needs of patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic health conditions.  This care is continuous and comprehensive.  The population in acute care practice includes acutely and critically ill patients experiencing episodic illness, exacerbation of chronic illness, or terminal illness.  The ACNP practices in any setting in which patient care requirements include complex monitoring and therapies, high-intensity nursing intervention, or continuous nursing vigilance with the range of high-acuity care.  While most ACNP's practice in acute care and hospital based settings including sub-acute care, emergency care, and intensive care settings, the continuum of acute care services spans the geographic settings of home, ambulatory care, urgent care, and rehabilitative care.

In addition to managing patient care, the ACNP utilizes invasive interventions and procedures to promote physiologic stability.  ACNPs perform a wide variety of skills and procedures, and the skill set of an ACNP is often dependent on the specific patient population and specialty-based area of practice.

Restoratvie care is the focus of the ACNP, and short-term goals include patient stabilization, minimization of complications, and promotion of physical and psychological well-being.  The long-term goal is to restore maximal health potential while evaluating risk factors in achieving this outcome. 

Two years acute care / critical care nursing experience (intensive / intermediate care units; trauma / emergency room) is required.

For further information, contact: Beverly H. Robinson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor & Associate Dean for Graduate Nursing Program
UTHSCSA School of Nursing 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC # 7943, San Antonio, T X 78229-3900
(210) 567-5815
Website: www.nursing.uthscsa.edu

On-line application : http://studentservices.uthscsa.edu/publications/nursing.html

Graduates are eligible for national certification and recognition by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas as an Advanced Practice Nurse.

“Not an Official Publication of UTHSCSA”

Major Course Descriptions:

• NURS 6307 Health Assessment Across the Lifespan for Advanced Practice Nurses
  Credit Hour Allocation:
  2 semester hours class - 2 clock hours class
  1 semester hour practicum – 3 clock hours practicum (45 clock hours practicum)
  
  Prerequisites: Undergraduate health assessment course/comparable experience

The theoretical and clinical basis for assessment in advanced nursing practice will be developed. The process whereby the advanced practitioner utilizes comprehensive physical, psychosocial, and cultural assessment across the lifespan, to gather specific data relevant to common health problems, is demonstrated. Faculty and preceptors facilitate laboratory and clinical experiences which focus on assessment of clients and presentation of findings in a variety of settings. Major Courses

Prerequisites: Graduate Standing

Prerequisites: NURS 5338 or concurrent

This course provides the advanced practice nurse the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in the therapeutic use of pharmacologic agents in the to protect promote and restore optimal health. Principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be examined. The history of disease, pathophysiology, symptomatology and pharmacologic treatment of major health problems will be explored. Potential adverse reactions of various cultural groups to prescribed agents will be emphasized, including adherence, cost of drug, cultural values and beliefs, and individual responses to therapy. Partnerships with patients in comprehensive education, monitoring and adherence is stressed. The state and federal legal regulations for advanced practice nursing prescriptive authority will be addressed. Major Courses

• NURS 6308 Mental Health Concepts for Advanced Practice Nurses

Credit Hour Allocation:

2 semester hour seminar 1semester hour practicum
Clock Hour Allocation:

2 Clock hours seminar 3 clock hours practicum (45 clock hour practicum)

Prerequisites: Graduate standing

This course emphasizes the development of advanced practice nursing skills in mental health. Individually supervised practice, analysis and evaluation of the interpersonal process with culturally diverse clients experiencing life transition that result in psychological stress and dysfunction across the lifespan is employed.  Students use a holistic perspective to examine the etiology, meaning and consequences of human behavior.  Biological, cultural, psychological and social aspects of mental health and mental health care are considered. A special emphasis is placed on working in partnerships with patients to assess and detect actual and potential mental health problems.  The advanced practice nurse will provide customized care through developmental assessment, crisis intervention, pharmacological management, other biological therapies and/or consultation/referral to other mental health professionals. (45 hour clinical practicum) Major Courses

Credit Hour Allocation
4 semester hours class 2 semester hours clinical

Clock Hour Allocation

4 clock hours class 6 clock hours clinical (90 hours clinical practicum)

Prerequisites:
(1) NURS 6307 Advanced Health Assessment for Advance Practice Nurses, (2) NURS 6302 Pharmacotherapeutics for the Advanced Practice Nurses, (3) NURS 6308 Mental Health Concepts for Advance Practice Nurses, (4) NURS 5338 Pathophysiology for Advance Practice Nurses, (5) NURS 5311 Nursing Assessment of Populations (may be taken concurrently)

Credit Hour Allocation
3 semester hours class 3 semester hours clinical
Clock Hour Allocation

3 clock hours class 9 clock hours clinical (135 hours clinical practicum)

The focus of this course is the progression of development of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in health promotion, diagnosis and management of common illnesses in adult patients with complex acute, critical and chronic health conditions, including the delivery of acute care services. Research and theory are used to identify strategies integral to advanced nursing practice for the promotion of health and prevention of illness. Using problem-based and integrated learning strategies, disorders of approximately one half of the physiologic systems are examined, critical thinking processes required for development of differential diagnoses are utilized, and invasive interventions and procedures and therapeutic regimens for common diseases/disorders in patients with acute and critical health problems are identified. This course emphasizes collaborative partnerships among patient, family, and other health care disciplines.Major Courses

Semester Credit
9 semester seminar

Credit Hour Allocation
1 semester hour class 8 semester hours clinical
Clock Hour Allocation

1 clock hour class (15 hours seminar) 24 clock hours (360 hours of clinical practicum)

Prerequisites
All courses for the major