The Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate is not offered for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate (16-21 credit hours) prepares registered nurses who have previously earned a graduate nursing degree to provide direct acute care to adolescents through aging adults. Upon completion, graduates are eligible to sit for national certification examination. 

Required didactic courses are offered online. Practicum courses NURS 975 , NURS 976 , and NURS 977 use on-campus, face-to-face clinical learning experiences, and simulation at the KU Medical Center campus are used for skills training.

The Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate is not offered for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Application for the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate is an online process. This program is one of several certificate programs offered in the Advanced Practice (AP) area by the School of Nursing. Detailed instructions on how to apply are posted on the School of Nursing website. The courses are offered in sequence beginning with the Summer semester. Application deadline: April 1 for Summer semester.

Admission requirements:

• Completion of an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) graduate educational program from a nationally accredited (NLNAC or CCNE) school of nursing
• Official transcripts from all course work taken at any institution are required
• Current registered nurse licensure in at least one state in the United States
• Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Potential to provide expert service and leadership in functional area
• Satisfactory criminal background check (completed once an offer of admission has been extended to applicant)
• A drug test, at the student's expense, will be required prior to the first clinical course and may affect the student's eligibility to progress through the program

English Language Requirements:  All applicants for study at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) whose native language is not English must demonstrate an established level of English language proficiency through either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the academic format of the EILTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the first semester of enrollment.

Applicants will be assessed based on these requirements. After an applicant has been admitted, a program may defer an applicant's admission for one year after which time the applicant must submit a new application.

See also Admissions in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

The Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate is not offered for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Certificate Requirements

• Certificate requirements are normally completed within two years of admission to the program although a maximum of four years is allowed
• Cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least a 3.0 for all graduate certificate coursework
• Enrollment in a minimum of one credit hour the semester program is completed
• Graduate certificates may not be granted retroactively
• Successful completion of the following courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
NURS 871	Acute Care I	3
NURS 872	Acute Care II	3
NURS 970	Acute Care III	3
NURS 972	Invasive Procedures - Acute Care	1
NURS 975	Acute Care Practicum I	2-3
NURS 976	Acute Care Practicum II	2-4
NURS 977	Acute Care Practicum III	2-4
Total Hours		16-21

The Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate is not offered for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Sample Degree Plan

Year 1
Summer	Hours	Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
NURS 871	3	NURS 872	3	NURS 970	3
NURS 972	1	NURS 976	2-4	NURS 977	2-4
NURS 975	2-3
	6-7		5-7		5-7
Total Hours 16-21

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

1. Integrate science-based theories with clinical expertise and organizational management to provide leadership in health care systems and in development of health care policy.
2. Synthesize, interpret, and apply knowledge from nursing practice, research, and theory to promote and sustain evidence-based nurse practitioner practice.
3. Demonstrate professional values in nurse practitioner roles.
4. Communicate and collaborate with colleagues in nursing and other disciplines to meet the health needs of client systems in varied health care delivery systems.
5. Use information and technology to contribute to evaluation of outcomes of care, care systems, and quality improvement.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION
University of Kansas School of Nursing

I.  Introduction

All individuals admitted to the University of Kansas School of Nursing will be asked to verify that they can meet the following Technical Standards, with or without accommodation(s). In courses or programs without clinical components, or involving no direct client care, the Technical Standards may be modified. After acceptance, but before admission to the School of Nursing, students in all programs must be able to document current certification/evidence of completion of a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for healthcare providers. This requires being able to successfully complete both the written and practical test for certification. In addition, with or without accommodation, the following abilities and expectations must be met by all students, undergraduate and graduate, admitted to the School of Nursing.

II.  Standards

A.  Observation/Sensory-motor: Applicants must be able to observe demonstrations and learn from experiences in the basic sciences, including but not limited to, physiology and pharmacology, microbiology and pathophysiology laboratory situations. Applicants must be able to observe and learn from experiences in the clinical nursing laboratory such as the following examples: accurately read gradients/calibrations on a syringe; measure medications accurately; accurately recognize color changes on chemical reaction strips; assess heart, breath, abdominal sounds; assess normal and abnormal color changes in the skin; observe pupil changes; and observe digital or waveform readings.

B.  Communication: Communications include not only speech but also reading, writing, and computer usage, including handheld digital access. Applicants must be able to communicate accurately and effectively with patients, caregivers, physicians, other health professionals, clinical facility staff, faculty and staff, peers, and the community in general in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications.

C.  Psychomotor: Applicants should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. Applicants should be physically able to collect specimens and perform basic tests (such as glucose finger stick, urine dipstick). Applicants should be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients. Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of nurses are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administration of intravenous medication, application of pressure to stop bleeding, and assist in moving and lifting patients using proper body mechanics. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium and using tactile and visual senses.

D.  Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative: Applicants must be able to comprehend and interpret documents written in English. Applicants should have cognitive abilities including measurements, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis.  Critical thinking is the ability to synthesize knowledge and integrate the relevant aspects of a client’s history, physical exam findings and diagnostic studies. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of nurses, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the applicant should be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures in order to understand normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology.

E.  Behavioral and Social Attributes: Applicants must possess the emotional health required to utilize their intellectual abilities fully, exercise good judgment, complete all responsibilities attendant to the nursing diagnosis and care of patients promptly, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and their families. Applicants must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal communication skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that should be assessed during the admissions and education process. As a component of nursing education, a student must demonstrate ethical behavior including adherence to the professional nursing and student honor codes. The honor code at the KU School of Nursing is the Professional Integrity System (PROFITS). KU PROFITS is a peer-oriented integrity system to promote an environment where academic honesty is valued and expected.

III.  Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who disclose a disability are considered for admission if they are otherwise qualified so long as such accommodation does not significantly alter the essential requirements of the curriculum and the educational program, or significantly affect the safety of patient care or others. When applicants or students disclose a disability, the provision of reasonable accommodations will be considered in an attempt to assist these individuals in meeting these required technical standards. Applicants whose response indicates that they cannot meet one or more of the expectations will be reviewed further by the University’s Office for Academic Accommodations, with applicant and faculty input, to determine if any reasonable accommodations are possible to facilitate successful completion of the nursing curriculum and preparation for the national registry examination.

It is important to give persons interested in enrolling in nursing a realistic view of the vigorous demands of the School of Nursing’s theoretical and practicum curriculum while at the same time investigating reasonable accommodations. Whether or not a requested accommodation is reasonable will be determined on a case by case basis. Interested individuals may schedule an orientation visit to the nursing skills laboratory and actual sites of the University of Kansas Hospital and/or University of Kansas Medical Center. These orientation visits enable persons to assess their interest and ability to function in the actual clinical areas and in learning and demonstrating manual skills.