Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - MSN and DNP
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - MSN and DNP
Preparing registered nurses as advanced practice leaders and interprofessional team members
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The MSN: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program prepares registered nurses to serve as advanced practice leaders and interprofessional team members, providing care for critically ill patients and their families.
Acute Care NPs attend to adolescents and adults in a variety of clinical settings, including urgent care centers, critical care units, and inpatient medical-surgical or specialty units. Acute care is a high-intensity environment that requires fast-paced critical thinking skills, which you will develop throughout this program.
Overview:
4 Semesters
Online
Full-Time
Master of Science in Nursing
Next Start: Fall
48 credits and 600 clinical hours
Tuition & Aid
Estimated Cost: $1500 / credit hour
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Application
FALL 2026
Application Open: 09/01/25
Priority: 12/01/25
Final: 06/15/26
Register for an info session
Awards and Rankings
96.05%
NCLEX First-Time Pass Rate
#22
Best BSN Program in the Nation
4%
of all 681 Ranked BSN Programs
15
Months to Your BSN
Explore the Program | Attend an Info Session | Apply to GW Nursing |
The academic opportunities at the GW Nursing reflect the changing nature of the field of nursing. | We offer virtual and in-person information sessions, tours of our campus and phone appointments so you can select the experience that best fits you. | Applying to GW Nursing is easy—simply create an account through our portal and start your online application. |
Fireside Chat with the Program Director
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Linda Briggs
Program Director
This Is Where Policy, Practice, and Compassion Meet.
Why choose GW? Because we educate nurses to be more than clinicians—we prepare them to be advocates and leaders. Located in the heart of the nation's health policy conversation, our program gives you an unmatched perspective on the future of healthcare.
Personalized Approach
We secure your clinical placements for you. You’ll gain invaluable hands-on experience at top-tier healthcare facilities across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, including our partners at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and The George Washington University Hospital.
The SAIL Center
Master your skills in our 20,000 sq. ft. Simulation and Innovation Learning (SAIL) Center. This state-of-the-art facility features high-fidelity patient simulators, a virtual reality (VR) room, a fully-equipped operating room (OR), and multi-bed "wards" for practicing everything from birthing to trauma scenarios.
Nationally-known faculty
All faculty are Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
From Student to Nurse in Four Semesters
Our curriculum is a purposeful sprint, designed to build your expertise from the ground up. You'll move from fundamentals to complex care, supported by expert faculty every step of the way.
- Overview
The MSN: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program consists of 48 credit hours and 600 clinical hours.
The DNP: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner option consists of 72 credit hours and a minimum of 1100 direct and indirect practice hours.
The AGACNP program is a part-time only online program that requires students to live in DC, Maryland or Virginia during their clinical rotation semesters (final year).
The AGACNP program meets synchronously once a week during the final year to discuss the management of cases taken directly from student and faculty experiences. Simulation experiences are scheduled at least once each semester. Course exams are constructed similarly to the national certification exams to foster students' comfort and familiarity with their format. We also use a variety of tools to assess students' readiness for the certification exams.
Questions about program requirements should be directed to the program director, Linda Briggs.
- Who is the ideal student for the AGACNP?
If you’re already working as a nurse and are interested in advancing your education to provide care in high-intensity emergency environments such as urgent care centers, critical care and inpatient medical-surgical or specialty units, you should consider our MSN: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP program.
Registered nurses with the equivalent of at least 1 year of full-time critical care experience who wish to expand and deepen their knowledge of this specialty and become certified as Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners.
- Standout Courses and Assignments
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Standout Courses & Experiences
Students will have one-to-one workshop instruction and practice with skills, such as central line and chest tube insertions, as well as lumbar puncture, thoracentesis and bedside ultrasound. There are also several simulation sessions during which students will practice their assessment, management and team leading skills.
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Sample Course Assignment/ Hands-on Learning:
The program requires the completion of 600 direct clinical hours in hospitals in DC, Maryland or Virginia. Clinical placements are arranged jointly by the faculty and students. The following are the hours required for each clinical course:
- NURS 6235: AGACNP I – 120 clinical hours
- NURS 6236: AGACNP II – 240 clinical hours
- NURS 6237: AGACNP III – 240 clinical hours
- The On- and Off- Site Experience
The AGACNP program is a part-time only online program that requires students to live in DC, Maryland or Virginia during their clinical rotation semesters (final year). The AGACNP program requires that applicants have at least one year (2080 hours) of critical care experience. They must also live in DC, Maryland or Virginia during their clinical rotation courses.
- The Learning Experience
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Faculty Highlights
Program Director, Dr. Linda Briggs, has published on NP workforce issues. Her research also encompasses cardiovascular disease in women. All of the AGACNP faculty are frequent presenters at national conferences.
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What Students Love
Students love the faculty support they receive. The synchronous sessions discussing the management of actual challenging patients selected to match the weekly lecture topics are a favorite as well.
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Learning Environment
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Program Differentiator
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- Clinical Placement & Outcomes
Clinical Placement
You must record a minimum of 600 hours of clinical experience with an approved preceptor. You are encouraged to find your own preceptor, but we can provide information on local clinical sites if needed.
The following clinical courses are required:
- NURS 6235: AGACNP I – 120 clinical hours
- NURS 6236: AGACNP II – 240 clinical hours
- NURS 6237: AGACNP III – 240 clinical hours
Questions about clinical placement requirements should be directed to sonclinical
gwu [dot] edu (sonclinical[at]gwu[dot]edu).Outcomes
At the conclusion of this MSN program, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate leadership based upon advanced knowledge.
- Promote and improve quality in the workplace through quality improvement practices.
- Synthesize knowledge of nursing practice, theory, and research as a foundation for advanced nursing practice.
- Demonstrate continued professional development through ongoing education.
- Build an interdisciplinary professional network that includes collaboration and teamwork.
- Promote positive changes in health care delivery and nursing practice.
- Engage in caring and collaborative relationships with patients/clients for shared decision-making.
MSN program of study (Fall entry, part-time) DNP: AGACNP Program of Study (part-time,)
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Your Accelerated Path to a Career That Matters
You have the drive. You have the degree. We have the path. The GW Nursing ABSN program is a full-time, on-campus program at our Virginia Science & Technology Campus (VSTC) in Ashburn, VA.
This isn't just a degree; it's a calling. Our [Program Name] program is designed to transform passionate students into confident, skilled clinicians who lead with empathy and evidence
Headline (optional)
- Assess complex acute, critical, and chronically ill patients using physical examination findings, interviewing techniques, diagnostic tests, and technology to determine their current status of physiologic stability and risk for life-threatening conditions.
- Utilize critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning to identify and prioritize patient problems and diagnoses.
Headline (optional)
- Formulate and implement an individualized plan of care for each patient, taking into consideration best practices, guidelines, research findings, patient and family preferences, and cultural considerations.
- Function as an integral member of inter-professional health care teams.
Headline (optional)
- Evaluate the quality of care provided to individual patients and larger groups within varying health care settings (individual practices, urgent care centers, hospitals, health care systems).
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