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Dual Concentration: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care/Family Nurse Practitioner

The dual concentration in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner prepares graduates to write both national certification examinations. Students should thoughtfully consider their time commitments and career goals before applying to the dual concentration. Please refer to the descriptions of the individual concentrations.

Accreditation: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, by calling 404.679.4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education,  655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202.887.6791, http://www.ccneaccreditation.org, through December 31, 2024, and approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Dual Concentration: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care/Family Nurse Practitioner Course Requirements

Post-BSN DNP Courses

Core Courses

Course ID Title Credits
NSG 876 Leadership and Health Policy  3
NSG 877 Healthcare Economics  3
NSG 824 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis 3
NSG 827 Epidemiology for Clinical Practice 3
NSG 855 DNP Advanced Practice Role Development 2
NSG 910 Philosophy of Science & Theory in Nursing 4
NSG 831 Advanced Clinical Pathophysiology 3
NSG 830 Advanced Pharmacology 3
NSG 947 DNP Project Seminar I 1
NSG 948 DNP Project Design and Methods 2
NSG 949 DNP Project Implementation and Evaluation 2
NSG 950 DNP Project Seminar II 1
  Total 30


Concentration-Specific Courses

Course ID Title Credits
ACNP 804 Adult Gerontology Acute Care Advanced Acute Care 4
ACNP 805 Diagnostic Reasoning for the AGACNP 3
ACNP 807 AGAC Advanced Critical Care 3
ACNP 811 AGACNP Advanced Clinical Assessment 4
ACNP 812 AGAC Advanced Clinical Management 2
NSG 926 DNP Synthesis Practicum 6
FNP 800 Advanced Family Nursing I 3
FNP 801 Advanced Family Clinical Practice I 3
FNP 802 Advanced Family Nursing II 3
FNP 803 Advanced Family Clinical Practice II 3
FNP 804 Advanced Practice Practicum 4
FNP 806 Integrated Behavioral Health Care 3
FNP 808 Health Promotion for Family Nurse Practitioners 2
  Total 43
  Dual DNP Total Credits: 73

Technical and Performance Standards

All students in the DNP Dual Concentration: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care/Family Nurse Practitioner Program must meet the Technical and Performance Standards for admission and progression.

View standards.

Technical and Performance Standards: All DNP Concentrations

In addition the technical and performance standards expected of all students in educational programs in the College of Nursing, students in the DNP program are also expected to possess the mental, auditory, visual, sensory, strength, manual dexterity, and communication skills to:

  1. Perform a systematic and complete history and physical examination on a client.
  2. Communicate significant examination findings to other professionals and client/family.
  3. Appropriately assess and record subjective and objective findings.
  4. Maintain effective relationships and interact appropriately with other professionals and clients/families, demonstrating skills of leadership collaborations and decisiveness.
  5. Accurately analyze alterations in functional patterns.
  6. Demonstrate advanced use of the nursing process: assess, develop, implement, educate and counsel clients, prescribe appropriate therapy, demonstrate self-care skills and evaluate appropriate plans of action for diagnosed problems.
  7. Maintain flexibility and emotional stability in response to novel, unique situations and stress.

Additional Technical and Performance Standards Specific to Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Concentration

  1. Anticipate common, acute, and life-threatening problems encountered in critically ill patients.
  2. Identify ethical issues in critical care practice and participate in ethical decision making using a systematic approach.
  3. Develop/participate in the development of theory based educational programs for critically ill patients/families and nursing personnel.
  4. Analyze/critique critical care research and demonstrate/role model the appropriate integration of research into practice.

Technical and Performance Standards Specific to Family Nurse Practitioner

  1. Anticipate potential common, acute self-limiting, and selected chronic problems.
  2. Develop insight into own emotional functioning to evaluate the ability to provide therapeutic intervention for a client.

If a student cannot fulfill these Technical and Performance Standards, with or without accommodations, at any time in the program, the student will be ineligible for admission or continued progression in the DNP Program. In addition to assuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotional, and physical criteria for the DNP Program, it is of utmost importance that students have the ability to provide for the safety and welfare of their patients and others. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, when appropriate, to help student meet these Technical and Professional Standards. Determination of eligibility and recommendations of accommodations must be made by Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion https://www.uthsc.edu/sassi/. Any student wishing accommodations must contact the university’s Office of Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion at 901-448-5056 (email: SASSI@uthsc.edu).

Feb 5, 2024