The adult gerontological health nursing specialty prepares clinicians for advanced practice primary care roles caring for adolescents, adults and elders. Opportunities for clinical specialization in selected areas such as primary care of the oncology, cardiac, or frail older patient can be tailored to fit students' needs and interests.

Graduates will be able to:

• Manage the health care of adolescents, adults and elders as well as special populations, providing health promotion and care based on current nursing science and science from other disciplines;
• Evaluate and ensure the continuous quality of health care delivery by considering ethics, research, health policy, access, and cost;
• Participate in interdisciplinary, culturally-sensitive teaching, counseling and healing with patients, families and communities, locally and globally;
• Clearly define the contributions of the advanced practice nurse to quality care outcomes;
• Have the educational preparation required for national certification;
• Apply for certification as a nurse practitioner (in states requiring certification) and clinical specialist;
• Apply for prescription writing privileges and be eligible for third party reimbursement (in states in which NPs and CNS's have these privileges);
• Apply to doctoral programs in nursing;
• Assume an advanced practice nursing role as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist in a variety of health care settings including clinics, health maintenance organizations, occupational health, home care, school and private practice settings.

The adult gerontological health specialty is offered to students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds through a number of routes to entry and program options. Find your pathway to entry.

MS Plan of Study

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