The Idaho State Board of Nursing has approved the start of a new online master of nursing, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP) program at Boise State University. The program will provide nurses access to education as an advanced practice nurse, helping to meet the ever-increasing need for primary and acute care practitioners in the state.
The program received approval from Boise State’s Board of Trustees, the Idaho State Board of Education, in February and will begin in January 2014.
The AGNP program will include a master’s degree in adult-gerontology nursing and two new graduate certificates: adult-gerontology nurse practitioner in acute care and adult-gerontology nurse practitioner in primary care. The AGNP program is part of a broader set of existing and newly approved graduate programs in Boise State’s School of Nursing. They include an existing master of science in nursing and master of nursing and a new doctor of nursing practice.
Boise State will continue to work closely with local hospitals and other health care providers who partner with the university to offer clinical placements for students and faculty assistance. Graduates from this program will be well prepared for practice roles in both primary care and in acute care settings.
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who treat illness and disease with a prevention focus. They are registered nurses who have acquired the formal education, extended knowledge base and clinical skills beyond the registered nurse level to practice in the advanced role of a direct health care provider. Nurse practitioners utilize critical judgment in the performance of comprehensive health assessments, diagnose health problems/illnesses and order blood tests, X-rays and other tests to evaluate a patient’s health status. Nurse practitioners also prescribe medications and other treatments in the management of acute and chronic illnesses.
For more information about the program, please contact Dawn Weiler, PHD, APRN-ANP, BC, at dweiler@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-1239, or Marian Graham, at mgraham@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-3789.