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Emergency Nurse Practitioner (Graduate Certificate)

Emergency Nurse Practitioner (Graduate Certificate)

Academic programs / Graduate degrees / Emergency Nurse Practitioner (Graduate Certificate)

Emergency, NP, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, nursing

Program description
Degree awarded: Certificate  Emergency Nurse Practitioner (Certificate)

The certificate program for the emergency nurse practitioner specialty is an advanced nursing practice program. It prepares graduates to provide holistic, client-centered care to patients across the life span in ambulatory, urgent and emergent settings. The program is designed for board-certified family practitioner nurses who seek additional certification as an emergency nurse practitioner and for students currently enrolled in their third year in the DNP program in the family nurse practitioner track at Arizona State University who seek to become an emergency nurse practitioner.

This is a hybrid program, a blend of in-person and online learning. Students are required to travel to campus for orientation and immersions two or three times per semester.

Core courses include pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology and advanced health assessment. Any deficiency courses determined by the student's unique gap analysis must have been completed in the past five years to be eligible for credit.

Specialty courses focus on care for patients with cardiovascular, thoracic-respiratory, dermatologic, abdominal, musculoskeletal, psychiatric, traumatic, renal, genitourinary, endocrine, nervous, head, ear, nose and throat system diseases and disorders in ambulatory, urgent and emergent settings.

Focused clinical experiences are arranged for students residing in Maricopa County, Arizona. Students should expect to travel throughout Maricopa County and, in some cases, surrounding counties to complete their assigned clinical placement.

Students who reside outside of Maricopa County are responsible for identifying the required number of clinical sites in their area of residence and for identifying preceptors and sites willing to accommodate clinical rotations. Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation must approve these sites before students start any clinical experience; the doctoral program office does not guarantee a clinical placement site for any student outside Maricopa County. If, during the program, faculty determine that the student needs additional supervision for clinical progress in the program, the student must complete clinical experiences in the Phoenix area.

The program offers practicum experiences (clinical rotations) in health profession shortage areas throughout the state, in both urban underserved and rural areas, that provide students with multicultural experiences to enhance professional development.

As a participating National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements member, ASU is authorized to offer distance education to persons located in individual state authorization reciprocity agreement member states in accordance with the council's established policies and standards. California is not a state authorization reciprocity agreement member, and the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education does not regulate out-of-state public institutions. ASU may offer educational activities in California. There are some exceptions for specific programs at Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation; these are noted on the ASU state authorization website.

ASU nursing practice programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and are validated by the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners.

At a glance
Degree requirements

15 credit hours

Required Core (15 credit hours)
DNP 610 Principles of Advanced Emergency Nursing I (3)
DNP 611 ENP Practicum I: Advanced Emergency Nursing Practice (3)
DNP 630 Principles of Advanced Emergency Nursing II (3)
DNP 631 ENP Practicum II: Advanced Emergency Nursing Practice (3)
DNP 649 Advanced Physiology (3)

Additional Curriculum Information
Every certificate student must complete 270 hours of direct patient care with a nurse practitioner or physician preceptor in the clinical setting. Documented clinical experiences are required by the certification organization (AANP) for the graduate to be eligible to take the national Emergency Nurse Practitioner certification examination.

Focused clinical experiences are arranged with appropriate preceptors and administrators. Every attempt is made to arrange this in the student's geographical area. In the event that clinical sites are unavailable in that area or if the faculty determine that the student needs additional faculty supervision of skills, the student is required to complete the clinical experience in the Phoenix area. Experiences with disadvantaged and multicultural populations are encouraged, as are experiences in rural areas, and sites are available for these experiences.

Admission requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants are required to submit:

  1. graduate admission application and application fee
  2. official transcripts
  3. three professional letters of recommendation
  4. professional resume
  5. goal statement
  6. admission essay
  7. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

International students who need an F-1 or J-1 visa need to apply to and be accepted to a graduate degree program prior to being considered for the certificate program. International students residing in the United States on other types of visas must adhere to all Graduate College policies and procedures regarding admission to be considered for admission to this certificate program.

A current unencumbered RN license in the state in which the student plans to do clinical practicums is required. All students are also required to have an unencumbered Arizona RN license or an unencumbered compact state RN license as mandated by the Arizona State Board of Nursing. The RN license must remain unencumbered throughout enrollment in any nursing program.

The goal statement should indicate the applicant's understanding of the role of the advanced practice nurse with the population of interest and any experience the applicant may have working with the patient population of interest.

The admission essay should briefly describe how meeting "The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice" (2006) will further their career goals.

Applicants must be a licensed family nurse practitioner currently or enrolled in the family nurse practitioner program at ASU.

An interview with program faculty is required.

Health and safety requirements include passing disposition on a background clearance and satisfactory completion of a substance screen.

An admission examination is not required.

Tuition information
When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.
Career opportunities

The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation prepares graduates for excellence upon entering the workplace. Graduates of the emergency nurse practitioner certificate program have the knowledge and training to provide health care for patients across the life span in a wide variety of settings, and their broad base of comprehension and clinical expertise enables them to effectively participate and lead within clinical, community and academic arenas.

Career examples include:

  • business owner
  • community advocate
  • nurse practitioner
  • professor
Professional licensure

ASU programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state. For more information, students should visit the ASU professional licensure webpage.

Contact information
What are accelerated programs?
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

3 year programs

These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

Accelerated master's

These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
What are concurrent programs?
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
What are joint programs?
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

What constitutes a new program?
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
What are online programs?
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
What is WRGP (Western Regional Graduate Program)?
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.

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