Advanced study in nursing is available through a dual degree and certificate program sponsored by the School of Nursing.

The program allows students to earn a post-professional Certificate in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a minimum of 51 credits rather than the 60 credits necessary if the two plans of study were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while also reducing time to earning both degrees.

Program goals

Graduates will achieve advanced nursing practice competencies by demonstrating:

  • Systems and organizational leadership
  • Implementation of advanced nursing practice interventions
  • Effective use of research and technology
  • Systematic evaluation of interventions and outcomes
  •  Use of quality and safety outcomes to evaluate practice improvement initiatives
  • Skills in using evidence-based practice to achieve sustainable practice change
  • Advanced decision-making skills founded in ethics and the highest level of nursing practice
  • Leadership strategies to influence health policies
  • Interprofessional collaboration in health care systems

Among the many benefits offered by participation in the dual program are the following:

  • Graduates are eligible to be dually certified in two population foci increasing their breadth of practice and employment opportunities.

Students are eligible to take the nurse practitioner certification exam at the conclusion of their clinical rotations, two semesters prior to graduation and be awarded the post-professional certificate. At the completion of the program, graduates will be awarded a doctoral degree.

Student learning outcomes

See each program page for student learning outcomes. 

Other information

Advising

The plan of study is developed by the program director, who oversees both the certificate and doctoral programs. Advising is a joint effort between the graduate student coordinator and program director until the students start taking their adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner population-specific courses. Once the students enter population-specific courses, the concentration lead will take a more direct role in student advising.

Admission requirements

By submitting their application, students are applying to both programs simultaneously.

To be considered for admission to the School of Nursing, applicants must:

  1. Be eligible for readmission or be in good standing at the last college or university attended
  2. Meet the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School
  3. Submit a complete application with all required materials to the School of Nursing
  4. Submit a personal statement
  5. Have an earned master’s or doctoral degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0
  6. Have completed four separate comprehensive nursing graduate-level lifespan courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacology and advanced practice nursing roles (equivalent to NURS 520)
  7. Have an earned nursing degree at the baccalaureate level or above from an accredited nursing school (e.g. ACEN, CCNE, CNEA)
  8. Have a current, unrestricted R.N. license from a U.S. state or territory at the time admissions application is submitted (Applicants without a current R.N. license in the U.S. should consult with the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and the Virginia Board of Nursing for the steps needed to obtain a Virginia R.N. license.)
  9. Provide additional information with the application according to the English language proficiency guidelines for applicants who are international or non-native English speakers without a degree from a U.S. high school, college or university (Additional information can be found on the ‘Required materials’ tab of the VCU International Admissions website.) 

Note: Requests for exceptions to the above criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Degree requirements

As standalone programs, the D.N.P. comprises 39 credits while the certificate requires 21 credits. The dual degree and certificate program allows students to share nine credits, therefore decreasing total credits to completion from 60 to 51.

The following courses from the certificate curriculum are shared and satisfy requirements in both programs.

Course Title Hours
NURS 581
NURS 669
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum I
and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum II (taken together satisfy six credits toward NURS 664 in D.N.P.)
6
NURS 619Acute and Complex Health Conditions of the Adult-Gerontology Population (satisfies elective in D.N.P.)3

Students will be simultaneously enrolled in the D.N.P. and certificate. They will complete the certificate requirements and be eligible for their population certification exam prior to being awarded the doctoral degree.

Course Title Hours
D.N.P. requirements
NURS 605Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement3
NURS 606Evaluating Evidence to Improve Health Outcomes3
NURS 607Epidemiology and Population Health3
NURS 608Quality Improvement in Practice3
NURS 610Health Information and Emerging Health Care Technologies3
NURS 621Leadership and Organizational Systems3
NURS 638Health Policy Leadership and Advocacy3
NURS 664DNP Residency: Mentored Practicum (six credits satisfied by NURS 581 and NURS 669)12
NURS 665DNP Project I: Proposal Development3
Elective (satisfied by NURS 619)3
Certificate requirements
NURS 580Primary Care of the Adult-Gerontology Population4
NURS 581Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum I2
NURS 619Acute and Complex Health Conditions of the Adult-Gerontology Population3
NURS 662Care of the Adult-Gerontology Population in the Critical Care Setting4
NURS 669Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum II4
NURS 689Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum III4
Total Hours51

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual degree and certificate program is 51.

Sample plan of study

Year one
Fall semesterHours
NURS 608 Quality Improvement in Practice 3
NURS 610 Health Information and Emerging Health Care Technologies 3
NURS 638 Health Policy Leadership and Advocacy 3
 Term Hours: 9
Spring semester
NURS 580 Primary Care of the Adult-Gerontology Population 4
NURS 606 Evaluating Evidence to Improve Health Outcomes 3
NURS 607 Epidemiology and Population Health 3
 Term Hours: 10
Summer semester
NURS 581 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum I 2
NURS 619 Acute and Complex Health Conditions of the Adult-Gerontology Population 3
 Term Hours: 5
Year two
Fall semester
NURS 662 Care of the Adult-Gerontology Population in the Critical Care Setting 4
NURS 669 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum II 4
 Term Hours: 8
Spring semester
NURS 621 Leadership and Organizational Systems 3
NURS 689 Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practicum III 4
 Term Hours: 7
Summer semester
NURS 605 Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement 3
NURS 665 DNP Project I: Proposal Development 3
 Term Hours: 6
Year three
Fall semester
NURS 664 DNP Residency: Mentored Practicum 6
 Term Hours: 6
 Total Hours: 51

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual degree and certificate program is 51.

Contact
Debra Shockey, D.N.P., RN, CPNP-PC
Clinical associate professor and graduate program director
dpshockey@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1930

Additional contact
Terry Jones, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Associate dean, graduate programs and department chair, Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems
tjones69@vcu.edu
(214) 797-3514