Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the role of an acute care nurse practitioner?
An acute care nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse with a specialty certification in acute care. The ACNP has the expertise to care for the acutely ill adult patient—in emergency rooms, intensive care units, trauma centers or advanced diagnostic areas such as cardiac catheterization.
What is required for national certification?
RN’s with critical care or emergency room experience must complete a MSN program which includes greater than 500 hours of direct care of the acutely ill patient, acute care pharmacology and acute care diagnostics.
What are the career opportunities for acute care nurse practitioners?
Acute care practitioners may be employed in specialty units such as coronary care, surgical ICU, medical ICU, transplant, trauma, and emergency room. They also may practice in specialty areas such as cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, general surgery, etc. Recently acute care NP’s have been placed as leaders in rapid response teams in many hospital settings.
What type of nurse becomes an ACNP?
The NP who enjoys variety in their work, autonomy in practice, who works well in a challenging environment, who can think on the run, is a team-player and adapt to a variety of situations on a daily basis.
What type of student performs well in this program?
A student with a strong background in pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical decision-making, critical thinkers, individuals who seek learning and personal growth opportunities, flexible, and work well with others.
Where do I get my clinical experience in the program?
The program identifies community preceptors with a high level of expertise in managing the acute care patient and will coordinate your clinical experiences in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Where have your graduates found employment upon graduation?
This is a new program and we are proud that our graduates have found employment in advanced practice roles at South Miami Hospital, Palmetto Hospital, Duke Hospital, Jackson Memorial Hospital, and Baptist Hospital.
What are typical salaries for ACNPs?
According to the January 2008 issue of Advance for Nurse Practitioners, the average NP makes $81,397. Salaries by practice setting in the same issue state that NP’s in emergency rooms average $95,157 annually.
Who is admitted to your program?
We are very interested in creating a diverse cohort of students. We encourage minority and international registered nurses with bachelor's degrees to apply to the program. Students with Graduate Record Exam scores of 1000 or better, and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better, have the best chance of admission. Our academics are rigorous and any student who receives a "B-" in a nursing course is dismissed from the program. All students must be registered nurses in the State of Florida to begin clinical courses. If admitted, students must also pass a drug screening, a background check, have a current CPR certificate, and required immunizations.
Are all applicants invited for a personal interview?
No. Our admissions committee reviews every applicant's file. They review GPA, GREs, letters of recommendation etc. and then decide which candidates to invite for personal interviews or for phone interviews.
Are there any courses that I can take to help me prepare for the program?
We suggest that students trying to prepare for the program or trying to improve their admission packet take a graduate level science course like Biochemistry or take a graduate level statistics course.
I have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing area. Am I eligible to apply to your program?
Registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees in another discipline may apply to the program. However, they must have had at least a basic statistics course and sufficient formal education in science in order to be prepared for master’s level coursework.
