Adult/Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Post-Master's Certificate

Adult/gerontological acute care nurse practitioners work in emergency departments, tertiary care settings, intensive care units, trauma centers and specialty medicine areas treating patients with acute, critical and chronic illnesses, as well as those with disabilities or injuries. 

In Saint Louis University's Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing adult/gerontological acute care nurse practitioner post-master's certificate program, students learn to use complex monitoring and invasive therapies, high-intensity interventions and continuous vigilance within the range of high-acuity care to help meet the specialized physiological and psychological needs of adults of all ages, including the frail elderly.

At the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, we partner with our students on clinical placement. Besides being paired with faculty mentors with expertise in the students' desired fields of study, Saint Louis University helps students obtain preceptors for their clinical rotations.

SLU's School of Nursing is renowned for excellence in nursing education. U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks our M.S.N.-NP program as a top program in their Best Graduate Schools survey.

Curriculum Overview

Our post-master's nurse practitioner certificate programs are conducted almost completely online, requiring only one visit to the St. Louis campus.

A minimum of 15 credits is required for completion of a post-master's nurse practitioner certificate program. The total number of credits varies, depending on the nurse practitioner specialty certificate pursued. At the school's discretion, students may transfer three to six credits of graduate-level coursework to be applied toward their post-master's certificate program of study.

Student files are individually reviewed. Students may be able to petition for advanced standing in courses such as “Advanced Health Assessment,” “Advanced Pathophysiology” and “Advanced Pharmacology.”

Careers

Upon completing the post-master's nurse practitioner certificate program, you will qualify to take the national certification exam through your specialty certification board.

The median salary of nurse practitioners in 2023 was $129,480. The best-paid 25% of nurse practitioners made $140,610 that year; the lowest-paid 25% made $106,960. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 40% employment growth for nurse practitioners between 2023 and 2033. In that period, an estimated 319,000 jobs are projected to open in the nurse practitioner profession.

Admission Requirements

• A master's degree in a nursing specialty, preferably from a program accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency
• A college cumulative grade point of 3.0 or higher
• Completion of a graduate-level physiology or pathophysiology course and a beginning health assessment course, or the equivalent 
• Experience in an advanced practice role in nursing

The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing adheres to the principles of a holistic admission process in which selection criteria are broad-based and linked to our University’s and school’s mission and goals. While we do consider academic metrics, we also look at applicant experiences, attributes, potential for success, and how applicants may contribute to the school’s learning environment and to the nursing profession.

The curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in the State of Missouri. Note that the Missouri Board of Nursing may impose additional requirements on candidates prior to granting a license; we encourage you to investigate these requirements.

The School of Nursing has not determined whether the curriculum for this program meets the educational requirements for nursing licensure in any other states or territories. However, graduates of our APRN programs are eligible to sit for National Board Certification Exams in all states and territories. We encourage you to investigate the requirements in your state or territory prior to accepting an offer of admission.

SLU accepts applications to the post-master's certificate program from students living in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Depending on the state, clinical fees may be required.

Application Requirements

Please follow the three steps outlined below to apply:

• Step 1: Application
  Submit the application form and pay the associated fee through NursingCAS. Select Saint Louis University. 
• Step 2: Transcripts
  Please submit your official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended directly to NursingCAS. They will provide details when the application is initiated.
• Step 3: RN License
  Attach a copy of your unencumbered registered nurse license in the state in which clinical experience will be done within the NursingCAS application.

Requirements for International Students

International students on F1 or J1 student visas are not eligible for admission, as these programs are conducted entirely online. For additional information, contact the Office of International Services.

Application Deadlines

Admissions are rolling, with the following deadlines:

• Fall semester start: July 15 
• Spring semester start: Dec. 15
• Summer start: April 15
• (Late applications are considered for each admission cycle)

Tuition 

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Financing for this program may be available through grants, scholarships, loans (federal and private) and institutional financing plans. For price estimates, please review the SLU cost calculator.

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing offers scholarship and graduate research assistantship opportunities to eligible graduate students. Additionally, most nursing students will participate in a tuition assistance program provided through their employer.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

The Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing is fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) certificate program at Saint Louis University's Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 665 K Street N.W., Suite 750, Washington, D.C., 20001. The commission's phone number is 202-887-6791.

1. Knowledge for Nursing Practice: Integrates an understanding of nursing’s distinct and shared disciplinary perspectives and applies theoretical and empirical knowledge from the humanities and natural, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences to form the basis for clinical judgment and innovation in nursing practice.

2. Person-centered Care: Engages in nursing care through the relational lens, which fosters caring relationships, mutuality, active participation, and individual empowerment in the delivery and communication of compassionate person-centered nursing care through cura personalis.

3. Population Health: Collaborates with diverse stakeholders for the advancement of effective partnerships, health policy and improvement of equitable population health outcomes related to the social determinants of health.

4. Scholarship for Nursing Discipline: Applies, translates, and implements best evidence and client values into clinical decision-making.

5. Quality and Safety: Enhances quality of care while minimizing risk of harm to clients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance.

6. Interprofessional Partnerships: Collaborates across professions with care team members, clients, families, communities and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience and strengthen outcomes.

7. Systems-Based Practice: Effectively and proactively coordinates resources to provide safe, quality and equitable care to diverse populations within complex healthcare systems to address social and structural determinants of health.

8. Informatics and Healthcare Technologies: Utilizes information processes and technologies to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality and efficient healthcare services.

9. Professionalism: Cultivates a sustainable professional nursing identity, accountability, perspective, collaborative disposition and ethical principles that reflect nursing’s characteristics and values.

10. Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development: Participates in activities and self-reflection through Ignatian pedagogy that foster personal health, resilience and well-being while supporting the acquisition of nursing expertise, lifelong learning, and the leadership continuum.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

†

May be waived for Post‐Master of Science in Nursing students who are already nurse practitioners depending on the experience and time since relevant course content.  Will be required of a Post-Master of Science in Nursing Certificate Nurse Practitioner student if the student’s clinical experience is not current, or the specialty is not primary care or adult‐gerontological acute care.  

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions, please contact the School of Nursing's recruitment and enrollment staff:

Undergraduate Inquiries
314-977-8995 
slunurse@slu.edu 

Graduate Inquiries
314-977-8995
slunurse@slu.edu