An online post-master’s certificate nurse practitioner program curriculum is structured to provide nursing professionals with in-depth knowledge of their preferred nursing disciplines. Whether students hope to advance their careers as nurse practitioners for pediatric, mental health, or other patient populations, nurse practitioner certificate courses can help them gain the skills and competencies they will need to thrive professionally.
Maryville University Online Post-Master’s Certificate Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum
Maryville’s post-master’s NP certification online is designed to prepare experienced nurses for a more fulfilling career as a certified nurse practitioner.
Learn more about the program curriculum here*:
Graduate Nursing & Nurse Practitioner Core Courses
Post-NP Certificate | Credits by Concentration
AGPCNP 29 Credit Hours, AGACNP 35 Credit Hours, FNP 35 Credit Hours, PNP 32 Credit Hours, PMHNP 38 Credit Hours
Graduate Nursing Core Courses
| NURS 603 | Professional Role Development: Advanced Practice Nurse | 3 Credits |
This course provides a theoretical foundation for exploring, analyzing and evaluating advanced nursing practice roles within the health care system. Legal and ethical contexts are included. | ||
| NURS 610 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on health screening, health promotion and disease prevention at the individual, regional and national level. This includes the exploration at the advanced nursing practice role to direct program planning, development, implementation and evaluation to improve healthcare outcomes. | ||
Nurse Practitioner Core Courses
| NURS 611 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 Credits |
Provides the basis for understanding the pathophysiology of diseases and the changes in normal function that result in manifestations indicative of illness across the lifespan. | ||
| NURS 612 | Advanced Health Assessment | 5 Credits |
This course explores focused and comprehensive health assessments in a variety of settings and patients across the lifespan. This includes development of health promotion strategies and prioritization of care. Prerequisite: Online - NURS 611, NURS 615 Corequisite: On Ground - NURS 615 | ||
| NURS 615 | Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on the pharmacological foundation for safely prescribing medical regimens of illnesses for individuals across the lifespan. Also included are illness prevention, non-pharmacological and legal implications for prescriptive authority for the nurse practitioner. Note: Selection of appropriate therapies, patient education and evaluation parameters are stressed. | ||
AGACNP
For the AGACNP certificate you will need:
| NURS 640 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
This is the first didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Focus is on individuals experiencing illness seen in the acute care setting. Students will analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 641 or NURS 641C | ||
| NURS 641 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management Practicum I | 3 Credits |
First practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in NURS-640 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in acute care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 640 | ||
| NURS 642 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
This course is the second didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program. Students will continue to expand on knowledge, decision making and management of acute and emergent physiological alterations in health. Students will analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management. Prerequisite: NURS 640 and NURS 641 or NURS 641C Corequisite: NURS 643 or NURS 643C | ||
| NURS 643 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This is the second practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 642 with focus on comprehensive health care to complex, acute and critically ill patients in a clinical, preceptored practicum experience. Prerequisite: NURS 640 and NURS 641 Corequisite: NURS 642 | ||
| NURS 644 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
This is the final didactic management course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. Students will continue to analyze practice guidelines and develop differential diagnoses, implement clinical judgment and decision-making, as it relates to evidence based care management in complex symptomology. Prerequisite: NURS 640, NURS 641 or NURS 641C, NURS 642 and NURS 643 or NURS 643C Corequisite: NURS 645 or NURS 645C | ||
| NURS 645 | Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This is the final practicum course in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program. The student will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS-644 with focus on comprehensive health care to complex, acute and critically ill patients in a clinical, preceptored practicum experience. Prerequisite: NURS 642 and NURS 643 Corequisite: NURS 644 | ||
AGPCNP Concentration Curriculum
For the AGPCNP certificate you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this first of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 621 or NURS 621C | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 620 | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this second of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 or NURS 621C Corequisite: NURS 624 or NURS 624C | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice provider and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 Corequisite: NURS 623 | ||
FNP Concentration Curriculum
For the FNP certificate you will need:
| NURS 620 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care I | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this first of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 621 or NURS 621C | ||
| NURS 621 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice nurse and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, and NURS 615 Corequisite: NURS 620 | ||
| NURS 623 | Adult-Gerontology Health Care II | 3 Credits |
This course covers the care of adults experiencing acute, chronic and complex health problems of select body systems in this second of two sequential courses. Current research based interventions are analyzed. Individual, family, and group counseling/education for patients and families are incorporated. Included is primary, secondary and tertiary disease prevention and management of complex symptomatology. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 or NURS 621C Corequisite: NURS 624 or NURS 624C | ||
| NURS 624 | Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This course will cover the theoretical, clinical and role components of care by an advanced practice provider and are integrated in a supervised clinical practicum. Opportunity is provided for the assessment, management, and evaluation of adults with chronic and acute health problems in a primary care setting. Prerequisite: NURS 620 and NURS 621 Corequisite: NURS 623 | ||
| NURS 629 | Pediatric/Family Health Care | 3 Credits |
This course prepares Family Nurse Practitioner students to develop expertise and assume responsibility for health promotion, maintenance, and management of chronic and acute illness of children and women’s health. Emphasis is placed on the child within the framework of the family. Prerequisite: NURS 623 and NURS 624 or NURS 624C Corequisite: NURS 630 or NURS 630C | ||
| NURS 630 | Pediatric/Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum | 3 Credits |
This course provides the student with an opportunity to assume responsibility for the primary health care services of individuals and families under clinical supervision. The student is expected to assume increasing responsibility for planning and implementing therapeutic processes and for documenting and evaluating outcomes of care. The role of the FNP in health care promotion and management and collaboration with health professionals. Prerequisite: NURS 623 and NURS 624 Corequisite: NURS 629 | ||
PNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PNP certificate you will need:
| NURS 650 | Health Promotion of the Pediatric Population | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on growth and development and milestones of pediatric patients using theories and evidence based practice. Students will learn anticipatory guidance techniques, health promotion and illness prevention concepts within the pediatric population, incorporating individual, cultural, ethnic, and spiritual preferences. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 615 and NURS 612 (may also be taken concurrently) Corequisite: NURS 655C | ||
| NURS 651 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis I | 3 Credits |
This course is the first in a two-part pediatric primary care didactic sequence. In this course students will focus on acute and chronic primary health care problems of children and adolescents. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612, NURS 615 & NURS 650 Corequisite: NURS 652 or NURS 652C | ||
| NURS 652 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This is the first practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS-651 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 650 Corequisite: NURS 651 | ||
| NURS 653 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis II | 3 Credits |
This course is second in a two-part pediatric primary care didactic sequence. In this course students will focus on acute and chronic primary health care problems of children and adolescents. Prerequisite: NURS 651 and NURS 652 or NURS 652C Corequisite: NURS 654 or NURS 654C | ||
| NURS 654 | Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This is the second practicum course in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) program. Students will apply and integrate concepts presented in the NURS 653 with focus on applying knowledge and skills in pediatric primary care practice settings. Prerequisite: NURS 651 and NURS 652 Corequisite: NURS 653 | ||
PMHNP Concentration Curriculum
For the PMHNP certificate you will need:
| NURS 660 | Psychopharmacology and Advanced Mental Health | 3 Credits |
This course will cover assessment and identification of discrete aspects of cognition, psychopathology, affect and behavior in the diagnosis and treatment planning of psychiatric illness across the life span. Also included is the appropriate use, monitoring and evaluation of prescribing psychotropic medication, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Prerequisite: NURS 611, NURS 612 and NURS 615 | ||
| NURS 661 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management I | 3 Credits |
In this course theories and models will be used to develop an understanding of the etiologies of acute and chronic mental health disorders among adults and older adults. Selection of appropriate treatment strategies including individual and group psychotherapies will be discussed. Prerequisite: NURS 660 Corequisite: NURS 662 or NURS 662C | ||
| NURS 662 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum I | 3 Credits |
This practicum course is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to adult and older adult patients with psychiatric illness. A variety of psychotherapeutic strategies will be explored. Prerequisite: NURS 660 Corequisite: NURS 661 | ||
| NURS 663 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management II | 3 Credits |
This is the first of two didactic courses designed to assist the student in development of the advanced practice nursing role with the care and management of individuals with a mental health disorder across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 661 and NURS 662 or NURS 662C Corequisite: NURS 664 or NURS 664C | ||
| NURS 664 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum II | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to patients with psychiatric illness across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 661 and NURS 662 Corequisite: NURS 663 | ||
| NURS 665 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management III | 3 Credits |
This is the second of two didactic courses designed to assist the student in development of the advanced practice nursing role with the care and management of individuals with a mental health disorder across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 663 and NURS 664 or NURS 664C Corequisite: NURS 667 or NURS 667C | ||
| NURS 667 | Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and Management Practicum III | 3 Credits |
This practicum is designed to synthesize advanced practice knowledge relevant to patients with psychiatric illness across the lifespan. Prerequisite: NURS 663 and NURS 664 Corequisite: NURS 665 | ||
To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Professional licensure and certification regulations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Students are encouraged to visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for the state in which they intend to practice to verify specific licensure requirements which includes ensuring the program of interest meets the licensure requirements prior to enrolling. Students may visit the professional licensure page or reach out to our team of enrollment advisors for guidance.
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Skills, Concepts, or Opportunities Gained an NP Certificate Can Provide
Online post-master’s certificate nurse practitioner programs offer students the opportunity to develop a host of unique skills as well as explore a wide array of academic concepts and theories. Here are a few of the skills, opportunities, or concepts that students may encounter in a NP certificate program.
- Understanding of Health Systems. Health systems comprise all of the hospitals, private practices, and other medical institutions that work together to improve health outcomes for a target population. By comprehending the processes that allow these systems to function, certified nurses can expand their ability to positively influence the patients within them. Through NP certificate coursework, nursing professionals can learn more about the configuration of health systems and how the discipline of nursing fits into it.
- Preventive Care. Preventive care, which involves taking steps to help patients avoid contracting illnesses, is a primary component of an online post-master’s certification nurse practitioner program curriculum. By practicing illness prevention, certified nurse practitioners ease the overall strain being placed on the healthcare system. With less strain on the system, nurses can effectively offer a higher quality of care to patients, thereby promoting more positive health outcomes for those who do fall ill. Common examples of preventive care include advising patients on when to get vaccinated and educating patients about how to avoid certain diseases through proper hygiene and lifestyle choices.
- Patient Assessment. Before a medical professional can provide treatment to a patient, he or she must understand what the root of the patient’s complaint is. Once the cause of a health issue has been identified, the nurse can work with the patient to create a treatment strategy. Additionally, patient assessment skills continue being important throughout the entire treatment process, as nurse practitioners will also need to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment plans and modify them based on their observations.
- Empathy & Compassion. Nursing often involves a constant exchange of emotions between caregivers and their patients. By offering their patients real empathy and compassion, nurse practitioners can maximize a patient’s level of comfort during treatment. Therefore, nurse practitioner certificate courses make a point of guiding professionals toward developing a detailed perspective of the human aspect of nursing. In doing so, they help graduates improve patient satisfaction in their respective places of work.
- Learning Through Experience. In most healthcare professions, it is impossible to avoid making mistakes. But the defining factor of still achieving career success is overcoming those mistakes to improve one’s professional capacity. Through nurse practitioner certificate courses, educated nurses can build up the cognitive skills they will need to translate on-the-job experiences into actionable knowledge.
- Analytical Thinking/Problem-Solving. Most acute and chronic conditions present themselves to nurses as complex problems that must be broken down and analyzed before they can be solved. As such, nurse practitioners are taught how to use analytical thinking to systematically treat their patients. Beyond treating patients, nurse practitioners can also rely on their problem-solving skills to resolve workplace complaints and management issues.
- Ethics. Ethics are incredibly important for nurses at every level but much more so for leaders in the field, such as nurse practitioners. After becoming certified as a nurse practitioner, registered nurses and other lower-ranking nursing professionals will rely on their leaders to set a good example. Consequently, educated nurse practitioners must be taught during their nurse practitioner certificate courses how to strictly adhere to standard ethics laws and regulations.
Common Courses for an Online Post-Master’s Certificate Nurse Practitioner Program Curriculum
These are some of the common courses that prospective nurse practitioners can expect to find in these certification programs. Take note that actual course titles can vary depending on the institution that offers the certification program, but many online post master’s certificate nurse practitioner programs offer courses that explore the following concepts:
Professional Role Development. As nurses progress in their careers, they typically focus their professional development on a specific area of practice. In doing so, they can become experts in a particular field, potentially qualifying them for leadership-oriented roles. Through professional role development coursework, educated nurses can gain a better understanding of how they can advance in their careers. Core topics may include how to leverage mentors and continuing education to increase one’s professional qualifications.
Health Promotion/Disease Prevention. Health promotion and preventive care are critical to ensuring positive health outcomes in at-risk communities. Through this course, students can learn advanced methods of preventive care, such as screening for signs of chronic illness and performing wellness visits. With these skills on hand, nurse practitioners can better promote habits that keep families healthy on a community-wide scale.
Advanced Health Assessment. Nurse practitioners should have advanced knowledge of the latest trends and treatments in their respective fields. But this knowledge is not the only tool they will use to treat their patients. Building a comprehensive understanding of advanced health assessment techniques allows nurse practitioners to lead the charge toward solving patient health issues. This nurse practitioner course will teach aspiring nurses how to blend analytical thinking, patient assessment, and interpersonal skills to effectively identify why patients are sick and how to cure them.
Adult-Gerontology Healthcare. Nurses in the field of adult-gerontology focus their careers on treating only adult patients, from young adults to the elderly. In an adult-gerontology course, nurse practitioners will learn how to help their adult patients cope with common health issues for their age group. For younger adults, this may mean encouraging better nutritional habits and discouraging drug abuse. For older adults, this could involve providing patients with advice for preventing and managing chronic conditions.
Pediatric Assessment and Diagnosis. Pediatric nurse practitioners deal specifically with infants, young children, and adolescents. In order to effectively assess and diagnose the causes of a child’s illness, a pediatric nurse practitioner will need to ascertain what symptoms are bothering the child. Doing so requires a high level of patience and tolerance for interacting with developing minds. Through this course, nurses are taught how to find a balance between their obligation to make a correct diagnosis and the child’s right to a comfortable treatment experience.
Psychopharmacology and Mental Health Assessment. Although some nurse practitioners choose to specialize in the mental health field, all nursing professionals must have at least a general understanding of how to perform a mental health assessment. This is due to many adverse health conditions being accompanied by additional strain on a person’s mental health. By taking this course, a nurse practitioner will learn how to identify mental issues in a patient. Nurses will also be taught when patients can benefit from a prescription medicine (i.e., a psychopharmaceutical) to treat a mental condition and how such a prescription can be obtained.
Sources:
Maryville University, Post-Master’s NP Certificates Online
The Guardian, How Has Nursing Changed and What Does the Future Hold