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Villanova offers course for NPs transitioning to acute care
Villanova, PA, June 30, 2008 — Regardless of academic preparation, increasing numbers of
nurse practitioners (NPs) are finding themselves in a blended role where a portion of their
clinical practice takes them into the acute care setting to admit patients, make rounds,
collaboratively manage patient care and discharge patients. Other NPs work in specialty
practices where a part of their daily responsibilities require in-patient care. If you are an
NP with primary care preparation but are feeling unprepared for your tertiary care
responsibilities, Villanova University’s NP Role Transition course is for you.
Starting in summer 2009, the College of Nursing will offer this 5-credit course for primary
care prepared NPs with a focus on tertiary care issues and management. It fills the void when you
are in a blended or specialty practice and lack the knowledge of acute care admission protocols,
writing in-patient orders, management of patients, tertiary care diagnostic studies, intravenous
medications, and discharge planning. This course—which is 80% distance learning—is specifically
designed to provide you with the theoretical and clinical knowledge and skills to ensure the
application of advanced nursing practice for hospitalized patients.
As an NP in the role transition course, you benefit from a combination of lectures and robust
clinical preparation through 120 clinical hours with a preceptor. You identify your area of
clinical interest –such as cardiology, endocrinology or orthopedics—and your practicum experience
takes place within that specialty.
You will explore the variety of roles of the primary care NP in the tertiary care facility, hospital
credentialing, reimbursement, and hospital based policies and procedures, along with the concepts,
theories and evidence-based research approaches to in-patient management of commonly occurring
acute care illnesses and potential problems. You will learn more about diagnostic tests,
management and patient education in relation to each health problem, as well as consultation,
referral and case management as they apply to your practice in acute care.
Because emphasis is on continued development of advanced clinical skills in the tertiary
care setting, you will formulate differential diagnoses, prepare and implement management
and evaluation plans based upon current scientific rationale, evidence-based standards of care,
and practice guidelines—all in consultation with your expert clinical preceptors. Interested?
For more information visit villanova.edu/nursing or call Denise Meikle at 610.519.4934. Note that space is limited and registration deadline is February 6.
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