An AGACNP is a nurse practitioner who provides primary care for patients with complex, high-acuity health needs. They are trained to work in many settings, including hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.
The role of an AGACNP is to treat patients with acute illnesses or injuries, monitor chronic conditions, manage medications, coordinate care with other healthcare providers, and provide education.
If you’re looking to change careers or start a new one as a nurse, you might consider becoming an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP).
The degree has a variety of career aspects and can be pursued through an online AGACNP program.
AGACNPs must be able to assess and intervene in multiple systems at once, using critical thinking skills to determine appropriate treatment options.
In this post, we’ll cover the basics of what this role entails and what you can expect from it.
How to Become an AGACNP
To become an AGACNP, you will need to complete a master’s degree in nursing.
This will qualify you for national certification as a nurse practitioner and allow you to work independently without needing supervision from another professional.
In addition, completion of the board certification exam is also required.
The NCLEX is one of the prerequisites for becoming an AGACNP; it will help familiarize you with the format of this exam so that if it comes up during your career as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.
It won’t be a surprise or cause undue stress or anxiety. The NCLEX must be passed before starting your internship because this is when most hospitals require their employees to have completed this test already.
You may also want to look into whether there are any internships available at hospitals near where you live or work now after finishing school and passing all necessary tests (including those required by state boards).
The average experience of an AGACNP is 6.3 years.
There are some options available where they can take advantage of having already completed these steps toward getting their license without having much risk involved in doing so prematurely.
Adult-Gerontology For Patients with Complex, High-Acuity Health Needs
You may wonder what an AGACNP does and what their typical day looks like.
AGACNPs focus on the health needs of older adults and those with acute or chronic illnesses.
They provide primary care for patients with complex health needs, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
AGACNPs are also trained to treat a wide range of conditions.
In addition to providing medical services at the bedside in hospital settings (like a unit), they also work in outpatient clinics providing preventive care or counseling patients about managing their own health conditions through wellness programs instead of just treating them when they get sick (a proactive approach).
Career Resources for AGACNPs
As an AGACNP, many resources are available to you on the Internet. Here are some of the most useful ones:
AGACNP Job Listings
Find out about specific jobs for AGACNPs based on location and specialties.
You can search for positions at hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country or even find information about employment opportunities abroad.
Salary Information
Many sources online provide salary data for adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners (A-GNAPNs).
You may also want to look up salary surveys from popular publications. These provide more detailed information about what positions pay but tend not to include many details beyond that.
The median total annual compensation for full-time AGACNPs is $113,000 and consists of base pay, productivity bonuses, incentive awards, and more.
Certification Requirements
If you plan on becoming certified as an AGACNP one day, it will be helpful to know what your options are right now so that you can start preparing yourself early!
It’s also worth noting that most states only require 2 years of working experience within this field before getting certified, which means getting started now.
What Happens After the AGACNP Degree?
Your education as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner is a great foundation for your career. The job outlook is strong, and you can make a very good living working in this field.
To become a certified adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, you must graduate from an accredited master’s program that meets ANCC criteria and pass the ANCC certification exam (the CCRN).
After you’ve finished your AGACNP degree, the job outlook is strong.
The employment of nurse practitioners is expected to grow at a rate of 37% between now and 2026, which is much faster than average.
The salary range for an AGACNP can be anywhere from $76,000 to $132,000 per year.
To pursue this career path, you’ll need to have a passion for working with older adults and their families.
You also need to be able to communicate well with patients and their loved ones, as well as other members of the healthcare team.
Other Career Resources for Aspiring AGACNPs
The AGACNP is a highly specialized practice area, and there are many resources available to help you on your way.
We’ve already discussed a few of them here:
- The ANCC provides certification for those who have completed an accredited master’s level nurse practitioner program emphasizing gerontology acute care.
- The American Nurses Association provides information about the job outlook for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary information for registered nurses based on location, experience level, job title, and more.
If you’re considering becoming an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, it’s important to do your research.
This can help you find a career that is right for you and allow you to provide the best possible care to patients.
Take some time to explore different options and learn more about what each one has to offer so that when it’s time to choose, you know exactly what makes one field better than another.
