Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (GNP)
The University of Virginia prepares Geriatric Nurse Practitioners (GNPs) either within the Master’s Program or as a post-Master's certificate.
The MSN with a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner specialization was designed to reflect national health care trends and to prepare nurses to serve America’s aging population. In this program, students will be prepared to manage both chronic and acute health care needs of older adults. The patient population includes adults aged 65 and older. Geriatric Health Nurse Practitioner skills include identification, screening and triage of acute episodic illnesses; nursing and medical management of commonly encountered acute and chronic illnesses in collaboration and consultation with an interdisciplinary team; development of a knowledge base of community needs and resources available for health promotion; health teaching, guidance, and counseling of geriatric clients and their families about illness and its prevention; and health promotion, maintenance, and management.
The curriculum builds on both the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of the bachelor's prepared nurse.
Full-time students begin study in the fall semester, and complete the program in 20 months. Students complete only didactic courses for the first two semesters and summer - with classes on Thursday, Friday or online. During this second year you would enroll in your two preceptorships (GNUR 569 and GNUR 571).
Some of the MSN core classes and the majority of GNP-specific seminars are offered online. The Advanced Practice core classes are offered one day a week in Charlottesville.
Part-time students can enroll in any semester (fall, spring or summer).
Program Coordinator: Courtney Lyder, ND, GNP, (434) 982-3298, email: lyder@virginia.edu.
Clinicals
Students complete 672 clinical hours in geriatric experiences to focus on private practice, ambulatory clinics, long-term care facilities, and the patient’s home. Students will also experience the acute care nurse-managed geriatric unit at UVA Medical Center.
The clinical course are GNUR 569 (fall) and GNUR 571 (spring).
Certification
Students are qualified to sit for the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the School of Nursing is competitive and based on evaluation of all portions of the application. To be considered for the Master's of Science in Nursing, applicants must submit a completed application and:
- Have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited school.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate study.
- Hold an unencumbered RN license for the state where you intend to do your practica.
- Demonstrate satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Examination*.
- Submit clear written statements on educational and professional goals, as well as on diversity.
- Submit three satisfactory academic and professional recommendations. One of these letters should be from an APN.
- Submit a copy of your resume or C.V.
- Have completed an undergraduate or graduate statistics course within the past 5 years.
- Be available for an interview if requested.
Note: New BSN graduates may apply for any of the MSN specialty tracks. If you are a new nurse and applying for an Advanced Practice specialty track (NP or CNS), you should apply as a part-time student. You need at least one year of relevant post-BSN clinical nursing experience before enrolling in GNUR 550 (Advanced Pharmacology) and GNUR 551 (Advanced Health Assessment).
Application deadline:
Fall or Summer entry: April 1
Spring entry: November 1
*All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. The School of Nursing accepts GRE scores that are more than 5 years old. If you have your 'older' scores, you may submit a copy of the Student Report. Students who have already completed a graduate degree do not need to submit GRE scores. The Institutional Code for the University of Virginia is
R-5820. Because of some recent problems with receiving the ETS score reports, you may be asked to mail/fax a copy of your Student Score Report.
International applicants are required also to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. Visit their websites for more information. The University of Virginia institutional code number is R-5820, nursing #0610.
Downloads, Program of Study, and Links
For More Information
For additional information on admission to and programs of study at the UVa School of Nursing, please fill our our online form. You are also welcome to call the Office of Addmissions at (434) 924-0141 / (888) 283-8703.
Questions on admissions and financial aid should be directed to Clay Hysell, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, email hysell@virginia.edu