Adult/Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

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 illness, as well as those with disabilities or injuries. 

In Saint Louis University's 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.

Besides being paired with a faculty mentor with expertise in students' desired field of study SLU helps students obtain preceptors for their clinical rotations.

The Valentine School of Nursing is renowned for excellence in nursing education. In 2021, Niche ranked Saint Louis University's Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing as the No. 8 best college in the country for nursing. Additionally, U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks our MSN-NP program as a top 50 program in their Best Graduate Schools survey.

1. Graduates will be able to implement collaborative strategies to provide ethical, high quality, safe, effective, patient-centered care. 

2. Graduates will be able to use scholarly inquiry including evidence-based practice and research application to improve decision-making and health outcomes.

3. Graduates will be able to integrate advanced competencies, skills, theories, and cultural sensitivity in relationships with patients and professionals.

4. Graduates will be able to design culturally sensitive patient care that includes health promotion and disease prevention.

5. Graduates will be able to facilitate the improvement of health care through leadership within health care systems and communities.

6. Graduates will be able to demonstrate competence in a specialized area of advanced practice nursing that builds on foundational nursing knowledge.

7. Graduates will be able to utilize health care informatics and technologies to support practice.

8. Graduates will be able to advocate for policies that improve the health of the public and the profession of nursing.

• Completed application​
• Undergraduate degree (most successful applicants have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better)
• Official transcript from a degree-granting institution
• Statement of purpose (about 500 words)
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• External reference recommendations (encouraged but not required)

Upon admission, a new student must successfully complete a virtual meeting with their academic coach to be enrolled in first term coursework.

• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Upon completion of the post-master's N.P. certificate program, you will qualify to take certification exams through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

According to a U.S. News & World Report ranking, the median salary of NPs in 2020 was $111,680. The best-paid 25% of NPs made $130,240 that year; the lowest-paid 25% made $94,980.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 52.2% employment growth for NPs between 2020 and 2030. In that period, an estimated 114,900 jobs are projected to open up in the NP profession.

Step 2: Set up your SLU Net ID

Step 3: Log into MySLU

Step 4: Check with your academic department

Step 5: Read the Saint Louis University Graduate Catalog

Step 6: Submit your immunization and health insurance forms

Step 7: Visit parking and card services to obtain your SLU ID card