Consistently ranked among the best in the country, our innovative Acute Care program aligns your individual career goals with your clinical experiences—arranged for you in the nation’s most renowned academic health centers, research institutions, and community hospitals.
We prepare acute care nurse practitioners for the management of acutely ill, traumatically injured, and chronically complex patients. Program graduates develop expertise in physical assessment, complex clinical decision making, diagnostic and therapeutic interpretation, performance of advanced procedures, prescriptive knowledge, and patient care management across the continuum of acute care services, wherever acutely ill or medically complex patients are found.
We offer clinical practicum opportunities in a wide variety of specialties such as: general surgery, hospitalist medicine, cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, palliative care, and trauma. These include various acuity levels ranging from intensive care to ambulatory specialty care clinics. For your practicum, we do the legwork and match you with a preceptor, including acute care nurse practitioners, physicians, or collaborative teams. Our large network of highly skilled preceptors work closely with our clinical faculty to provide students with exposure to and experience with application of newly acquired skills.
Program Length
Financial aid available?
Start Semester
Learning Format
Program Length
Financial aid available?
Start Semester
Learning Format
Program Length
Financial aid available?
Start Semester
Learning Format
The program follows a curriculum that includes theoretical content and mentored clinical experience that emphasizes research and holistic patient care within a collaborative team approach. Our program’s plan of study consists of 12 courses including the 3 P’s (Pathophysiology, Physical Assessment, and Pharmacology), 3 acute care diagnosis and management courses, a technology course, an advanced research course, and a year long clinical sequence (3 courses). Students can explore an area of interest through an elective or a 3-4 course minors, such as oncology, palliative care, global health, and more.
Students can complete the program as a full-time student in 15 months or part-time over two to three years. We are committed to a individualized graduate program with personalized attention and accessible in-person faculty.
Click the link below to view the curriculum and plans of study for this program in the University catalog.
View curriculum and plans of study
BSN degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
College level statistics course
RN
Minimum of 1 year work experience, off probation, caring for acutely ill, critically ill, or medically complex patients
*Dates subject to change without notice.
Your program costs will depend on how many course units (CU) you take per semester.
Discount available for employees of our Academic Practice Partners. Click here to learn more.
At the completion of this advanced level of nursing education, Penn Nursing MSN graduates will:
These overarching outcomes for all MSN program/tracks reflect the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials.
After graduation, you’ll be prepared to sit for national certification from the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Upon successful completion of the exam, you are eligible to become certified or licensed to practice.
