The Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Certificate program is a nondegree course credit option for nurses with a master’s degree in nursing.¹ This program provides theory and clinical experiences to prepare nurses to apply to the state of California Board of Registered Nursing for certification and to apply for national certification as an adult clinical nurse specialist (CNS) by examination. Note: Students must be admitted to the university before registering for this program (see Admission section below).

¹

Students may be given transfer credits for previous content completed in a master’s degree program.

Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Advanced Practice Core Courses 1		12
GNRS 513	Advanced Nursing Practice Role 2	2
GNRS 610	Advanced Pathophysiology	3
GNRS 611	Advanced Pharmacology	3
GNRS 612	Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning 3	4 (3/1)
Advanced Practice Specialty Courses		22
GNRS 520	Theory and Practice of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Nursing Care of Adult-Gerontology Patients	6 (2/4)
GNRS 521	Clinical Specialization in the Care of Adult-Gerontology Patients	6 (2/4)
GNRS 543	Transitions Across the Care Continuum	6 (2/4)
GNRS 548	Health Promotion Across the Lifespan	2
GNRS 580	Gerontology	2
Total Units		34

¹

Students may be given transfer credits for previous content completed in a master’s degree program.

²

This requirement is waived for 1992-96 APU master’s graduates, as the content was integrated in the clinical courses.

³

Units in parentheses are classroom/clinical units.

Admission

University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.

International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Articulate a Christian worldview, demonstrating respect for the dignity and uniqueness of others, valuing diversity, and applying spiritual concepts.
2. Engage in scholarly inquiry and critical thinking, including evaluation and application of evidence-based research.
3. Appraise and apply knowledge to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions that promote health and prevent disease.
4. Demonstrate thoughtful analysis of the legal, political, ethical, and/or financial factors impacting healthcare.
5. Use information systems and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, promote quality, mitigate error and support decision-making.
6. Demonstrate the ability to coordinate and collaborate with other health care team professionals.
7. Engage in clinical reasoning, effective communication, and act as change agents to develop professional identity and practice skill.