Dec 12, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) (DGNS) - Post-Master’s DNP


32 credits

3.0 GPA required.

A Plan of Study is available on the Doctor of Nursing Practice website.

Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs


Grounded in an environment of scholarship, the mission of the WSU Department of Nursing is to educate knowledgeable caring, ethical, creative, and accountable nurse leaders who provide person- and relationship-centered care for individuals, families, groups, communities and populations in a diverse society. This mission is based on the beliefs that:

  • a caring, diverse, and respectful community provides the best environment for students to learn how to care for themselves and others
  • optimal learning to care for self and others occurs in a caring, diverse and respectful community
  • faculty and students are accountable for maintaining and modeling professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct
  • recognizing and valuing human diversity is essential to person- and relationship-centered care
  • individuals have different ways of knowing and learning about the world
  • creativity and innovation contribute to continuous quality improvement and sustainability
  • an enriched learning environment is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students
  • effective nurse leaders engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs offer programs for nurses interested in post-nursing masters DNP education. Post-Master’s DNP Programs are in the following areas: Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist ; Family Nurse Practitioner ; Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner ; Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner ; Nursing Leadership: Nursing and Organizational Leadership ; or Nursing Leadership: Practice and Leadership Innovations .

Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (32 credits)


This program provides nurses who already have Master’s degree nursing preparation as an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) and certification the opportunity to acquire DNP education preparation. The Clinical Scholarship Project is completed with guidance of a clinical mentor by all DNP students and involves demonstration of knowledge and skills to enhance the quality and safety of health care in a variety of settings and for a variety of populations.

A total of 1,000 clinical/practicum hours are required for all graduates of a DNP program. This program provides 840 clinical hours. The remaining clinical/practicum hours may come from a previous master’s degree (appropriateness will be determined by faculty), or additional clinical/practicum courses may be necessary to achieve the 1,000 clinical hours requirement for DNP.

*Clinical/practicum hour ratio is 1 credit hour to 60 clinical/practice hours.

Admission Prerequisites


Graduation from a nationally accredited graduate program in nursing with a Master’s degree required. Applicants will need to show evidence of the following content from the Master’s program or take these courses.

Additional Requirements


Additional clinical/practicum courses may be necessary to achieve the 1,000 clinical hours requirement for DNP.

Clinical hours: (1 clinical credit = 60 hours of contact time)


Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist - Post-Master’s: 840 Clinical Hours