Alverno College Launches State's First Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Dual Adult-Gerontology Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Programs

Alverno College has launched two new Master of Science in Nursing programs — a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program and a Dual Adult-Gerontology Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program — both designed to educate nurse practitioners who will serve vulnerable populations.

The programs are the first of their kind in Wisconsin and will advance the work of Alverno’s strategic plan, which aims to support workforce development in southeastern Wisconsin and beyond, significantly contributing to the evolution of health care by improving accessibility, increasing care quality and lowering costs.

“The demand for health care professionals, particularly advanced practice nurses, continues to rise, so these new nurse practitioner tracks are a logical step forward for us,” said Patricia Varga, Ph.D., RN, CNE, dean of the Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. “Through this work, we are concretely addressing gaps in health care delivery for the people of Wisconsin, especially the most vulnerable among us. This is essential work.”

Both programs, open to women and men, are accepting applications now.

Working in hospital settings, neonatal nurse practitioners provide care, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and develop complex treatment plans designed to maximize the health of their patients and prevent complications. Under the leadership of Program Chair Media Esser, Ph.D., NNP-BC, APNP, CWN, the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program will prepare students to provide acute and critical advanced practice nursing care to preterm (infants born after fewer than 37 weeks of pregnancy) and full-term newborns, infants and children up to 2 years old. The program will be offered online, except for an advanced clinical procedures course and clinical practicum experiences.

Dually certified adult-gerontology primary and acute care nurse practitioners work in primary and specialty care outpatient clinics and acute and critical care hospital settings. Under the leadership of Program Chairs Laurie Kunkel-Jordan, Ph.D., ANP-BC, CCRN, and Sarah Foster, DNP, APNP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, NP-C, the Dual Adult-Gerontology Primary and Acute Care Program will prepare students to promote health, prevent disease, and manage chronic, episodic and complex health conditions across adult populations. Students in the dual track will complete 50 credits in theory, advanced clinical procedures and clinical practicum experiences, including 1,200 supervised practice hours. Graduates of this track will be ready for dual certification as adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners, providing them with an expanded scope of practice and employability.

Students in Alverno’s JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions build crucial inter-professional relationships; provide holistic, patient-focused, evidence-based care; and construct strategies for change in health care environments. For more information, visit alverno.edu/msn or call the Alverno Admissions office at 414-382-6100.