Within six months of graduating with their masters of nursing, everyone in the first cohort of the Boise State School of Nursing’s adult gerontology nurse practitioner program have passed their credentialing exam.
The national pass rate for the initial AGNP exam is 75.5 percent for master’s degree graduates. These 18 Boise State students all focused on primary care, a specific certification path. Seventeen of the students were from Idaho, one was from Washington.
Nurse practitioners, educated to deliver health care to aging populations, are in high demand, particularly in rural states such as Idaho. As advanced practice providers, nurse practitioners provide a scope of services across the health-wellness continuum from diagnosing disease to managing chronic health problems and ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests. In addition, nurse practitioners in Idaho are fully licensed to prescribe medications and therapies. Career opportunities include positions at community health centers, private practice offices, long-term health facilities, hospice centers, correctional facilities, intensive care units, emergency departments, surgical units, and more.
“I feel Boise State has given me a good knowledge base and taught me how to be a life long learner as a clinician,” said Penny, one of the recent AGNP graduates. “I can research better, analyze and critically think better, and have really come to understand the role and scope of practice in advance practice nursing.”
The Boise State AGNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Accreditation. Applications for the master’s degree cohort starting in January are due October 1. For more information on the program, visit www.boisestate.edu/nursing-agnp.