On Jan. 21, the initial cohort of 30 students, 10 men and 20 women, began their journey with Boise State School of Nursing’s new Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) program to become AGNPs.
The students are thrilled about the program. They are excited to learn and prepare for their future careers. “When I first discovered that Boise State would be offering a nurse practitioner program, I immediately knew that it was for me,” said Michelle McNeley, Boise State nursing alumna from Spring 2003 and member of the AGNP first cohort. Another member for the first cohort, Signe Butcher, declares “Having this opportunity to become an AGNP through Boise State is such an honor!” Boise State RN-BS Online/Distance Completion Track graduate Matthew Harvey, graduated Fall 2013, told the program’s faculty and staff: “I am excited to be embarking on this new adventure and look forward to working with you all.”
The first cohort of 30 students is made up as follows: 23 of the students are Boise State alumni and are 26 to 56 years old, 26 are from Idaho; nine work in the St. Luke’s health care system, six work in the Saint Alphonsus health care system, and the four out-of-state students reside in the states of Washington, Nevada, and New Jersey. The students will gather on campus three times during the program. The first on-campus session is scheduled for July 19-28, when half the cohort will meet. The other half will meet July 25-August 3, providing a four day overlap for the entire cohort to meet each other in person.
This first cohort will focus on primary care. The second cohort, who will begin classes in Spring 2015, will have the option to choose between primary and acute care. Graduate certificate programs, for those students who already have a nurse practitioner license and wish to specialize, will begin in Summer 2015 and run through Summer 2016. Applications for all programs/certificates are currently being accepted.
The program has received several student inquiries from prospective international students. International AGNP applicants must have a Bachelors Degree in Nursing that has been vetted by the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and be licensed as an RN in the U.S. or its territories.