Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners
The Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired through entry-to-practice education and the acquisition of entry-to-practice competencies. This certificate program will equip nurse practitioners with the knowledge and tools to confidently assess and develop a treatment plan for the acutely ill adult patient hospitalized with a broad range of conditions, as well as facilitate a foundation for advanced nursing care of the ill or critically ill patient. This certificate program consists of four courses offered by distance education through the University of Toronto’s Learning Portal. Each course will be 8 weeks in length (including a final week for evaluation). Learners may take the courses in any sequence and will earn the certificate by completing all four courses over a 2-year period. An interactive and case-based approach will be utilized to review acute clinical problems with an emphasis on critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. Clinical experts will discuss the differential diagnoses, relevant pathophysiology, the identification of assessment findings, the relevant diagnostic approach, the therapeutic plan of care, and the red flags that require intervention or consultation.
Audience
Nurse Practitioners who wish to further develop their competency, knowledge, skill and clinical acumen in the care of acutely ill hospitalized adult patients. Course participants must hold current registration as a Nurse Practitioner in their province.
Certificate Criteria
Participants must successfully complete all 4 courses, normally over a 2-year period, to earn the Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners. A passing grade of 70% is set for each course. Courses offered by the Centre for Professional Development cannot be credited towards a degree program.
- Participants may take individual courses without completing the full certificate
- Courses may be taken in any order
Learning Objectives
At the completion of the 4-course certificate program, learners will be able to:
A. Articulate the role and competencies of a Nurse Practitioner working with hospitalized adult patients:
- Discuss key role and scope issues relevant to the NP role in hospitals.
- Demonstrate confidence to practice independently and collaboratively.
- Identify accountabilities and necessary skills of NPs in the most responsible provider role.
B. State the clinical care requirements and management for a wide variety of acute clinical conditions in adult hospitalized patients including the ability to:
Available Courses
Care of the Hospitalized Adult 1
This is the first course in a four-course Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners. The certificate builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired through entry-to-practice education and the acquisition […]
Care of the Hospitalized Adult 2
This is the second course in a four-course Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners. The certificate builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired through entry-to-practice education and the acquisition […]
Care of the Hospitalized Adult 3
This is the third course in a 4-course Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners. The certificate builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired through entry to practice education and […]
Care of the Hospitalized Adult 4
This is the fourth course in a four-course Certificate in Hospital & Acute Care for Nurse Practitioners. The certificate builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired through entry to practice education and […]
Course Format
This certificate consists of 4 courses, each 8-weeks in duration and delivered through the University of Toronto’s learning management system – Quercus.
- Each week, participants will view e-learning modules, review required readings and resources, and actively engage with learning activities that will focus on application of learning. Learning activities and assignments will provide opportunity to apply learnings and receive feedback.
- Participants can expect to allocate a ~ 5-10 hours a week for completion of a weekly module and allocate additional time for assignments. The time spent on any one module will vary from student to student based on your learning needs and style of learning.
- Each week will consist of a recorded lecture by faculty who are expert clinicians in their field. Faculty will be available for questions through discussion board during the scheduled week for the module.
- Each module focuses on one or more health systems or clinical themes, discussion of the appropriate health assessment, relevant differential diagnoses, pathophysiology, red flags, diagnostics and diagnostic sensitivity/specificity, therapeutic plan of care, selection of appropriate technical interventions and treatments, and indications for referral and/or consultation, considerations in transitions in care/discharge, and relevant role and scope issues. Additional clinical resources will be provided such as clinical practice guidelines, relevant practice standards, and clinical tools for practice. Most weeks will include an application exercise such as a learning activity.