What an extraordinary time to be an Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP)!
In recognition of this important advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) role, WesternU College of Graduate Nursing (CGN) led the way to develop the ENP Post Graduate Certificate Program in 2018 and is currently celebrating its 5th year of supporting students who desire ENP certification. At the time the ENP Post Graduate Certificate Program was established, only 13 ENP programs existed in the nation, and the WesternU program became the 14th and remains one of only 2 programs in California. CGN has been recognized for this important area of ENP practice as a validated and approved program by American Association of Emergency Nurse Practitioners (AAENP).
The ENP post graduate certificate program prepares APRNs certified as a family nurse practitioner additional knowledge, skills, and training for future practice in urgent and emergency care. The hybrid online distance program was designed to augment and deliver quality care to the most vulnerable of patients, families, and communities served in the Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care (UC) setting. Through didactic training, case studies, objective testing, and hands on procedural-simulation skills, students emerge with expertise and competence for their readiness to practice.
We integrate interprofessional education within the curriculum and our fellow colleagues from the College of Dental Medicine (CDM) and College of Optometry (CO) work with our ENP students in lab, enriching the value of the students learning experience. Once students complete their academic course of study and clinical practice hours, they are eligible to sit for national certification as an ENP.
The certification pass rate has been 100%.
Donna Emanuele, Director, ENP Post Graduate Certificate Program remarks:
“I would be remiss without acknowledging the dedicated support and hard work of leadership, administration, ENP academic leaders across the nation, professional association bodies, and ENP colleagues.
Faculty and staff contributed countless hours and time spent on curriculum development, securing practice partners, and identifying preceptors. These combined efforts proved effective for demonstrating the need for the ENP program and in executing the vision to affirm this important role in our ED/UC practice settings.
If it were not for nursing thought leaders, the visibility of the ENP role in emergency and urgent care our program would have been a silent memory. Nothing is more remarkable than caring for our most vulnerable and the ENP is leading the way to improve access to health care and promote quality outcomes for our nations most disadvantaged and at-risk populations we serve within the emergency and urgent care environment. As ENP clinicians, we stand unified and embrace interprofessional collaborative practice, committed to the concept of care delivery, and team driven approach as specialty care providers who work in these settings.”
The evolution of emergency and urgent care practice has grown enormously in academia and practice over the last decade; perhaps even longer—all health care clinicians (no matter what role) are at the precipice of change.