For more information contact:
Email: nursing@gwumc.edu
Phone: (202) 994-7901

Post Masters Certificate: Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

ption 1. Post Masters Certificate Program for Palliative Care Nurse Practitioners

1. A Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited program of nursing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
2. Current Nurse Practitioner license
3. Successful completion of graduate-level courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, advanced health assessment, and primary care.
4. Two letters of recommendation
5. An active RN license
6. Resume or curriculum vitae
7. A one-page personal statement of academic and professional goals.
8. Current CPR certificate
9. Immunization records, including PPD, Hepatitis B, MMR, varicella (titer required), and TD or TDap
10. Proof of health insurance

1. A Bachelor of Science Degree from an accredited university
2. Two letters of recommendation
3. Statement of goals
4. Resume or curriculum vitae

Graduate students for Option 1 may apply for admission if they will receive their national certification before the first day of classes at GW. All applicants must complete the required application packet before the deadline and notify the Health Sciences Admissions Office of their current student status.
Applicants must have a minimum of a GPA of 3.0 in all graduate course work. Applicants must comply with all required university policies regarding student admission requirements. These courses do not confer to a graduate degree.

Option 1. Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
This innovative program will build on the nurse’s previous graduate nursing education and experience to present an interdisciplinary approach to improving palliative and end of life care. Intensive clinical experiences may be designed to meet the individual goals and interests of students.
The Post Masters certificate program as a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner is based on the Masters Essentials (AACN,1995), the National Organization Nurse Practitioner Faculty Competencies (NONPF, 2002), the National Consensus Project (2004) core precepts and structures. See Appendix A for a listing of the competencies. The curriculum also addresses the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC, 2004) and the NBCHPN Hospice and Palliative Advanced Practice Nursing Certification Exam Content (NBCHPN, 2006).

When the Advanced Practice Nurse completes the Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Post Master’s Certificate, he/she will be able to:

1. Utilize advanced clinical judgment and practice to provide for the health and illness experiences of individuals and families from a variety of socio-cultural backgrounds
2. Create a supportive, caring environment for individuals experiencing serious, chronic and/or terminal illness that enhances their dignity and acknowledges his/her strengths
3. Synthesize information from a variety of disciplines to develop diagnostic and treatment strategies for clients with chronic illnesses
4. Effectively communicate prognosis, plans of care and management options with patients, families, healthcare team
5. Provide therapeutic interventions and regimens that incorporate an understanding of the client’s needs and desires, while considering multiple systems variables and the impact of these variables on treatment options (e.g. treatment efficacy, cost factors, and safety issues)
6. Respond with sensitivity and compassion to the unique health beliefs and practices of all clients from a variety of socio-cultural backgrounds 
7. Work collaboratively with other healthcare team members in providing care for clients with complex healthcare needs
8. Incorporate professional, legal, moral, and ethical standards into practice
9. Possess a knowledge base that reflects national policies, statutes, regulations, and fiscal responsibilities
10. Monitor the quality of healthcare provided to clients in a variety of settings
11. Contribute to professional nursing through advanced nursing practice and professional involvement in palliative and end of life care, as well as pursuit of doctoral study
12. Take a leadership role in ensuring palliative care is available to all people, including developing the program models and building the evidence base

Option 2.  Specialty in Palliative and End of Life Care
Nurses and other healthcare professionals who complete the specialty in Palliative Care will be able to integrate palliative care into all health care for debilitating and life-threatening illnesses to  help ensure that:

1. Pain and symptom control, psychosocial distress, spiritual issues and practical needs are addressed with patient and family throughout the continuum of care.
2. Patients and families obtain the information they need in an ongoing and understandable manner, in order to grasp their condition and treatment options.
3. Patient and family values and goals are elicited over time; the benefits and burdens of treatment are regularly reassessed; and the decision-making process about the care plan is sensitive to changes in the patient’s condition.
3. Genuine coordination of care across settings is ensured through regular and high-quality communication between providers at times of transition or changing needs, and through effective continuity of care that utilizes the techniques of case management.
4. Both patient and family are prepared for the dying process and for death, when it is anticipated.
5. Hospice options are explored, opportunities for personal growth are enhanced and bereavement support is available for the family.

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The Admissions Process

• All applications to the Health Sciences Programs should be submitted using our online application system.  The online application is provided in order to make the process as easy and convenient for you as possible.  You will be required to create an account.  Once you have created an account, you will receive a PIN and Password so that you can return to work on your application over several sessions.  Your information is transmitted through a secured server and is kept confidential until you submit your application. Click here to begin the application.

• Be aware of deadlines and program admission requirements. The application and all supporting documentations(e.g., fees, statement of purpose, resume, letters of recommendation, professional licenses, transcripts, test scores etc) must be received by the deadline in order for the application to be reviewed.  Any incomplete applications by the deadline will be withdrawn by the institution. 

• A non-refundable application fee of $60 is required [$100 for applicants to the Joint PA-MPH Program]
  The fee can be paid online through a secured online payment system or if you prefer, please make a check or money order payable to The George Washington University, include your social security number on the front and mail the check to the Health Sciences Admissions Office. Cash will not be accepted. Applications will not be reviewed without the appropriate fee.

          This fee is waived only for the following applicants:

• GW alumni (those holding a GW degree or graduate certificate)
• Current degree or graduate certificate candidates at GW
• Current McNair Program Scholars (a completed Certification of McNair Program Participation and Application Fee Waiver form must be attached to your application)
• U.S. military personnel who have been on active duty within three years of submitting their application for admission

• A typed statement of purpose.
  In an essay of 250 to 500 words, describe your reasons for undertaking study in the Health Sciences at The George Washington University. You should state your academic objectives, career plans, and related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities, as well as any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form.
• Applicants to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program should compose a 500-750 word essay that includes the following:
  a). Academic and career goals and a discussion of how the DNP Program will contribute to these goals.
  b). A discussion of a major issue in contemporary nursing and how this issue should be addressed.

• Official or certified copies of transcripts.
  Official transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript.  Each transcript must be sent to you in a sealed envelope and forwarded unopened to the Admissions Office. Unofficial transcripts and photocopies are not acceptable.

• If academic records are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by certified English translation.  In addition, an evaluated copy completed by an accredited foreign credential agency must be submitted regardless of whether or not the official record is in English. Translations alone will not be accepted.  For a list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services, please click here. 

• Recommendations.
  Two recommendations must be submitted with your application, the recommendation forms are available in the online application system.  Generic recommendations provided by career or placement offices will be accepted only if they provide all essential information requested on the GW recommendation form.  Recommendations will not be accepted from friends or family members.

• GRE is required for certain programs, consult the specific program requirement section for more information.
• The GRE institutional code for all GW programs is 5246.  GRE scores are only valid for five years.

• Language Tests requirement

Applicants whose native language is not English or who are not citizens of countries where English is an official language must submit official test scores for either Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  The TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be waived for applicants who hold a degree from an accredited college or university located in a country in which English is the official language and also the language of instruction at the institution.

• If you are accepted, an offer of admission will be sent to you. The offer of admission is valid for the semester stated in the admissions letter. Upon notification of acceptance, you must return your declaration of intent with a check or money order covering the orientation fee. This will be required of all students, including those readmitted. Nursing, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Sonography and Pharmacogenomics students will also be required to pay a tuition deposit. The deposit will be applied to your tuition and is not refundable.