AGACNP Student & Graduate Voices

UConn Online Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Master's Degree Program

Nick Carpino

“The AGACNP program truly gives you everything you need to become a successful nurse practitioner. The professors always have your back and you’re always supported at UConn. UConn has great connections at all levels of healthcare.

But, you do have to work hard to get what you want from the program! I’m very thankful to everyone in the program for making me learn this lesson, because I feel like I came out way ahead of practitioners from other programs.

I was an ICU nurse in the surgical-trauma unit at Hartford Hospital before enrolling in the AGACNP program. Since graduating, I was hired by the vascular surgery team at Hartford Hospital. Soon I’ll be working with the surgeons in the OR as a first-assist. I love it.”

UConn Online Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Master's Degree Program

Yan Chen

“The AGACNP program has such a great reputation among my APRN friends. In fact, one of them strongly recommended it to me. And now I recommend the program to all my nursing friends interested in working in acute care settings.

Before I graduated, I was working in a general ICU unit including neuro, surgery, medical, and cardiothoracic specialty.

Since graduating, I have been working as the provider on the rapid response team of the hospitalist department at Bridgeport Hospital and also perform procedures, including paracentesis, thoracentesis, skin biopsy, midline, and ultrasound-guided IV access. I’m about to start a new job as an APRN at a surgical ICU, which I’m very excited about.”

UConn Online Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Master's Degree Program

Rebecca Ching

“After working as a critical care nurse in the ICU, I realized that I enjoyed managing acutely ill and complex patients. I knew based on my previous experiences in the CEIN program that UConn would provide continuous support during the program and long after graduation.

 Since I graduated from the AGACNP program, I’ve been working at the Hospital of Central Connecticut as a nurse practitioner in the surgical ICU team. I work with a great team of PAs, NPs, and physicians who have been very supportive of my transition from a nurse to a nurse practitioner. They help foster an environment of learning so that I can be confident in caring for my patients.

The most impactful aspect of the UConn program for me was getting connected and learning from other nurse practitioners. UConn was able to help provide clinical rotations in different acute care specialties for a well-rounded experience. It was great, too, to be able to meet many like-minded individuals and build personal and professional relationships with other students.”