GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – East Carolina University and ECU Health are launching a new program that will better equip nurse practitioners across the state.

The Adult Gerontology Acute Nurse Practitioner program will be a state-wide graduate-level certificate program that will prepare nurses for specialized care in acute situations for the elderly. ECU and three other nursing programs are going to participate in this program.

According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, only 6.1% of all nurse practitioners specialize in this kind of acute care. This collaboration between ECU’s College of Nursing and ECU Health is focused on bolstering the healthcare workforce in Eastern Carolina to care for the aging population.

“We have a lot of nurse practitioners in North Carolina who are doing amazing work to care for patients in ICUs and other very demanding care sites. We also want to expand the knowledge, skills and abilities of current practitioners because the need is so high and the shortage of providers is so great,” said Dr. Julie Linder, chair of the Advanced Nursing Practice and Education Department. “This new program will provide the didactic and clinical experiences necessary to meet the needs of our patient populations.”

In the release, the program announces it will hold its first cohort next spring. Students who complete the required material and courses should graduate from the program in May 2026. Upon graduation, those students will be eligible to take the certification exam.

“We invite prospective students to contact us in the event they need prerequisite courses prior to beginning their core class work,” Linder said.

The first cohort will be approximately 12 students, with a minimum of six seats dedicated to ECU Health employees. Three other programs will be participating alongside the ECU School of Nursing.

The application deadline is Dec. 15. A full list of requirements and more details can be found through the College of Nursing website.