Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, DNP

Program Overview

Primary Care Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (AGNP) are advanced practice nurses that specialize in providing primary care to patients from adolescence, throughout adulthood and extending through advanced age.

This broad patient population affords AGNPs the opportunity for careers in many areas of medicine in which primary care is provided, such as medical home offices, internal medicine offices, ambulatory care centers, rural/underserved clinics, student or employee health centers, specialty clinics, palliative/hospice care, rehabilitation centers, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities.

Plan of Study

Meet Your Lead Faculty, Dr. Whitney Smith

Whitney Smith
DNP, ANP, GNP
Lead Faculty AGNP Track
smithwhit@musc.edu

My name is Whitney Smith and I am the Lead Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP). I have been a nurse practitioner (NP) for close to twenty years! I always knew that I wanted to be a health care provider. While I was in college for my Biology degree, I learned about nurse practitioners and how the nursing model guides their holistic patient care - and I was hooked; I knew that this was the type of medicine I wanted to practice! The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) was the school I decided on; I received my BSN in 1999, my MSN in 2001, and my DNP in 2017.

I spent much of my clinical career managing acute and chronic illnesses, moving patients toward better health outcomes and a reduction in health care costs.  I have worked as a nurse practitioner in women’s health, primary care, and skilled nursing care. I always enjoyed precepting student nurse practitioners and had a desire to eventually teach at the university level. In 2013 I had the amazing opportunity begin my career in academia teaching at my alma mater, here at MUSC!

I am passionate about education; as an educator in the field of nursing I strive to inspire growth and learning in the students I teach. I endeavor to engage their minds and the passions that drive them.  I challenge them to become expert diagnosticians as well as compassionate, respectful and innovative providers of medical care. I believe that understanding and teaching quality improvement is integral for enriching patient care, health outcomes and access to care. It is the foundation for the DNP degree.  Because my first love was practice, I continue to see patients one day a week at a free clinic. We provide primary care with a focus on chronic disease management for the uninsured and underserved population. We work in interprofessional teams and act as a clinical site for our DNP students. It is my belief that my passion and pride for my chosen career as a DNP and educator is conveyed to my students and helps to inspire enthusiasm and growth in the field of nursing.