HIV Specialty

9 credit hours, including 168 clinical hours

The HIV specialty is designed to fulfill the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy to reduce the number of new infections, help people with HIV stay healthy by increasing their access to care, and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The specialty is open to newly enrolled and currently enrolled students in the AGNP and FNP APRN majors in the MSN program. It is also available to students with the same majors who are enrolled in the Duke DNP Program. Nurse practitioner students in the pediatric nurse practitioner program interested in HIV among adolescents and young adults are also welcome to enroll. The eight-credit HIV Specialty is also open as a non-degree option for licensed clinicians who wish to advance their knowledge and expertise in how to care for this unique patient population. Non-degree students earn an HIV Specialty Certificate. The distance-based specialty curriculum includes 5 credit hours of foundational courses that address the primary care needs of adolescents and adults with HIV and various co-morbidities, and a 168-hour clinical practicum under the mentorship of an experienced HIV clinician.

The HIV specialty prepares students to manage the full spectrum of primary health care needs of adolescents and adults with HIV in a variety of outpatient clinical settings such as community health centers, Ryan White-funded HIV clinics, infectious disease specialty clinics, health department clinics, and academic medical centers.