Nursing, Nursing Advanced Practice, Exam Prep
AG-ACNP & ACNPC-AG® Certification Requirements
Feb 4, 2019
(With excerpts from Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Q&A Review, by Dawn Carpenter DNP, ACNP-BC
Get moving toward the next chapter in your career by taking the following steps to getting your Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) certification or your Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certified in Adult-Gerontology (ACNPC-AG®) certification.
Make Sure You Qualify for Your ACNPC-AG Exam! You will need:
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license
2. Completion of a graduate-level advanced practice education program that meets these requirements:
A. The program is through a college or university that offers a CCNE or ACEN accredited master’s or higher degree in nursing with a concentration as an adult-gerontology ACNP. The program must include in-depth competencies to care for the entire adult population (young adults, older adults, and frail elderly).
B. The program has demonstrated compliance with the National Task Force Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (NTFC).
C. Both direct and indirect clinical supervision must be congruent with current AACN and nursing accreditation guidelines.
D. The curriculum includes but is but is not limited to:
i. Biological, behavioral, medical, and nursing sciences relevant to practice as an adult-gerontology ACNP, including advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology and physical assessment
ii. Legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities of the ACNP
iii. Supervised clinical practice relevant to the specialty of acute care
E. The curriculum meets the following criteria:
i. The curriculum is consistent with competencies of adult-gerontology ACNP practice.
ii. The instructional track/major has a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours overall.
iii. All clinical hours are focused on the direct care of acutely ill adult-gerontology patients and completed within the U.S.
iv. The supervised clinical experience is directly related to the knowledge and all role components of the adult-gerontology ACNP.
3. Didactic coursework with content specific to care of acutely ill adult-gerontology patients
A. The program director of your education program must complete an Educational Eligibility Form, which can be found on page 27 of the Exam Handbook.
B. You must submit originals of all graduate-level educational transcripts showing degree(s) conferred. A secure electronic transcript may be provided by your school directly to APRNcert@aacn.org.
C. If you are making up clinical or didactic coursework to meet ACNPC-AG® exam eligibility, courses must be completed in a post-graduate certificate or DNP program.
Choose Your Preferred Credentialing Organization
There are two exam options for national board certification as an AG-ACNP: One organization offering the exam is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), while the other is the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). The ANCC uses the acronym AG-ACNP for “adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner,” while the AACN uses the acronym ACNPC-AG® for “acute care nurse practitioner certified in adult-gerontology.” As you’re thinking about which organization to take the exam through, remember that both certifications are recognized by all 50 state boards of nursing (SBON) and employers accept both certification exams as well.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The AG-ACNP certification exam aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (Consensus Model) (APRN Consensus Work Group, 2008). The AG-ACNP certification is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) and the NCCA.
AMERICAN NURSES CREDENTIALING CENTER
www.nursecredentialing.org
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
To support you as you transition into your new APRN role, the AACN offers a free year of AACN e-membership in the senior year of your AG-ACNP program. E-memberships include a discount on certification exams and discounts on education resources and conferences including the National Teaching Institute/Advanced Practice Institute conference and digital versions of AACN’s publications, American Journal of Critical Care, Critical Care Nurse, and AACN Bold Voices.
The exam aligns with requirements of the APRN Consensus Model and meets the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Criteria for APRN Certification Programs.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CRITICAL CARE NURSES
www.aacn.org
Apply for the Exam
Depending on which organization you’ll take the exam through, you’ll either be at a Prometric testing center (ANCC) or PSI/AMP (AACN) testing center. You can read more detailed instructions on how to apply online at each organization’s website, where you can also find specific Exam Handbooks on ACNPC-AG Certification Requirements.
Start Studying (if you haven’t already!)
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare—most people take at least 2 or 3 months to prepare, given the amount of content you need to know. You can start preparing by taking a free practice quiz. And you’ll probably need a few AG-ACNP exam preparation products to help you study in more depth.
Resources:
Carpenter, Dawn. (2018). Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Q&A Review. New York: Springer Publishing.
AACN Certification Corporation. (n.d.). ACNPC-AG® Exam Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/~/media/aacn-website/certification/get-certified/handbooks/acnpcagexamhandbook.pdf
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/
American Nurses Credentialing Center | ANCC. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/