ACNP credential being retired

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

If I (ACNP-BC) was considering going for PhD or DNP, is there any way to "upgrade" to become eligible for the AG-ACNP certification exam since ACNP is retired? Or would you just do the DNP in current specialty then have to do another post-certificate?

[TammyG]

I'm not really sure I understand the question. Do you hold any certificate now? If you do not, then your choice of program will determine whether you are eligible to test under the AG-ACNP versus the AG-PCNP, or both.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

That's a good question. I'm sure there's a way to do that but it's not going to be simple. Post-master's DNP programs are short and "easy".

However, when schools transitioned to AGACNP from Adult ACNP, there were'nt noticeable changes in the curriculum in most schools I've looked at. Course titles changed and that was it -- for instance, I've seen courses that use to state "Management of Acutely Ill Adults" to "Management of Acutely Ill Adults and Elderly".

There was no single course added to complete the AGACNP transition such as a focused course on Gerontology. So my guess is, it would be hard to just pick up a course or two and then be eligible to take the AGACNP exam. It almost seems like we would take all the specialty sequence courses (with clinicals) to be eligible and if I were to look at how my program was structured, that's a whole year of courses.