Adult ACNPs - How young? Can't find it...

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Specializes in Acute Care - Cardiology.

Hey all,

I am in Texas and trying to find out what age constitutes "adult." I have looked at the AANP, ANCC, NLN, AACC, etc. websites and can't find anything... official. The Acute Care NP brochure uses the terms "adolescents, adults, and older adults..." but doesnt define adolescent. I read on a school's website that 12 and up was considered acceptable for an Adult-ACNPs population, but didn't reference it.

What do ya'll think? Any direction? Reference? I'll just email the board if I can't find it. I haven't gone beyond scope or anything of the sort... I'm in the ACNP program now, in my practicum, and was talking about it with my instructor. She said 18 and over, but wasn't 100% certain that was accurate.

Thanks ya'll!!

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Hey all,

I am in Texas and trying to find out what age constitutes "adult." I have looked at the AANP, ANCC, NLN, AACC, etc. websites and can't find anything... official. The Acute Care NP brochure uses the terms "adolescents, adults, and older adults..." but doesnt define adolescent. I read on a school's website that 12 and up was considered acceptable for an Adult-ACNPs population, but didn't reference it.

What do ya'll think? Any direction? Reference? I'll just email the board if I can't find it. I haven't gone beyond scope or anything of the sort... I'm in the ACNP program now, in my practicum, and was talking about it with my instructor. She said 18 and over, but wasn't 100% certain that was accurate.

Thanks ya'll!!

If you do find out, would you mind sharing it in this forum? This is a question our adult ACNP class asked as well and was told by the program director that it is 18 and above. However, none of us who graduated in that class ever revisited the issue because we are all gainfully employed in adult specialties where we don't see anyone below the age of 18.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

This seems to be a bone of contention with us adult CNS's too. I was told that I could see people 16 and above. Hmmmm everyone has a different age though.

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This seems to be a bone of contention with us adult CNS's too. I was told that I could see people 16 and above. Hmmmm everyone has a different age though.

I think that it is state to state. In Colorado it is 18. There is a similar problem with MD's. Where does pediatrics end. The interesting thing is that in Colorado unless there is a restriction on your license you can see anyone of any age without regard to age no matter what your training. This might be hard to defend in court. When I did peds GI, we would follow them until they got out of college or were not seeing a pediatrician. In adult we will see them above 16 with special exceptions below that. There is also an interesting phenomenon in peds where you have adults with pediatric disease. For example adults with CF are usually followed by pediatric pulmonologists since adult pulm really doesn't see much of this.

The other thing that I would consider is that you should be certified in PALS if you are going to see anyone under 18.

David Carpenter, PA-C

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
For example adults with CF are usually followed by pediatric pulmonologists since adult pulm really doesn't see much of this

Interestingly enough, the youngest person I've had the priviledge of taking care of as an NP is a 20 year old CF patient who underwent bilateral lung transplant and was in our ICU for a period of time. Incidentally, he was jointly managed by pediatric and adult pulmonologists. The kid did well after his surgery and is still doing well - the youngest lung transplant patient our hospital ever did!

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