ANP vs. AGPCNP/AGNP Certification

Psychcns · Oct 15, 2015

Can you take both exams?? It seems one will probably overtake the other eventually. Maybe.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Oct 15, 2015

I would take the AGPCNP exam. The change in the content and certification credential has nothing to do with a primary care vs acute care role. The ANP role has always been primary care focused in comparison to the ACNP role which is acute care. The addition of the Gerontology content, hence A-GPCNP and A-GACNP, were part of the provisions of the Consensus Model which mandates that adult specialty tracks must also include Gerontology content (which it actually did before). As a consequence, the Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track which was offered in the past was discontinued. The ANP and ACNP exams will also be discontinued but those who are certified in them could still renew in the future. Would you want to be certified under a discontinued title?

guest538567 · Oct 15, 2015

Hello,

I am an ANP and graduated from my MSN program before the transition to the AGNP model. However, my school was an early leader in gerontology content. My program met the requirements and allowed me to go back and take the AGNP exam when it became available. I now have certification as an ANP and AGNP. The AGNP is the new standard and I wanted to have that certification as it becomes the norm. Also, the AANP will not allow renewal of the ANP if there is a lapse in recertification given its retired status. So I felt that having the AGNP certification provided me some comfort if something happened that delayed my renewal (albeit very unlikely). In the future I may allow the ANP to lapse, although for now I will keep it active.

I also allowed my employer to cover the cost of my AGNP certification as part of my CME budget. I found that the test was incredibly easy after some years of practice.

Good luck.

AtomicWoman · Oct 27, 2015

My decision of this was because I felt that the title of AGNP-PC pigeon-holed me more (on the surface, not substantively) into working in the primary care setting. I understand that this may be meaningless.

It IS meaningless. Just because the words "primary care" appear in the certification does not mean it is going to pigeonhole you any more (or less) as a primary care provider than an ANP. I graduated right at the change-over and was initially certified as an ANP. I took the AGPCNP test (with ANCC) shortly after it became available because (a) it reflected my actual education and (b) it was the most current certification. I don't regret doing that at all. You can choose to specialize with either an ANP or AGPCNP certification. And the poster who mentioned that it is critical you don't let your ANP certification lapse is spot-on. If it lapses, you will not be able to renew it.

I am surprised you got hired as an ICU NP, but I guess it depends on the part of the country you work in. Here in the Northeast, hospitals want acute care NPs to have acute care certification. Good luck with the new job and the new career!

CCNP-FL · Oct 28, 2015

I am surprised you got hired as an ICU NP, but I guess it depends on the part of the country you work in. Here in the Northeast, hospitals want acute care NPs to have acute care certification. Good luck with the new job and the new career!

I get the meaninglessness part and understand it really is just a title thing. For me it was one of simple perception. Honestly, I was surprised the intensivst group hired me as well. I have worked with them for two years, so it may have been a good personality-fit or they just liked me. Either way, I am going back for a brick-and-mortar post-masters AG acute care certificate program at University of Miami or Nova Southeastern. Thoughts? Comments? I'm not looking forward to more school, but I think it is a reasonable thing to do here in South Florida where NP jobs may not be around forever in such quantities.