Any dual-certified NPs/APNs? What about the number of practice hours for each???

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

okay, i'm posting and asking this question because i'm an adult health cns as well as a peds cns (just recently took this exam). i emailed ancc and after three weeks someone email'd me back asking me to call them. i called them yesterd and here was my question:

do i have to have a certain number of hours seeing only peds (those under 18 per ancc)? the answer was yes and 1000 hours/5 years total is the number.

okay, so i've been an apn (adult cns) for 5 years, just recertified w/o difficulty. however, my problem is that i only see adults - i have no under 18 y/o pts at this time.

so, my question to those of you who are dual certified, what are you guys doing? or do your jobs give you enough pt contact with all populations?

thanks for any input/suggestions.

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

Sorry to hear about your dillemma. The APN's I know who carry dual certification work in the ED so they already get the patient population focus for both their certification requirements. But you still have options other than leaving your current job to work in the ED. Five years is a long time and 1000 hours isn't really a lot. You could either volunteer at a free family practice or peds clinic, work per diem at an ED, or even pick up a traditional Peds CNS role on a per diem basis at a Children's Hospital. I hope things work out.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Thanks Juan.

We have two peds nephrologists in our practice and I think I'm going to ask if I can do some rounds with/for them.

Would love to work ED again (I did a prn job for 6 months) but it was too much with my full time job.

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unless the employer pays for the certs and the time and money to meet the requirements, it isnt worth it. I decided to just let AOCNP lapse...if I need it down the road(I dont anticipate so) I can write it at that time. Part of obtaining a second cert, was to prove to myself that I could do it. I wasnt paid extra for it nor received any $$ to write the cert.

And honestly, whom am I kidding....the world of oncology treatment and support changes so quickly that I would need a refresher anyway if I wanted the AOCNP cert again.

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Specializes in critical care, cardiology.

I just became double certified in May, so I don't have a good answer for this. However,since both my certs are for adults (acnp and gnp), I don't anticipate a problem. Hope I'm right. And, as the poster above, I paid for everything myself and got no raise.

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