dual FNP/ACNP certification

nurseangelar6554 · Aug 7, 2011

You have a long road ahead of you, but I hope you persue it! I would encourage the ACNP route as this is what will most encompass acute care experience. Many ACNP schools also offer an ED route. However, before getting into these schools, you must first be an RN which requires a 2 year degree (plus approximately 2 years of prerequisites). You can either get your Associate Degree in Nursing to obtain your RN, or you can attend a 4 year college to obtain your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. From there, you can enter a master's level (graduate) program which would be the ACNP or FNP (which ever you decide). I know this because I am currently persuing my FNP degree and plan on joining the hospitalist team where I am employed when I am finished. I have recently been researching ACNP programs. You can also contact any school's admissions department and they will be more than happy to give you information on their programs. I hope this helps!

Trauma Columnist · Aug 8, 2011

Another route: ACNP and PNP or ACPNP. That way you get all ages too and don't repeat much.

TexeCuter · Aug 8, 2011

If your ultimate goal is to work in the hospital, then ACNP is the way to go. FNP is intended for primary care APNs. However, if you are interested in FNP and prefer to work in the hospital, you may also take a post-masters' certificate in ED. There is no need to take the complete Masters' degree twice. Post masters' certificates supply the APN with the elective portion of other specialties. The core requirements remain the same.

Most schools are requiring that you have 1-2 years RN experience in critical care or in ED experience before applying to the programs.

Hope that helps you! Good Luck in your studies! :lol2:

TexeCuter · Aug 8, 2011

Unless, of course, you are interested in providing both pediatric and adult acute care. Then, you will need to complete the core requirements for the entire age continuum! That's why most choose either pedi or adult in critical care. That's an awful lot of responsibility to be proficient in both!

dqbanrn · Aug 9, 2011

There are also pediatric ACNP programs in existence. If you were going to go back to school to get the FNP degree solely for the purpose of being able to see children (below 13 yr), then you could just as easily earn a pediatric ACNP degree.

If you intend to work in an ICU, then I personally would not bother with the FNP or pediatric stuff. The ANCP scope includes people down to 13 years old. You typically will not have people working in an adult ICU floating over to the pedes ICU. MDs, ARNPs, and RNs all go through different, specialized training to work in pediatrics. Employers know this and are unlikely to expect applicants to have dual certification. (ER is a little different in that you don't know whats coming in. However, many hospitals, especially Level 1 trauma facilities, have a separate Pedes ER)

If you do plan on working in an ICU or ER, I urge you to go ACNP. With increasing frequency, I am finding that ARNP jobs in this area are specifically asking for this certification (versus FNP).

For my job, it came down to the fact that our intensivist base their practice model off of the Society of Critical Care Medecine (SCCM). SCCM is basically the authority for ICU practice standards in this country. I am a member of SCCM and one of their requirements for non-physician members is that they posses at least a masters degree and ACNP or CRNA certification.

TerriM67 · Aug 9, 2011

I am in the same boat that you are. I am currently attending an Emergency Room FNP program. Once I complete the program this December I am staying on for an additional 9 semester hours to complete a post master's in ACNP. The program I am in has me taking extra classes in ER procedures and decision making with many of my clinicals based in the ER. Because I am staying at the same school I will not have to repeat any redundant classes for the ACNP. I will need to take critical care classes and critical care clinicals. Essentially it comes down to part-time school for the spring and summer semester.

There are a couple of emergency nurse practitioner programs in the country that will allow you to complete the dual certification. Emory has an ENP program and will allow a post master's in ACNP. I think the University of South Alabama has an actual ENP/ACNP dual certification. There are others but I am not sure where they are.

The ERs in the area that I live will not hire anything other than an FNP or pediatric / adult certified NP even if they are a primarily adult ER because of the EMTALA rules of seeing anyone or anything that walks in the door. The hospitalist groups prefer Adult NPs while the Intensivists are looking for ACNPS.

Good luck to you.

Terri

jedi88 · Aug 9, 2011

Thank you very much!

bsnanat2 · Aug 9, 2011

There are also pediatric ACNP programs in existence. If you were going to go back to school to get the FNP degree solely for the purpose of being able to see children (below 13 yr), then you could just as easily earn a pediatric ACNP degree.
If you intend to work in an ICU, then I personally would not bother with the FNP or pediatric stuff. The ANCP scope includes people down to 13 years old.
dqbanrn,
Where did you get the 13 yo age. I know ANP covers adolescents, but it has become my understanding that ACNP covers only 18 and above. I would hope that 13 is correct. Do you have a source for that number?
Thanks.

dqbanrn · Aug 9, 2011

ACNP covers age 13 and on. i found a couple links talking about this, but ill try to find more if i can. I actually remember covering this in school quite clearly however.

http://www.slu.edu/x30733.xml

http://nkuonline.nku.edu/graduate/msnursing/acute.php

On that note, do you have a source for 18 and up?

bsnanat2 · Aug 12, 2011

ACNP covers age 13 and on. i found a couple links talking about this, but ill try to find more if i can. I actually remember covering this in school quite clearly however.
http://www.slu.edu/x30733.xml
http://nkuonline.nku.edu/graduate/msnursing/acute.php
On that note, do you have a source for 18 and up?

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I realize things may vary by state, but this is from ANCC website, Acute Care NP test outline.......

http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Documents/Certification/TestContentOutlines/AcuteCareNPTCOMar2010.aspx

(page 2, quote below)

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Board Certification

Test Content Outline - effective date: March 1, 2010

Please note that the entire test content outline is associated with health related problems/issues of adult patients (ages 18 years and above) as indicated in the following notes:

I posted a similar question in a acute care np group and got varied replies, but the most authoritative ones seemed to indicate 18 and above.

bsnanat2 · Aug 16, 2011

Just read the APRN Consensus Model. It uses the term "young adult" in conjunction with adult NP & CNS. Never saw anything that said 18. What does "young adult" mean? ANCC seems to be very explicit that Adult NP covers adolescents, but not so with ACNP. ANCC "manager" on phone indicated that the Adult CNS also includes adolescents, though it is not explicitly stated. The consensus model needs to spell things out more clearly. While I realize that there are always variables, it is as if people are afraid to simply state ages. Nurse practice acts seem to be vague by design and this issue is apparently no different. I see no reason why Adult NP's, ACNP's and Adult CNS's should not be able to treat adolescents. My son at 15 is taller and heavier than I am.