Taking AANP *AND* ANCC?!

Nursing Students NP Students

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  1. Passed AANP, but registered for both exams. Take the ANCC exam, too, or cancel?

    • 6
      Take ANCC as well
    • 7
      Cancel ANCC

13 members have participated

In her review book, Leik recommends registering for both exams if you've got a job lined up following graduation. So, I took her advice and registered for both of them. I graduated last week and subsequently have taken and passed the AANP exam!

I have not gotten my eligibility to test letter from ANCC, and I'm trying to decide if I should keep my registration for the exam, or cancel it. Cosmetically, I like the "BC" title better than "C", but not sure I like it enough to study research, policy, etc. Is there any benefit to taking both? Does anyone have a preference for one or the other when it comes to renewing the certification in the future?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I could give a rip about my credentials and most often only use NP. Unless there is an employer preference, which in my experience I have not encountered, it sounds like overkill to take both. I did the ANCC because of my specialty and when I added FNP just stayed with them. Sheesh why does nursing have to make everything so complicated?

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Thanks for your reply, Jules! I did wonder how often I'd even be using the credentials FNP-C / FNP-BC vs what the state requires (ARNP)! ; )

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

Save yourself some money and cancel the ANCC. You don't need both certifications.

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yeah like, unless you like clicking answer boxes, sitting in test centers, and wasting money just take one....

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Specializes in Assistant Professor, Nephrology, Internal Medicine.

I second BCgradnurse, both certifications are equivalent in the eyes of employers and the BoN. Save yourself the money and consider it a down payment for loans! If you're like me, you'll need it.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

The AANP awards the NP-C credentials (not FNP-C) and the ANCC the FNP-C credentials. Many states have requirements that you use an official designation to sign (in my state it is CNP), so the board certification designation may only be superficial.

I took both and maintain both certifications but it is a pain in the butt (my exams were scheduled 1 day apart when I graduated) and there is no benefit really, save for perhaps some extra protection if a credential was retired.

I'd cancel your ANCC exam.

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I can see no benefit to having both certifications and, as BostonFNP says, it is a pain in the butt to maintain them both, not to mention the cost. The only advantage that I can see to taking both exams is that if you fail one, you still have a chance to pass the other and get your job without the prerequisite waiting period to re-test. I would imagine that, in 99% of cases, you are either going to pass both or fail both.

So I agree with the posters here who all seem to be saying, CANCEL THAT TEST!!!

And congratulations on passing the AANP test!

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Question...if you have passed both, do you use that in your credentials FNP-BC/FNP-C? And how would you write that?

MSN, RN, FNP-C, FNP-BC?

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