Summary of AACN & AACN Certification Corporation
National Acute Care APRN Advocacy Efforts
1995
AACN and ANA develop and publish Standards of clinical practice and
scope of practice for acute care nurse practitioner.
First Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification examination is jointly
administered by AACN Certification Corporation and the American
Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in December 1995.
1999
AACN Certification Corporation launches CCNS certification
examination Program for the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Acute/Critical
Care.
2000
Accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies
(NCCA) is granted to the CCNS certification examination Program.
2002
AACN develops and publishes Scope of practice and standards of
professional performance for the acute & critical Care CNS
AACN Certification Corporation is invited to join Alliance for Nursing
Accreditation, a national panel of accreditation agency experts,
advanced practice faculty, national nursing regulators, and other
nursing certification representatives who meet biannually to dialogue
around issues concerning advanced practice nursing.
As a result of lobbying efforts by AACN Certification Corporation,
410.76(b) of CMS Regulations was changed to include CCNSs among
those Clinical Nurse Specialists eligible for Medicare reimbursement for
their APRN services.
2004
AACN Certification Corporation receives notification that the CCNS
certification examination program has met the National Council of
State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) Criteria for APRN Certification
Programs(2002). This achievement denotes AACN Certification
Corporation as one of only two nationally recognized CNS certification
agencies.
AACN and AACN Certification Corporation representatives invited to
serve on the National Panel for Development of Acute Care Nurse
Practitioner Competencies
AACN Certification Corporation representative appointed to the 21
member national Alliance APN Consensus Work Group charged by the
Alliance for Nursing Accreditation with developing a future model for
APN regulation. This panel’s work concludes with the final APRN
Regulatory Model presented in 2008.
2006
AACN develops and publishes Scope and standards of practice for the
acute care nurse practitioner to reflect current practice and replace the
1995 document.
As a result of lobbying efforts by AACN Certification Corporation,
410.76(b) of CMS Regulations was changed to include ACNPCs among
those Nurse Practitioners eligible for Medicare reimbursement for their
APRN services.
AACN and AACN Certification Corporation representatives participate in
the development of national consensus-based Core Competencies for
Clinical Nurse Specialists project, completed in 2008.
AACN Certification Corporation representative invited to participate on
the National Panel for Nurse Practitioner Practice Doctorate
Competencies.
2007
AACN Certification Corporation pilot tests and launches the newly
developed Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC) certification
examination program following a contractual non-compete period.
2008
AACN Certification Corporation receives notification that the ACNPC
certification examination Program has met the National Council of
State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) Criteria for APRN Certification
Programs(2002). AACN Certification Corporation joins ANCC, AANP,
NCC and PNCB as the nationally recognized NP certification agencies.
2009
Following the release of the new APRN Regulatory Model, and
endorsement by both the AACN and AACN Certification Boards of
Directors, AACN Certification Corporation designees continue to
participate in the development of the LACE process for
implementation.