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Frequently Asked Questions About APRN Consensus Model Implementation for CNS Programs

What is the APRN Consensus Model?

The Consensus Model is a broad-based model developed by the APRN Consensus Work Group and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) APRN Advisory Committee, with extensive input from APRN stakeholders that defines APRN roles, appropriate credentials and scope of practice, and promotes uniformity in state regulations and education.

Is the APRN Regulatory Model the same as the APRN Consensus Model?

Yes. The full name of the work is the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education.

What is the purpose of the Consensus Model?

The Consensus Model was created to establish standards for uniform APRN regulation across the country, to enhance utilization of patient care services provided by APRNs.

When will the Consensus Model go into effect?

The target date for full implementation of the recommendations of the Consensus Model is by 2015. APRN education programs should prepare to be transitioned by 2013.

How does the Consensus Model impact the scope of practice for the clinical nurse specialist (CNS)?

In the Consensus Model, CNSs are required to be educated, and their competencies assessed via national certification exams, across the continuum from wellness through acute care in one of six population foci. Adult CNS programs must also integrate gerontology content.

How will the Consensus Model affect the current CCNS certification offered by AACN Certification Corporation?

AACN’s Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal CCNS certificants have the following three renewal options:

  • 1,000 Practice Hours + 150 CE Points
  • 1,000 Practice Hours + Exam
  • 150 CE Points + Exam

What happens if a CCNS allows his or her certification to lapse?

If a CCNS is unable to maintain his or her certification or does not renew on time, he or she would need to meet the eligibility requirements for the new exam and test under the Consensus Model, which would require additional postgraduate education.

Will AACN Certification Corporation continue offering the existing CCNS exams?

For initial candidates, the Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal CCNS exams will be offered through December 31, 2014.

When should the Consensus Model be implemented into education programs? 

Programs should consider that all students currently enrolled under existing curricula must graduate and pass the CCNS exam before it is retired December 31, 2014.

What credentials will AACN Certification Corporation offer to Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) in the future?

Starting in 2013, AACN will offer three new certification programs for the Adult-Gerontology CNS: ACCNS-AG; the Pediatric CNS, ACCNS-P; and the Neonatal CNS, ACCNS-N. These new certifications will meet requirements for CNS licensure as defined by the Consensus Model.

How will eligibility for the new Adult- Gerontology Acute Care CNS exam differ from eligibility for the existing Adult CCNS exam?

To be eligible for the ACCNS-AG exam, candidates must be educated in an Adult-Gerontology CNS graduate program that includes in-depth competencies to care for the entire adult population (young adults, older adults and the frail elderly), as well as content across the continuum from wellness through acute care.

How will eligibility for the new Pediatric and Neonatal Acute Care CNS exams differ from eligibility for the existing Pediatric and Neonatal CCNS exams?

To be eligible for the ACCNS-P or ACCNS-N exams, candidates must be educated in a Pediatric CNS or Neonatal CNS graduate program that includes competencies across the continuum from wellness through acute care.

Will advanced practice nurses be grandfathered into the new certifications?

No. While individual states may grandfather nurses currently working in the role, making them exempt from new requirements, AACN cannot grandfather current certificants into the new credentials. Additional education would be required to become eligible to sit for the new certification exams.

Will a DNP be required for advanced practice certification in 2015?

The Consensus Model does not require or preclude the DNP as an entry-level degree for APRNs. 

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