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Frequently Asked Questions about APRN Consensus Model Implementation for NP 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 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 certified nurse practitioner (CNP)?

With the Consensus Model, adult NPs are required to be educated, and their competencies assessed via national certification exams, in gerontology content.

Acute care and primary care remain separate CNP roles; the acute and primary care delineation applies only to pediatric and adult-gerontology population foci. Scope of practice of the nurse practitioner is not setting specific but is based on patient care needs.

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

ACNPC certificants will 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 an ACNPC allows his or her certification to lapse?

If an ACNPC 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 ACNPC exam?  

The ACNPC exam will be offered for initial exam candidates 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 ACNPC exam before December 31, 2014.

What credential will AACN Certification Corporation offer to Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs) in the future?

Starting in 2013, AACN will offer a new Adult-Gerontology ACNP certification program — the ACNPC-AG. This new certification will meet requirements for ACNP licensure as defined by the Consensus Model.

How will eligibility for the new Adult-Gerontology ACNP exam be different than eligibility for the existing ACNPC exam?

To be eligible for the ACNPC-AG exam, candidates must be educated in an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner graduate program that includes in-depth competencies to care for the entire adult population (young adults, older adults and the frail elderly).

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 Certification Corporation cannot grandfather current certificants into the new credential. Additional education would be required to become eligible to sit for the new certification exam.

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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