Explore the history of AACN and the many milestones over the years from humble beginnings in 1969 to today's exceptional community of 130,000+ members.
1960
1969
American Association of Cardiovascular Nurses (AACN) is established to help educate nurses working in newly developed ICUs.
1970
1971
AACN changes its name to American Association of Critical-Care Nurses to reflect the diverse complexities of patients who are acutely or critically ill.
1974
AACN holds the first annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), which soon becomes the premier conference for acute and critical care nurses.
1975
AACN Certification Corporation, the credentialing arm of AACN, is founded to maintain professional practice excellence through certification and certification renewal of nurses whose practice focuses on the care of acutely and critically ill patients and their families.
1976
CCRN critical care specialty certification is offered for nurses caring for acutely and/or critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
1980
1980
Critical Care Nurse, a bimonthly clinical practice journal, is launched to provide current, relevant and useful information on the bedside care of acutely and critically ill patients.
1990
1990
AACN Clinical Issues in Critical Care Nursing premieres as a quarterly journal with in-depth articles for experienced acute and critical care clinicians at the bedside, advanced practice nurses, and clinical and academic educators.
1992
American Journal of Critical Care, a bimonthly scientific and research journal, debuts providing evidence-based multidisciplinary knowledge for acute and critical care.
1999
CCNS specialty certification is introduced for acute/critical care CNSs educated at the graduate level to provide care to adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
2000
2002
A white paper, "Safeguarding the Patient and the Profession: The Value of Critical Care Nurse Certification" is released on benefits that certification brings to the public, employers and nurses.
2002
"Scope of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for the Acute and Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist" is released.
2002
"Essentials of Critical Care Orientation" (ECCO), an e-learning course, is offered for novice nurses and as a review for experienced nurses.
2003
The Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence program introduced with tools to assist critical care units on their path to excellence, honoring individual units that excel in all aspects of patient care.
2004
PCCN specialty certification debuts for progressive care nurses caring for acutely ill adults.
2004
"National Critical Care Survey" is completed, the first survey to provide data on critical care units and the environments in which critical care nurses work.
2005
CMC subspecialty certification is launched for certified nurses providing bedside care to acutely and critically ill adult cardiac patients.
2005
CSC subspecialty certification is launched for certified nurses providing bedside care to acutely and critically ill adult patients during the first 48 hours after cardiac surgery.
2005
"Basic ECG Interpretation" an e-learning course, is offered to equip nurses with essential knowledge to quickly identify potential cardiac threats and respond appropriately.
2005
"AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments: A Journey to Excellence" is published with six standards for an HWE.
2006
The Beacon Award expands to include progressive care units.
2006
The results of "RN Work Environment Survey," conducted with Nursing Spectrum and Bernard Hodes Group, are released.
2006
AACN Clinical Issues, AACN's quarterly journal, is renamed AACN Advanced Critical Care. The journal now publishes unsolicited as well as solicited articles and includes seven regular columns.
2007
ACNPC specialty certification is launched for ACNPs educated at the graduate level to provide care to adult patients.
2007
CCRN-E specialty certification is introduced as a renewal option for nurses primarily working in a teleICU monitoring acutely and critically ill adult patients from a remote location.
2007
"Essentials of Nurse Manager Orientation," an online, self-paced, e-learning course for nurse managers, is offered in collaboration with American Organization of Nurse Executives.
2008
AACN publishes its first Practice Alerts to guide nursing practice within the context of an HWE. They form the foundation of a growing library of clinical resources from AACN with the latest evidence-based resources and research.
2008
The Beacon Award criteria is expanded to add pediatric units.
2008
CNML certification for nurse managers and leaders is offered in partnership with AONE Credentialing Center.
2008
"The Preceptor Challenge" e-learning program debuts, allowing nurses to practice essential precepting skills in a virtual hospital-based environment.
2008
"Promoting Excellence in Palliative and End-of-Life Care," an e-learning program, is introduced. The innovative course simulates being in a patient's room with family members, so nurses can practice different approaches.
2008
"AACN Scope and Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice" is published.
2009
The first issue of AACN Bold Voices, a monthly member magazine, is published, featuring clinical articles, the AACN president's column, interviews and news on AACN initiatives.
2009
"Essentials of Pediatric Critical Care Orientation" (EPCCO), an online introduction to pediatric critical care developed by Children's Hospital Association, is launched.
2010
2010
An online HWE assessment tool is introduced for hospital and unit teams to measure the health of their work environment against AACN's six standards
2010
The Beacon Award for Excellence is revised to be a three-year, three-level award with gold, silver and bronze designations. The updated criteria is designed to mark a significant milestone on a unit's path to exceptional patient care and achieving an HWE.
2011
CCRN-E is now offered as initial option, in addition to renewal, for nurses who primarily work remotely.
2011
Results of "The Silent Treatment" study, conducted with VitalSmarts and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), are presented. The study addresses the concerns of nurses and other healthcare personnel that are often not discussed and contribute to avoidable medical errors.
2011
AACN Impact Research Grants are first offered, with funding up to $50,000 each for projects that address AACN research priorities.
2011
The Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) partners with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop an awards program to recognize notable, sustained improvements in preventing healthcare-associated infections — specifically infections in critical care. During the three-year partnership, more than 80 hospitals are recognized for their efforts.
2012
AACN introduces AACN Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy, a hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program. By year's end, teams of nurses at hospitals in Indianapolis, Boston and Raleigh, North Carolina, are participating in the 16-month program.
2012
"AACN Scope and Standards for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Practice" is published.
2012
"AACN: Acute and Critical Care Pharmacology" — an online course developed in collaboration with American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Elsevier Clinical Solutions — covers safe administration of medications commonly used in acute and critical care.
2012
The first issue of CriticalCare eNewsline, an online newsletter, is published.
2013
AACN Critical Care Webinar Series debuts, offering free monthly webinars with nationally recognized subject matter experts.
2013
The first AACN CSI Academy participants present their clinical and fiscal outcomes at an Innovation Conference in Indianapolis. Their project materials are available on the AACN website. AACN expands the program to hospitals in New York City, Philadelphia and Austin, Texas.
2013
AACN Certification Corporation introduces ACCNS-AG and ACCNS-P certification programs for CNSs who care for adult gerontology and pediatric patients and ACNPC-AG certification for ACNPs who care for adult-gerontology patients. The updated certifications are among the first to reflect the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education, which establishes the first national standards for uniform regulation of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in all states.
2014
AACN Certification Corporation adds a new Consensus Model-based advanced practice certification for acute care CNSs who care for neonatal patients (ACCNS-N). All AACN advanced practice certifications now align with the Consensus Model.
2014
AACN membership tops 100,000.
2014
Seven hospitals in Seattle are selected to participate in AACN CSI Academy.
2014
Dana Woods, longtime AACN senior director, becomes CEO upon the retirement of Wanda Johnson, who led AACN for 15 years.
2014
"AACN TeleICU Nursing Practice Guidelines," the first authoritative document to define guidelines for the emerging subspecialty of teleICU nursing practice, is published.
2014
"AACN Scope and Standards for Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice" is published.
2014
CCRN-K certification is launched for nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely and critically ill patients but do not primarily provide direct care.
2014
"ACCNS-AG Certification Review Course" is introduced for adult gerontology CNSs.
2014
As part of CCSC, AACN supports ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely initiative by identifying five routine critical care practices that may not be necessary or could be harmful.
2015
CSI Academy adds nine Phoenix-area hospitals in the Banner Health System as the eighth regional cohort.
2015
The new edition of "AACN Scope and Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice" incorporates advances in scientific knowledge, clinical practice, technology and other changes in the dynamic healthcare environment.
2016
Employee feedback company Quantum Workplace – known for its Best Places to Work contest – recognizes AACN with its Employee Voice Award for achieving high levels of employee engagement.
2016
AACN CSI Academy adds eight hospitals in San Diego as the ninth regional cohort.
2016
The second edition of "AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments: A Journey to Excellence" is published, reaffirming AACN's commitment to improve the environments in which nurses work. The standards are now supported by additional research and new evidence confirming the link between HWEs and optimal outcomes for patients, healthcare professionals and organizations.
2016
A new version of AACN's online orientation course for critical care nurses, "Essentials of Critical Care Orientation" (ECCO) debuts. Since its launch in 2002, more than 1,100 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the U.S. and Canada have used ECCO to support their critical care orientation and classroom-based education programs. Over 92,000 nurses have successfully completed the course.
2016
PCCN-K certification is introduced for progressive care nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients but do not primarily provide direct care.
2016
In collaboration with CCSC members, AACN co-publishes a report on burnout syndrome in critical care health care professionals. Burnout in Critical Care – A Critical Situation provides guidance on mitigating burnout syndrome and calls for initiating research to examine burnout prevention and treatment.
2016
As part of ongoing efforts to standardize clinical practice and improve patient outcomes, AACN updates several Practice Alerts, including those related to cardiac monitoring and preventing healthcare-associated infections.
2017
The first phase of AACN CSI Academy concludes, with almost 250 nurses at 66 hospitals participating. The positive fiscal impact is estimated at nearly $35 million. With nearly 43,000 unique downloads of project materials, AACN's online library of CSI Innovation projects has become a resource for hospitals worldwide.
2017
AACN releases "Essentials of Neonatal Crital Care Orientation" (ENCCO), an online program that provides foundational nursing education to care for neonatal patients, including babies in the newborn nursery and critically ill patients in the neonatal ICU.
2017
For the second year, AACN is recognized with Quantum Workplace’s Employee Voice Award for achieving the highest level of engagement in the small-sized organization category for its employee survey.
2017
More than 100,000 certified acute and critical care nurses hold AACN Certification Corporation's credentials.
2018
“AACN TeleICU Nursing Practice: An Expert Consensus Statement Supporting High Acuity, Progressive and Critical Care” is published as an update of AACN’s landmark teleICU nursing standards. The document offers recommendations for the development, growth and enhancement of teleICU programs, with real-world clinical scenarios.
2018
NTI closes registration in advance of the conference for the first time in its 44-year history, after more than 8,500 attendees register for the sold-out conference.
2018
Nurse researchers have received more than $1 million in funding from AACN through its Impact Research Grant program, ensuring a pipeline for evidence-based resources in support of a wide range of AACN priorities.
2019
Founded in 1969, AACN celebrates 50 years of acute and critical care nursing excellence, serving more than 120,000 members and over 200 chapters in the United States. AACN celebrates all that nurses have accomplished during the last half century, while honoring their past, present and future impact on the evolution of acute and critical care nursing.
2019
AACN releases a new practice alert, “Assessing Pain in Critically Ill Adults,” which summarizes expected nursing practice related to pain assessment, including evidence-based recommendations and supporting documentation.
2019
Results from AACN’s fourth national survey of critical care nurses are included April's Critical Care Nurse. “Critical Care Nurse Work Environments 2018: Findings and Implications” reports key findings from the survey of over 8,000 nurses, compares the results with previous studies and recommends areas for continued improvement.
2019
In August, “AACN Scope and Standards for Progressive and Critical Care Nursing Practice” is released. The booklet describes and measures the expected level of practice and professional performance for progressive and critical care RNs.
2019
AACN and StoryCorps collaborate with nurses to record their conversations for the AACN Nurse Stories Project.
2019
Over a period of several months, all AACN employees attend a two-day equity, diversity and inclusion seminar, sponsored by CommonHealth ACTION.
2020
2020
The national office closes in mid-March when state authorities issue a stay-at-home order due to COVID-19, which will become a global pandemic. Employees work from home until further notice.
2020
AACN develops and offers many new resources — including blogs on stress, leadership, clinical issues and other topics, and a podcast series — to support critical care nurses on the front lines of the pandemic. More than 120,000 nurses sign up for “COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources,” a free online course.
2020
Amid concerns for the health and safety of staff and participants, NTI in Indianapolis, in May, is canceled because of COVID-19 and, in September, the decision is made that NTI 2021 will be a virtual conference.
2020
AACN releases “The Fight Against COVID-19: A Call to Action for America” in collaboration with other healthcare organizations. The statement outlines three areas that require urgent attention: personal protective equipment; lifesaving equipment, medications and supplies; and stopping the spread. We’ve engaged in many other advocacy items, including sending a board member to the White House to meet with the administration to advocate for PPE and other lifesaving equipment for nurses.
2020
In June, “Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” is published in response to nationwide racial injustice.
2020
AACN partners with DearWorld.org — an organization that documents pivotal events with moving portraits and stories — to share nurses’ experiences. As nurses become the storytellers, it helps them bolster resilience, find gratitude and celebrate each other.
2020
AACN releases “Essentials of Critical Care Orientation” (ECCO) 4.0 to provide progressive and critical care nursing orientation education in a safe online learning environment.
2020
AACN partners with leading nursing organizations on the Well-Being Initiative, which provides nurses with free tools and resources to support their mental health and well-being.
2021
A grant from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation supports a special cohort of AACN CSI Academy. Teams of nurses from 10 hospitals are tasked with identifying high-priority patient care challenges and then developing, implementing and evaluating solutions that result in quantifiable improvements for underserved critically ill cardiac patients, with an emphasis on Black communities in the U.S.
2021
For the first time, AACN presents the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition as a fully immersive, interactive virtual conference. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president of the United States, delivers the keynote address, calling nurses the heroes of the pandemic.
2021
A joint effort between AACN and projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development makes AACN’s free “COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources” online course available in Spanish. The Spanish version of the course brings vital respiratory care education to nurses and other healthcare providers providing care to critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Central America.
2021
AACN launches Hear Us Out, a nationwide effort to report the reality from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign includes videos of nurses sharing their experiences taking care of patients with COVID-19 and materials to guide those who are vaccinated to engage in constructive conversations with family and friends who have yet to be vaccinated.
2021
The medical intensive care unit at ChristianaCare, Newark, Delaware, becomes the first unit in the United States to earn a Beacon Award for the fifth consecutive three-year cycle, earning gold-level recognition.
2022
In recognition of nurses’ dedication during the pandemic, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society and the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association award grants to more than 80 progressive care and critical care nurses pursuing CCRN or PCCN specialty nursing certification. This generous donation marks the first time AACN professional development scholarships are available to support its nursing certification programs.
2022
AACN collaborates with American Nurses Association, American Organization for Nursing Leadership, Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to launch the Nurse Staffing Think Tank. The group publishes a set of priorities and recommendations that provide immediate strategies that can be feasibly implemented in the short term to help address the nurse staffing crisis.
2022
For the first time, AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition is offered in a hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual options.
2023
AACN introduces a new mission statement that reflects our commitment to our nurse community: AACN drives excellence in acute and critical care for nurses, patients and families.
The goal of AACN remains steadfast: to inspire every nurse in our community of acute, progressive and critical care nurses to discover personal connections, pursue clinical advancement and cultivate a deeper sense of purpose in their service to patients and families.
The goal of AACN remains steadfast: to inspire every nurse in our community of acute, progressive and critical care nurses to discover personal connections, pursue clinical advancement and cultivate a deeper sense of purpose in their service to patients and families.