ACCNS-N® is an entry-level advanced practice board certification for clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) educated at the graduate level to provide advanced nursing care across the continuum of healthcare services—wellness through acute care—to meet the specialized needs of the neonatal patient population.
A current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license is required.
An unencumbered license is not currently being subjected to formal discipline by the board of nursing in the state(s) in which the nurse is practicing and has no provisions or conditions that limit the nurse’s practice. Provisions or conditions may include, but are not limited to, direct supervision of practice, drug administration limitations and/or practice area exclusions. Nurses who do not hold an unencumbered license should email AACN at APRNcert@aacn.org.
Candidates must complete a graduate-level advanced practice education program
as a neonatal CNS at a nationally accredited school of nursing. The school’s curriculum must be consistent with competencies of neonatal CNS practice and include supervised clinical and didactic coursework covering the spectrum of wellness through acute care.
ACCNS-N Exam Resources