APRN Consensus Model Licensure Certification Newsletter

Delaware State Board of Nursin - Advanced Practice Nursin Committee

APN Committee Newsletter - April 2013 obtain and maintain accreditation, while the practicing APRN is responsible for maintaining The Impact the Consensus Model will have on current licensure the practicing Advanced Practice Nurse and certification. By: Beatrice Gaynor, MSN, CFNP, and Only individuals Allen V. Prettyman, PhD, CFNP who graduate from an accredited As Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) nursing education have grown in numbers and expanded their program will be capabilities over the past several decades, they eligible to sit for have become a highly valued, integral part of the their certification health care system. Because of the importance of exam. Although APRNs in caring for the current and future health APRNs who are practicing prior to the needs of patients, APRN education, accreditation, implementation of the Consensus Model will be certification and licensure must be effectively exempted from the new eligibility requirements by a aligned in order to continue to ensure patient safety "grandfathering" clause, each APRN must be while expanding patient access to care. Currently, attentive to changes in certification related to their 20 States have independent practice authority and specialties. 15 others are moving forward with introduction of legislation over the next few months. Adoption of In standardizing the profession across the nation, the Consensus Model is a key component of this the Consensus Model has defined four advanced and an exciting opportunity for APRNs in Delaware. practice roles: Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), Certified nurse-midwife (CNM), Clinical As the advanced practice nursing community nurse specialist (CNS) and Certified nurse prepares for the implementation of the Consensus practitioner (CNP). Linked to these roles are the Model in the following six populations: Family/Individual across near future, the life-span, Adult-Gerontology, Pediatrics, each Neonatal, Women's Health/Gender Related, and advanced Psych/Mental Health. Certification exams will apply practice to these roles and populations. nurse should review how The new standard will result in the retirement of this model certification exams which do not closely reflect the will affect their certification and licensure. To roles and populations identified in the model. summarize briefly, more than 45 Advanced Practice Currently certified APRNs may continue to maintain Nursing organizations developed the Consensus their credentials on retired certifications through Model which will increase patient safety by timely renewals, using professional development establishing nationwide standards that require all activities and clinical practice hours, without APRNs to meet the same educational and completing any new initial certification professional standards. The basic requirements requirements. Maintaining this certification is include four main areas: Licensure, Accreditation, significant to the practicing APRN. Failing to renew Certification, and Education (LACE). Educational a retired certification may result in loss of the institutions and certification agencies are required to certification. If your certification lapses and

you meet the reactivation requirements, you may Links to additional Nursing Organizations: reactivate your certification using professional development activities and clinical practice hours for American Association of Nurse Practitioners a grace period after your expiration date. The option (AANP) to reactivate certification with testing will not be http://www.aanp.org/ available for retired certification exams. If your certification lapses and you cannot meet the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses reactivation requirements within the determined (AACN) grace period, you may not be able to renew your info@aacn.org existing certification or your license to practice. This means that you may not meet state licensing, American Nurses Association (ANA) institutional credentialing, or third-party www.nursingworld.org reimbursement requirements. Keeping your certification current through renewal will allow the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNP) most flexibility as this process unfolds. www.apna.org Refer to your certifying agency for additional The APN committee welcomes your comments and information regarding scheduled retirement of feedback regarding the APRN consensus model. certification exams. To reach the committee, contact the Delaware Board of Nursing at: Phone: (302) 744-4500 Link to ANCC certification exams scheduled for Fax: (302) 739-2711 retirement: Email: customerservice.dpr@state.de.us http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Documents/Certifi APN Committee Meetings cation/APRN-Materials/APRN- CertificationNameChart.pdf Join the Dialog! Dates locations and times for APN Links to additional Certifying Agencies: Committee meetings are posted on the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board www.pncb.org following website:

http://egov.delaware.gov/pmc/#agency45 American Midwifery Certification Board www.amcbmidwife.org References: National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists www.nbcrna.com National Council of State Boards of Nursing (2012), Campaign for the APRN Consensus Model and National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Toolkit. https://www.ncsbn.org/aprn.htm Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Specialties (NCC) http://nccnet.org/ American Nurses Association (2012), APRN Consensus Model Toolkit. http://www.nursingworld.org/consensusmodel