The Path to Becoming an Adult-gerontology Nurse Practitioner: Your Education and Certification Options
Adult-gerontology nurse practitioners, whether focused on acute or primary care, must hold an APRN license in the state in which they live. To achieve a state license to practice as either a PCAGNP or ACAGNP, you’ll need to earn, at a minimum, an RN license and an MSN degree in your chosen APRN role and focus. You’ll also need to take a pass the appropriate APRN exam through a nationally recognized certification board.
Although the MSN remains the minimum educational requirement to practice as an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, many nurses have found value in earning the DNP – the highest practice-based nursing degree. Greater earning potential, increased professional opportunities, and greater respect among other doctorate-prepared colleagues in the interdisciplinary healthcare team are just a few of the reasons the DNP has become the degree of choice for adult-gerontology nurse practitioners. And for currently practicing APRNs, the DNP is the ideal path to an additional certification as a WHNP.
There are a variety of DNP programs available today, with programs designed specifically for post-BSN students, post-MSN students, and even for career changers who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field.
BSN-DNP programs consist of about 73 credits and three years of full-time study, while MSN-DNP programs consisting of about 36 credits and two years of full-time study and may be designed for both APRNs and non-APRNs alike. Direct-entry DNP programs—those programs designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major—consist of between 65-80 credits, four and a half years of study, and all components necessary to earn the MSN, an RN license, and a DNP.
The DNP includes:
- Coursework covering the AACN’s 8 DNP Essentials
- Courses covering the chosen APRN role and focus that prepare you to take the required national certification examination. Examples of these specialty courses include:
- ACAGNP
- Pharmacotherapeutics Acute Care
- Management: Adult/Gerontology
- Management: Adult/Gerontology Acute & Critical Illness
- Quality & Safety for the Aging Adult
- PCAGNP
- Women’s Healthcare
- Management of Adults
- Diagnostic Management and Decision Making
- Pharmacotherapeutics for Older Adults
- Common Adolescent Health Problems
- About 500 clinical hours (achieved through clinical immersion experiences and formal internships)
- A final DNP project that involves taking what you’ve learned and applying it to a real-world project focused on improving patient outcomes
- ACAGNP
Professional certification, achieved by passing a nationally recognized certification board exam, is available through the following organizations:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Board (AANPCB)
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (A-GNP)
The American Nurses Credentialing Center Certification Program (ANCC)
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGACNP-BC)
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGPCNP-BC)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation (AACN)
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Adult-Gerontology (ACNPC-AG)
Most states recognize all of the above national certifications for APRN licensure; however, some states have a preference, so it’s important to check first with your state board of nursing.
