American Nurses Credentialing Center
Encyclopedia
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA)
, is a certification
body for nursing board certification and the largest certification body for advanced practice registered nurses in the United States , currently certifying over 75,000 APRNs. This includes nurse practitioner
s and clinical nurse specialist
s.
ANCC's nursing board certification program is one of the oldest in the nation, and many of its certifications were established over 30 years ago when nursing certification was still in early developmental stages.
Two years later, the ANC's Nursing Practice Department published a paper promoting certification standards. From the ideas presented in this paper, the Congress for Nursing Practice drafted guidelines for the certification process in 1969. Within a few years, several nursing practice divisions had drafted certification processes based upon these guidelines.
In 1973 the ANA announced a national certification program for nursing practice. By 1974 the first certification examinations were administered.
Over the following seventeen years the ANA continued to expand its nursing credentialing exams to cover more areas of practice and administration. The ANA decided in 1990 to create the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a subsidiary non-profit corporation, through which it would sell its certification services and exams.
In 1999 the ANCC created an international branch of the organization in order to provide its services outside of the United States.
Program for nursing continuing education
providers and approvers, and the Magnet Recognition Program
, which rates medical institutions for their nursing
excellence. The ANCC also runs the Pathway to Excellence program to help hospitals improve their working environment for nurses.
In 1998 the ANCC created the Institute for Research, Education, and Consultation (IREC) which provides the following services: Certification
, Magnet Recognition Program
, Pathway to Excellence, and Accreditation
.
American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association is a professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. It started in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae and was renamed the American Nurses Association in 1911...
, is a certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
body for nursing board certification and the largest certification body for advanced practice registered nurses in the United States , currently certifying over 75,000 APRNs. This includes nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioner
A Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
s and clinical nurse specialist
Clinical nurse specialist
A clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
s.
ANCC's nursing board certification program is one of the oldest in the nation, and many of its certifications were established over 30 years ago when nursing certification was still in early developmental stages.
History
In 1966 The American Nursing Association amended its bylaws to allow the creation of certification boards for nurses in various areas of practice.Two years later, the ANC's Nursing Practice Department published a paper promoting certification standards. From the ideas presented in this paper, the Congress for Nursing Practice drafted guidelines for the certification process in 1969. Within a few years, several nursing practice divisions had drafted certification processes based upon these guidelines.
In 1973 the ANA announced a national certification program for nursing practice. By 1974 the first certification examinations were administered.
Over the following seventeen years the ANA continued to expand its nursing credentialing exams to cover more areas of practice and administration. The ANA decided in 1990 to create the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a subsidiary non-profit corporation, through which it would sell its certification services and exams.
In 1999 the ANCC created an international branch of the organization in order to provide its services outside of the United States.
Services
Other services of the ANCC include an AccreditationAccreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
Program for nursing continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
providers and approvers, and the Magnet Recognition Program
Magnet Recognition Program
The Magnet Recognition Program is a recognition program operated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center that recognizes healthcare organizations that provide excellence in nursing. It is considered the highest recognition for nursing excellence. The program also offers an avenue to...
, which rates medical institutions for their nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
excellence. The ANCC also runs the Pathway to Excellence program to help hospitals improve their working environment for nurses.
In 1998 the ANCC created the Institute for Research, Education, and Consultation (IREC) which provides the following services: Certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
, Magnet Recognition Program
Magnet Recognition Program
The Magnet Recognition Program is a recognition program operated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center that recognizes healthcare organizations that provide excellence in nursing. It is considered the highest recognition for nursing excellence. The program also offers an avenue to...
, Pathway to Excellence, and Accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
.
Certification-Related Products and Services
- Live review seminars
- National study groups
- Web-based e-learning
- Certification review manuals
- Web-based practice questions and answers
Magnet Recognition Program-Related Products and Services
- Annual National Magnet Conference
- Magnet workshops
- Consulting services
- Web-based e-learning
Pathway to Excellence Program-Related Products and Services
- Pathway workshops
- Consulting services
- Web-based e-learning
Accreditation Program-Related Products and Services
- Annual Accreditation Symposium
- Consulting services
Certification Exams
ANCC offers certification programs in 29 nursing specialties :- Ambulatory care nursingAmbulatory care nursingAmbulatory care nursing is characterized by rapid, focused assessments of patients, long-term nurse/patient/family relationships and teaching and translating prescriptions for care into doable activities for patients and their caregivers....
- Cardiac vascular nursingCardiac nursingCardiac nursing is a nursing specialty that works with patients who suffer from various conditions of the cardiovascular system. Cardiac nurses help treat conditions such as unstable angina, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction and cardiac...
- Gerontological nursingGeriatric nursingGeriatric nursing is the specialty that concerns itself with the provision of nursing services to geriatric or aged individuals.-Geriatric nursing:...
- Informatics nursingHealth informatics.Health informatics is a discipline at the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care...
- Medical-surgical nursingMedical-surgical nursingMedical-surgical nursing is a nursing specialty area concerned with the care of adult patients in a broad range of settings. The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses is a specialty nursing organization dedicated to nurturing medical-surgical nurses as they advance their careers...
- Nurse Executive (formerly Nursing Administration)Nursing managementNursing management is performing leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling...
- Nursing Case Management
- Nursing Professional DevelopmentNurse educatorA nurse educator is a nurse who teaches and prepares licensed practical nurses and registered nurses for entry into practice positions. They can also teach in various patient care settings to provide continuing education to licensed nursing staff...
- Pain ManagementPain managementPain management is a branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach for easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists,...
- Pediatric nursing
- Psychiatric and mental health nursingPsychiatric and mental health nursingPsychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the specialty of nursing that cares for people of all ages with mental illness or mental distress, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression or dementia...
- Acute Care Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Adult Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Family Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Gerontological Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Pediatric Nurse PractitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
- Adult Health Clinical Nurse SpecialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical Nurse SpecialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
- Child/Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Clinical Nurse SpecialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
- Gerontological Clinical Nurse SpecialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
- Pediatric Clinical Nurse SpecialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
- Advanced Practice Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health NursingPsychiatric and mental health nursingPsychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the specialty of nursing that cares for people of all ages with mental illness or mental distress, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression or dementia...
- Nurse Executive, Advanced (formerly Nursing Administration, Advanced)Nursing managementNursing management is performing leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling...