AANP or ANCC?
Both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) provide an opportunity to pass the national certification examination. Reviewing the official websites of the mentioned bodies, one may note that they indicate the key aspects regarding the process of certification, costs, eligibility, etc. For instance, AANP has a separate website devoted to the certification board that reveals the examination details, themes, and the essence of the Family Nurse Practitioner’s work. The cost of certification depends on an applicant type along with the number of Contact Hours (CHs).
Among the eligibility criteria, there are post-graduate status, a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised direct patient care CHs, successful completion of the APRN core courses, and so on (“American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)”, 2017). To help candidates in learning state-specific requirements, AANP collaborates with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and also provides links to external official websites for details.
ANCC website seems to be more convenient and easy to learn as all the necessary points are located side by side. For example, the eligibility criteria such as RN license and presence of Master’s, Postgraduate, or Doctoral Degree as well as pricing and discounts that depend on ANA membership and an applicant type are presented on the same page (“American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)”, 2017).
The test reference list allows applicants to prepare for examination based on credible sources. Also, ANCC presents the detailed study and certification aids with the links to relevant websites, including those that reflect state requirements. An opportunity to use the mobile application makes information receiving even more convenient and timely. In general, ANCC is more user-friendly and useful in answering candidates’ questions since it is more clear, detailed, and intuitive. Therefore, one may recommend choosing ANCC for the national certification examination.
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). (2017). Web.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). (2017). Web.