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APRN Consensus Model

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) are central to the modern health care system and are the key providers of accessible and affordable care. Yet to fully support APRNs and maximize the effect of APRN expertise throughout the U.S., a uniform model of regulation was necessary.

ANCC and APRN Consensus Model

To help take APRN practice to the next level, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) collaborated with over 40 nursing organizations to address the inconsistency in APRN regulatory requirements throughout the United States. The result was the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE).

The Consensus Model sought to improve patient access to APRNs, support nurses to work more easily across different states, and enhance the ANCC certification process by preserving the highest standards of nursing excellence. Through consistency and clarity of APRN Consensus Model criteria, APRNs were empowered to work together to improve health care for all. 

Impact of the Consensus Model on certification

  • As implementation of the new Consensus Model occurred, ANCC's certification programs were modified to more closely reflect the roles and populations required in the model. To help APRNs make the transition as smoothly as possible, ANCC provided advance notice and information on the effects of any required changes.
  • ANCC continued to offer its current APRN certification programs and the new certifications reflecting the Consensus Model simultaneously (as of November 1, 2017, only initial APRN certifications that align with the Consensus Model will be available). Clinicians can renew an APRN certification by meeting the ANCC renewal requirements.
  • Most ANCC credentials did not change. Some credentials were changed to clarify the role and population.
  • Some certifications and their associated credentials were retired by ANCC. As this happened, ANCC provided advance notice and information on the effects of the change. While no new certifications are granted after a certification is retired, ANCC does allow currently certified nurses to maintain their credentials on retired certifications through timely renewals.
  • ANCC continues to require that APRNs complete the educational program area that corresponds to the certification they wish to pursue. The Consensus Model requires that these educational programs include three broad-based and separate graduate-level courses of advanced physiology/pathophysiology, health assessment, and pharmacology; and a minimum 500 clinical hours.

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