Medical Health Encyclopedia

Nurse Practitioner (NP) profession

CERTIFICATION

National certification is offered through various nursing organizations (such as the American Nurses' Association, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, and others), most of which require completion of an approved master's-level NP program prior to taking the certification exam. The exams tend to be offered in specialty areas such as family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, school nurse practitioner, adult nurse practitioner, women's health care nurse practitioner, and geriatric nurse practitioner.

Re-certification involves proof of continuing education. Only certified nurse practitioners may use a "C" either in front of or behind their other credentials (e.g., Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, FNP-C, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner). Some nurse practitioners may use the credential APN rather than NP, denoting advanced practice nurse, a broader category that also includes clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists.

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