AANPCB expands definition of eligible practice hours for recertification

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) recently updated its recertification requirements to broaden the professional activities that are considered eligible practice hours.

On the AANPCB website and in a brief report published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, AANPCB said it made the changes “to better fit the scope of clinically focused roles available to nurse practitioners today.”

To qualify for recertification via practice hours and continuing education, an AANPCB-certified NP must, within their 5-year certification period, complete a minimum of 1,000 practice hours as a nurse practitioner in the population focus of their certification. Eligible practice hours have always included direct patient care, but now include administrative, educational, and research roles.

To reflect the updated recertification requirements, AANPCB guidance for eligible practice hours now states:

• Direct patient care duties can include direct patient care and faculty clinical supervision of NP students. Telehealth and volunteer practice hours are included.
• Administrative duties involving overseeing and interacting with advanced practice providers and/or faculty are included.
• Education including clinical supervision and/or didactic teaching in an NP program, or providing education to advanced practice providers in other settings, is included.
• Research must be outcomes related and patient driven. Activities include QI, evidence-based science, and practice innovation.

The updates to AANPCB recertification requirements took effect. April 1, 2023. Find certification renewal requirements here, and find the AANPCB Recertification Handbook here.

Reference

Tyler, D., Schumann, L. (2023). Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. DOI: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000948