The New “Consensus Model” in NP Education
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago by Dave Mittman in Acute Care/Emergency Medicine, Adolescent Care , Adult Health, Cardiology, College Health, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Gynecology, Hospitalist , Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Retail Care, Surgery and Women's Health
This may help some readers understand. It was re-printed with permission from FHEA News (Peg Fitzgerald’s Group).
Will some NPs have to re-train if they do not fit in? Will people be grandfathered? Don’t the states have to agree with this?
Dave
Understanding the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation and its Impact on Certification
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, Editor
The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education is a model developed by more than 40 nursing organizations with a common goal to create a standardized system to allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to practice more independently. This model was finalized in 2008 with the intention of successful application of standards for licensure, accreditation, certification and education (LACE) for APRNs by 2015.
There will be four general roles for APRNs under this new model, including certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, certified nurse specialist, and certified registered nurse anesthetist. The model will also feature six population foci that includes family/individual across lifespan, adult-gerontology, neonatal, pediatrics, women’s health/gender-related, and psychiatric-mental health. Independent APRN licensure will be based on the four roles and at least one foci. One will not be permitted to be licensed only by specialty, but instead must define their role by population foci and then specify their exact area of practice if desired.
One of the organizations involved in the development of this model is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The ANCC has shared its plans to gradually change their certification programs based on the implementation timeline for the Consensus Model. They are expected to initiate new options for certification including adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (NP) and adult-gerontology primary care NP in 2013. Similarly, they will retire the acute care, adult psychiatric and mental health, and gerontological NP options by 2014 as these certifications and others will not meet the standards of the model. The retirement process is applicable to those who are seeking new credentials. However, it will not impact APRNs who maintain their current credentials through continuing education and clinical practice and do not allow their certification to lapse. Currently, the ANCC is working towards the creation of new certification examinations that will reflect the changes in the certification types offered.
Author’s Note: Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc., is committed to the success of the APRN. Our NP Certification Examination Review and Advanced Practice Update course is updated annually to comply with changes in certification examinations and practice. We will continue to monitor the implementation process of the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation and its impact on certification so that we can adapt our review course to reflect these changes once a content outline of the new certification exams has been announced.
References:
American Nurses Credentialing Center. APRN Corner: Frequently Asked Questions. http://nursecredentialing.org/Certification/APRNCorner/APRN-FAQ.aspx. Accessed 11.14.11.
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Discussion
Dave - I still don’t understand what this is or what it means for NPs.
Help.
I’ll take a stab at trying to clear it up. As of 2013, all NP’s will be graduating with a Doctoral degree, or they won’t be able to sit for the ANCC certification exam. I won’t be able to use my certification as an Ortho NP to maintain my license in my state, I will need to also hold one of the above listed certifications. I’m now certified by ANCC as an adult NP. When I renew in 2014, my certification will be changed to adult/geriatric.
So, at age 46 I need to decide do I need to spend 2 years getting my DNP to guarantee my career, or do I risk being grandfathered in with my MS and hope I there is no life circumstance that would prevent me from meeting the requirements for renewing my ctertification every 4 years until I retire?
Hope that helps some.
Don’t think it has to do with degree. Many NP programs have not even converted over and many will not be. There will still be MSN
NPs. I think it has to do with how NPs will be initially trained. No more disease state original training or site, so no school health, college health, no acute care. You will be licensed to treat age groups and later specialize is the way I understand it?
Dave
It has nothing to do with the DNP.
Dave is correct.
I think I’ll be waiting until the ANCC can publish what it intends in a way I can understand before I go jumping through any more hoops ultimately designed to keep educators educating. Last I looked, the ACNM (the professional organization for certified nurse- and PA-midwives) had its own certifying body, the ACMB, whose certification is recognized by all the states, regardless of degree. Certification as a CNM/CM means the applicant has met the requirements of the ACNM--not the LACE consensus group--which has nothing to do with, and no say in, the independent practice of midwives. In fact, several consensus groups regarding midwifery have formed to standardize INTER-national practice (not just national practice), of women’s health care.
Here’s an excerpt from the ACNM’s white paper on the consensus model:
An issue for midwifery is that because none of the enumerated population foci clearly reflects the full scope of midwifery practice, it is possible for the breadth of midwifery scope to be misunderstood and inadvertently truncated. It has been confirmed by the framers
of the Consensus Model and the NCSBN since its adoption and ongoing implementation that midwifery care includes primary care of women across the lifespan. It is imperative that midwives be recognized as primary care providers of women across the lifespan including selective care of women’s male partners and their newborns.
More info at:
http://www.midwife.org/ACNM/files/ccLibraryFiles/Filename/000000001458/LACE_White_Paper_2011.pdf
I’ve gotten my info from ANCC and it looks like they are having NPs ‘specialize’ in an age or gender based (Women’s Health) focus groups. It looks like the one it will affect most is people like me who are Acute Care board certified since we don’t have an ‘age’ based group. The certification is ‘retired’ but I am still able to renew my credentials as an ACNP as long as my certification does not lapse. If it lapses, then I will have to recert in one of the new focus groups. I didn’t see anything in my information that is requiring me to obtain a doctorate at this time. So new grads of an acute care program will be adult/gero ACNPs or peds ACNP. I believe the same is going to be true for psych and the other non age based certifications. It sounds pretty grey to me still and I’m sure will undergo a few more revisions before they finally get it straightened out.
The key to this for me was - if my certification inadvertently lapses, (as I do not have a doctorate, but rather a certificate/BSN in womens health and CNM), I will not be allowed to practice. I would have to go back and go into debt for a MSN/doctorate program that would allow me to re-sit for the exams. This is from the state board of nursing. It’s quite frustrating to me. At almost 57, it is not financially advantageous to do this - and I would never experience a benefit to this plan of advanced degree. Besides, I think I am just too tired! So, I make sure and recertify at least 2 months prior to the date listed, and send to the state at least 2 months prior to expiration of licenses.