Practice Analysis: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist

Standards for advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) licensure in the United States require certification programs to analyze practice in order to document the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners (AGACNPs) and wellness-through-acute-care clinical nurse specialists (AGCNSs). The practice analysis done every 5 years by the AACN Certification Corporation provides research data for use in establishing test plans for certification of APRNs.

To describe the development of a survey to collect information on the current practice of AGACNPs and AGCNSs, and to compare the results from practitioners in the 2 roles.

In 2016, a task force of subject matter experts created a survey of the practice activities and competencies of AGACNPs and AGCNSs. Respondents rated activities and competencies according to their applicability and significance to APRN practice. The subject matter experts analyzed the ratings to determine which patient care problems, skills and procedures, and competencies would be included in the updated certification test plans.

After analyzing the survey responses, subject matter experts retained 135 patient care problems, 45 skills and procedures, and all national competencies for AGACNPs and 123 patient care problems, 56 skills and procedures, and all national competencies for AGCNSs. Both roles involve several of the same patient care problems, skills and procedures, and competencies.

Data from practice analysis surveys formed the basis for developing reliable and valid certification examinations for entry-level APRNs. The information from such studies of practice should inform practicing nurses and students, as well as educators, accreditors, legislators, and regulators, about the work of AGACNPs and AGCNSs.