Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities

Members of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) cite CE as one of the most important considerations regarding their membership. AANP maintains the AANP CE Center, an online CE portal with AANP-Accredited Online Activities and CE Programs free to current AANP members. The CE Center provides CE that meets the role and population-foci requirements for an advanced practice nurse's maintenance of certification. AANP also provides the CE Opportunities Calendar and the listings for Independent CE Opportunities of live CE programs and self-study CE programs accredited by the AANP, AANP Approved Providers, and AANP Partners.

AANP CE Center -  AANP's online continuing education portal: Access to over 90 online continuing education activities, with online testing, program evaluations and certificate generation as soon as the program requirements are completed. New programs are added frequently and many offer pharmacology credit. CE activities are saved in the AANP Member's Dashboard to access whenever you need.

Some accredited continuing nursing education or continuing medical educational providers are listed as a courtesy to AANP members and other visitors to our site. The listings do not imply endorsement by AANPCP or AANP. Each participant is responsible for determining whether or not the type of credit is acceptable for his/her recertification requirements.

CE Hours, Approved Providers, and Accredited Programs

Certificants are responsible for determining if:

• the CE provider is accredited.
• the CE is relevant to the NPs specialty and role.
• the CE is acceptable for his/her national recertification and their individual SBON re-licensure requirements.

AANPCP-certified Primary Care Nurse Practitioners are:

• life-long learners in their field.
• are expected to provide evidence of continuing education activity relevant to the NPs Role and Specialty.

Re-Certification = Maintenance of Certification

• Maintenance of Certification (Recertification) requirements will change in 2014 in anticipation of proposed changes related to the national Consensus Model for APRNs: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE).

Currently, … AANPCPs 2013 recertification continuing education requirements:

• Provide evidence of no less than 75 contact hours relevant to the Nurse Practitioner’s population focus.
• Must be obtained during the 5 year period of certification.
• Does not currently require NPs renewing their certification in 2013 to show evidence of continuing education in the area of pharmacology. Certificants are encouraged to complete and submit continuing education hours in pharmacotherapeutics for APRNs specialties.

AANPCP is affiliated with the NP membership organization – the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)*.

• AANPCP Certificants who are current members of AANP have access to hundreds of current AANP-accredited programs, as well as non-AANP independent continuing education Contact Hour activities and programs.

The following is a list of various acceptable, accredited, and independent continuing education organizations that may provide NP CE content hours for applicants seeking renewal through continuing education credit. This list is provided as a resource and a courtesy for AANPCP Certificants. This list does not imply endorsement by AANPCP, nor does it reflect in entirety all possible CE provider organizations.

Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
American Academy of Dermatology (ADA)
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)*
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
American Association of Diabetic Educators (AADE)
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
American College of Nurse Practitioners ACNP)
American College of Physicians (ACOP)
American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)
American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
American Medical Association (AMA)
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women?s Health (NPWH)
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE)
Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education (NPACE)

State and Government Departments of Health

State Boards of Nursing
State Boards of Pharmacy
State Medical Associations
State Nurse Practitioner Associations (i.e.; NPA of New York)

*American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), formerly known as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)

Online Providers:

Audio Digest
CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Contemporary Forum
DynaMed
Epocrates
Medscape
The Medical Letter
Prescribers Letter
PriMed
UpToDate
Journals (AANP, Clinical Advisor, JNP, …)

Available and acceptable NP Certification Review Courses:

• APEA-Advanced Practice Education Associates
• Barkley & Associates
• FHEA-Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc.
• Marye Dorsey Kellermann Educational Entitees, Inc.

Advanced Life Support Courses ACCEPTED by AANPCP:

• Advanced Burn Life Support
• Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics
• Advanced Trauma Life Support

Advanced Life Support Courses NOT ACCEPTED by AANPCP:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support

Clinical Precepting hours are NOT ACCEPTED by AANPCP

• Precepting of students in the clinical setting is considered to be professional development and a valuable contribution to the profession. It is, however, NOT ACCEPTED by AANPCP for continuing education.