She then earned her Master of Science in nursing from Texas Woman’s University and a post-master’s degree in acute care from University of Pennsylvania. She has worked predominantly in cardiovascular settings, and has managed patients with congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and patients pre and postoperative with cardiac intervention. She is involved in the entire continuum of care of My Cardiologist patients and will be seeing patients in the office and the inpatient hospital setting.

It was tough from there on out to make friends in the program and get to know my classmates as I was not part of this group anymore, but the peace of mind was invaluable. Choose from two program options — FNP or PMHNP — and prepare to raise the standard of patient care. Delivers Georgetown University’s MS in Nursing program online, preparing RNs with a BSN to pursue certification in an APRN specialty. Finally, I felt I needed more practice questions, so I signed up for a subscription to Board Vitals online question bank. Of note, the Barkley review is more specific to the ANCC board exam (I took the AACN exam).
Our 5-test bundle of practice exams costs less than the cost of taking the actual certification exam. By taking our AACN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners practice tests, you’ll gain the psychological advantage needed to walk into your test day with confidence. Our realistic practice tests simulate the actual exam experience, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when it’s time to take the real thing. Jen Picagli, APRN, works primarily in vascular neurology on the New Haven campuses.
I discovered that many people complained about the lack of assistance and help, when I found that if you just ask professors, they do help you. Don’t expect answers and information to be handed to you, you will have to look up information for yourself. If I do not know the answer to a question, I am expected to look it up and then discuss it with my attending.
The ACNPC-AG is an entry-level exam for acute care nurse practitioners to meet the specialized needs of adult-gerontology patients (young adults, older adults and frail elderly) with complex acute and/or chronic health conditions. [Ginny Moullet, ACNPC-AG, CCRN, CEN] As I live in a rural area of the country, there weren’t many options for an MSN. Additionally, I wanted to work as a critical care nurse practitioner and the one program that might have been a local option for me was only for family nurse practitioners. I have two teenagers who are heavily involved in sports so sitting in a classroom was not feasible. At the time I went back to school, I was also taking calls 24 days a month with a 20 minute response time to the hospital for the cardiac cath lab.
I had two wonderful preceptors who were invaluable in teaching me the role of the ACNP in the intensive care unit. I worked alongside intensivists who were not officially my preceptor on paper but graciously taught me skills and diagnostic reasoning. During my rotations, I learned as much as I could and jumped into doing as many procedures as I could. I took the same attitude I did while in nursing school – do as many procedures and skills with your preceptor, as you will soon be doing them on your own.

SHEERY VILLAGRACIA, MSN, APRN, ACNPC-AG, AGACNP-BC

You will gain an understanding of the types of questions and information you will encounter when you take your American Association of Colleges of Nursing AACN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners Certification Exam. Candidates must also have a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours in the care of acutely ill adult and geriatric patients. Additionally, candidates must hold an active, unencumbered RN license in the United States or its territories. Are you looking to become an AACN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner?
The role of the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner is to provide advanced nursing care to adult, older adult and elderly patients with acute, chronic and critical conditions. The term “acute” differentiates acute care nurse practitioners from primary care practitioners. Jennifer Renee Schlueter, MSN, APRN, ACNPC-AG, OCN, is a board-certified Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC-AG) in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

After first completing nursing school and board examinations to become a registered nurse and working at least one to two years, you can apply to a nurse practitioner program in order to advance your career. With Exam Edge, you’ll have access to 25 online practice exams, each containing 150 unique questions that thoroughly prepare you for the AACN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners exam. Our world-class practice certification tests are designed to give you the knowledge you need to pass your certification exam and excel in your career. Sheery Villagracia, MSN, APRN, ACNPC-AG is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certified in Adult Gerontology, and certified by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She began her education in the Philippines and completed her undergraduate degree in nursing in 2009. She has a passion for cardiac and cardiothoracic patients where she practiced in the Intensive Care Unit at Las Vegas NV before moving to Reno in 2015.

Do I need to take an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner review course?

However, there was nothing comparable specific to the AACN exam, so I chose to try Barkley and was satisfied. Another available board exam review is through Fitzgerald and while I have not used it, some of my colleagues were pleased with the materials. There are two available board exams for the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner; one is through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and one through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). The AGACNP-BC certification is longer than the ACNPC-AG exam at 175 scored questions and 25 pretest questions. Acute Care Nurse Practitioners must first become a Registered Nurse before applying to an ACNP degree program. To become an RN, they should earn a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) from a state-approved institution.

The scope of the Acute Care NP is directly related to state-specific rules and regulations. Nurse Practitioners provide their patients and families with a unique focus on health maintenance and preventative care. While many practitioners concentrate on only diagnosing and treating disease, NPs generally focus on promoting health maintenance. Our providers understand that pain from an illness, injury or aging can disrupt a person’s activities and day-to-day routines. The team of renowned Interventional Pain Management Specialists, with training from world-class institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Stanford and Harvard, deliver state-of-the-art treatments and procedures.

Which exam do I take to become an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner?

Receive special offers, keep up with MOC requirements and stay informed of the latest offerings in free online CME in your specialty. The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (AGACNP-BC) replaces the ACNP-BC exam to align with the APRN consensus model to promote a uniform model of NP licensing,  certification and accreditation. You will receive a 90-day window in which to begin the test scheduling process and can repeat the exam up to four times in one year. If you fail two or more times, the PNCB requires you to contact customer service for additional instructions at
Both certification credentials are similar in that they are the first step a new graduate would do to start a practicing. Each state has their own practice scope and that really determines what NP’s could and could not do. For the best web experience please use an alternate web browser such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Please note that prescriptions for controlled substances will be filled at the discretion of your provider and is not guaranteed by scheduling an appointment.
One of the class members had posted information about a test that she had learned from another student. Faculty learned about this and instituted stricter requirements for online testing. As per any school, if you are caught cheating you can be expelled from the program. Even though I hadn’t seen the information that was posted, the case could be made for guilt by association.
The Acute Care Nurse Practitioner works with hospitalists, specialists, physician assistants, nurses, and ancillary staff. The ACNP may practice autonomously, collaborate with a doctor under a required agreement, or have a supervisory relationship with an overseeing physician. Some states restrict the amount of independence that  Advanced Practice Registered Nurses possess, but a growing number have pending legislation that will increase their autonomy.

The Acute Care Nurse Practitioner manages the health care needs of the acutely, critically, or chronically ill patient in many different settings (inpatient to outpatient). For example, in the inpatient setting ACNPs work in the ICU, critical care, medical-surgical, or emergency department. Unfortunately, there is an unequal number of physicians throughout the country. Poor urban and rural settings have fewer doctors and a concentration of patients of low socioeconomic status. Acute Care Nurse Practitioners act to help fill the void left in disparate medical areas by seeing patients in hospitals and clinics.
Fortunately, I was one of two people from Washington State in my program, and we did not live anywhere near each other. I put out requests to four different clinical sites and one ended up working out very well. CMEList, Inc. lists the most comprehensive CME activities including board reviews, conferences, journal summaries, lectures, and other activities that can be completed for CME credits. We had nurses wear top-rated shoes to work and give their honest reviews. At this point in my career, I realized that if I do not know the information on the day of the exam, I will not know it at all. The ANCC issued the certification for the retired Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (ACNP-BC).
However, applicants should understand that several hundred hours of clinical time will be required for the completion of the program, and students will need to find a preceptor for that portion of training. Some schools will help students locate a preceptor and others will not. Prior education, certification and clinical practice are among the many requirements for being accepted into a nurse practitioner program. Here is a typical you can take to become an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.
I strive to always provide compassionate, patient-centered care and to listen to the concerns of my patients. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two kids. He started his nursing career a graduate of Reading Hospital School of Heath Sciences with a Diploma Certification in 2014. He then went on to work at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center before gaining employment at Reading Hospital in 2015. While working as a bedside Registered Nurse, he graduated from Chamberlain University College of Nursing in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Catherine Mahoney, ACNPC-AG, CNP earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of New Mexico and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of New Mexico. She is certified in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Catherine is a member of American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) and New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council (NMNPC). The night before the exam, I stopped studying around 8 pm, watched a TV show, and went to bed early.
The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation was introduced in 2008 to establish national standards for uniform regulation of advanced practice registered nurses in all states. It was developed by 48 APRN nursing organizations nationwide that have pledged support for these standards. Binu Mathew is a board-certified, advanced practice nurse specialized in Acute Care and Adult-Gerontology by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Holy Family University and, after graduating, began her nursing career in New York before transitioning into Critical Care Nursing at Pennsylvania Magnet Hospital in 2007. This passion led to her earning her Masters of Science in Nursing from Walden University, graduating with honors in 2017.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioners will have the perks of a necessary and rewarding job with a reassuring career outlook and an attractive salary. ACNPs typically work in hospitals, offices, and clinics but may work in other roles, like education as a clinical instructor or professor. While you may think an Acute Care NP would work only in hospitals, nearly half of all ACNPs work outside of the hospital. Mark was born and raised in Tucson but moved in 2001 to attend college. In his spare time, Mark enjoys 4-wheeling around Arizona and Colorado trails in his Jeep and seeking the calm of mountains and forests with his wife and kids.
Being “allowed” to do a procedure or skill is a part of the credentialing and hospital privileging process. Not sure about every state but mine makes mention of seeing the population that you were educated for… So the adult-gerontology acute care population is what I am educated for. The NCC women’s health and neonatal NP exams include up to 175 items, with 25 embedded pretest items. The AACN exam for ACNPC-AG consists of 175 multiple-choice items, of which 150 are scored and the remaining 25 questions are pilot test items.
Mark Cameron, ACNPC-AG has been seeing PISA’s Safford and Benson patients since January of 2020. He has his Masters of Science in Nursing and has been an NP for 4 years. The ACNPC-AG exam is three-and-a-half (3.5) hours and consists of 175 multiple-choice questions. Allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students.