Online Certified Nurse Practitioner Training Program Information

Like those of other advanced medical professionals, the training, qualifications and standards for nurse practitioners are carefully scrutinized and maintained through intensive peer review. Multiple organizations are involved in their training, certification and re-certification. Individuals seeking to become certified nurse practitioners or maintain their certifications will find many distance learning opportunities available to them.

What Certified Nurse Practitioner Training Programs Are Available Online?

Nurse practitioner training programs are available through dozens of universities online at the master's level and beyond. Professional nursing associations such as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and other credentialing organizations work with academic institutions to identify appropriate standards for advanced study and certification. A comprehensive listing of all approved distance learning nurse practitioner programs is available on the AANPCP website, with geographic and specialty sort capabilities.

Professional Associations

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANPCP), the largest professional networking and advocacy organization for nurse practitioners nationwide, operates a certification program for entry-level nurse practitioners. Certification indicates competence in family, adult or gerontologic specialties. To sit for any of these three examinations, applicants usually must be graduates of approved master's or post-master's programs, which are available online. Nurses with equivalent experience or education may petition to take the examination.
Certifications are renewable at 5-year intervals with passage of an examination and completion of required continuing education units. While exams must be taken in person at established testing sites, continuing education courses needed for re-certification are available online. AANPCP offers its own online CE courses free to members. Qualifying continuing education and re-certification review courses are identified on the organization's website (www.aanpcp.org) .
Pediatrics and women's health gained recognition as core nurse practitioner competencies in a 2002 joint report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing .
The following collaborating organizations evaluate nurse practitioner continuing education curricula. These organizations also provide their own continuing education programs online, as well as certification:

• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (www.napnap.org)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (www.nursecredentialing.org)
• American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org)
• American Academy of Family Physicians (www.aafp.org)
• American Academy of Physician Assistants (www.aapa.org)