1. Home
2. Nurse Licensure
3. Advanced Practice Licensure
4. Certification Exams Recognized by ND Board of Nursing

Advanced Practice Certification Examinations
Recognized by the ND Board of Nursing

The following bolded type is the name of the certification organization, and the regular type is the examinations offered by that organization that is recognized by the board:

NURSE PRACTITIONER

American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program

• Family Nurse Practitioner FNP
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner A-GNP
• Adult Nurse Practitioner-ANP (retired 2015)
• Gerontology Nurse Practitioner-GNP (retired 12/28/2012)

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-ACNPC-AG )
• Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-ACNPC (retired; renewals only after 12/31/14)

American Nurses Credentialing Center  

• Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner AGACNP
• Adult-Gero Primary Care Nurse Practitioner AGAPCNP
• Family Nurse Practitioner (Family Across the Lifespan, Primary Care) FNP
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner PNP (previously Pediatric Primary Care NP) – discontinued 2019
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner PMHNP
• Acute Care Nurse Practitioner ACNP (retired )
• Adult Nurse Practitioner ANP (retired )
• Gerontological Nurse Practitioner GNP ((retired )
• Adult Psych-Mental Health NP PMHNP (retired )

Pediatric Nurse Certification Board  

• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care CPNP-PC
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care CPNP-AC

National Certification Corporation  

• Women’s Health/Gender Specific  Nurse Practitioner WHNP-BC
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner NNP-BC

CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST (CNS)

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

• Adult-Gerontology CNS-ACCNS-AG
• Pediatric CNS-ACCNS-P
• Neonatal CNS-ACCNA-N

American Nurses Credentialing Center

• Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist AGCNS-BC (will launch 4/2014)

Pediatric Nurse Certification Board  

• Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST

National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist- Family Across the Lifespan - CRNA

CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE

American Midwifery Certification Board

• Certified Nurse Midwife-Women’s Health/Gender Specific- CNM

Resource: National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2021). Approved APRN Licensure Certification Organizations and Exams. 

Approved: 10/11

Revised:  9/2023