Abstract
ABSTRACT: The vision of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) is that nurse practitioners (NPs) meet the highest standards of excellence and competence to support quality care and optimal health outcomes. The highest standards of excellence require monitoring and improving our certification and recertification programs. After conducting a thorough review of the relevant literature and a series of surveys of our certificants, changes were made to the AANPCB recertification requirements that are consistent with continued competency. These changes are (1) maintaining a minimum of 1,000 advanced practice hours as an NP in the role of clinician, educator, administrator, and/or researcher plus obtaining 100 contact hours of qualified professional development credits; (2) allowing completion of the renewal criteria after the certification end date for individuals who have allowed their certification to expire; and (3) retiring the COVID temporary certification extension policy.