Thank you for a great year! We enjoyed connecting with you at our conferences, faculty townhalls, and webinars. In order to support student success in 2024, our team would like to take this opportunity to provide you with the below resources:
Important Updates Regarding the Validation of APRN Education Form
The Certification Department will NOT be accepting printed and hand signed forms in the new year.
Starting January 1, 2024, faculty will need to complete the updated Validation of APRN Education Form. For information on how to fill out the form, watch our most recent video:
Story of Encouragement to Share with Your Students From an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
Today we are highlighting Carolina Mendez, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CCRN, CFRN, CNRN, RNFA, and her experience as an #ANCCCertified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
As a bedside registered nurse and flight nurse, I found that the lack of advance practice providers (APPs) within the Spanish speaking community was seriously affecting ongoing care. This pushed my focus towards the Spanish speaking community. As someone that understands the culture, speaks the same language, and understands the socioeconomic disparities, which can affect patient compliance with post-hospital care, I felt that it was important for the patients to have someone who they can relate to and trust. This is one of the reasons why I am obtaining national certification as a Spanish interpreter. This additional training will help me provide excellent medical care and medical education at the level that the patient will easily understand, like my colleagues in Latin America, which can reduce anxiety and increase compliance in my patient population.
I also have a passion for serving other vulnerable populations. I currently work for a non-profit level 1 trauma center. Our trauma patients not only come in with life threating injuries but also with untreated or uncontrolled chronic diseases and many suffer from psychiatric or polysubstance abuse disorders. My goal is to obtain the education and experience needed to be an APP that can care for the underrepresented, underserved, underinsured, uninsured, and the most vulnerable.
As a dual certified Nurse Practitioner, I felt that I had a better understanding of the needs of my patients and how to manage acute and chronic medical conditions. Obtaining certification as an AGACNP-BC has helped me grow as an APP, and it is getting me closer to the goals mentioned above. I am gaining the experience and knowledge needed to care for the most vulnerable and having dual certification, allows me to work in the inpatient and outpatient settings, which broadens my reach to those communities.
As an ANCC certified nurse practitioner, my career goals have successfully aligned as an educator, researcher, leader, and as a representative of a minority group to bring diversity to our profession, enhancing healthcare and bridging the gap within healthcare disparities. I am a proud ANCC certified AGACNP.
As a Latina Nurse Practitioner, I have experience firsthand the lack of support and the need to break the barriers. I want those pursuing their advanced nursing career to never give up and follow their dreams. As my nursing career grew, I faced difficulties while working in a male dominated career, fight nursing. That challenge only pushed me to prove to myself that I can do anything by working hard, never giving up, and that every fall is just a steppingstone to success! I was a flight nurse for 12 years, during that time I enhanced my nursing skills and continued my advanced training, obtaining my dual certification as an APP. I am now part of approximately 6% of Latinas with an advanced nursing degree.
Lastly, find your people. How? You may ask, by joining nursing associations. You can start at your school’s student nurses association, and you can expand to other nursing associations and chapters. I am a proud member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Phoenix Chapter. I am the chair of education and the interim community outreach chair. Being part of this amazing organization has helped me grow, not only professionally but personally as well. I found MY PEOPLE! Nursing associations focus on networking, education, volunteerism, mentorship, growth and development, leadership, and most importantly, FAMILISMO (a sense of family).
Please never give up and help me bridge the gap in healthcare disparities, no matter your background or ethnicity, let’s unite and prove how APPs are an absolute need in the medical field and that full practice authority should be for all!
ANCC Certification's Revamped FAQs Page
The ANCC Certification Department has updated their Certification FAQs page:
Experience a simulated testing environment that is timed and live proctored.
Increase comfort with Prometric’s proctoring exam before taking the certification exam.
Includes questions developed for the ANCC certification exams.
Receive scoring feedback to gauge your strengths and gaps and guide your studying efforts.
Available Readiness Test Exams:
Advanced Practice
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Specialty Nursing
Ambulatory Care Nursing
Cardiac-Vascular Nursing
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Nurse Executive
Nurse Executive, Advanced
Nursing Professional Development
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
Purchasing Options:
Interested in purchasing our Readiness Tests in bulk? ANCC, in collaboration with Prometric offers nursing programs and organizations the option to purchase bulk orders of Readiness Test vouchers for their students or employees at a discounted rate. Interested in learning more? Contact us at anccreadinesstest@ana.org.
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