The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) is an organization that essentially has a threefold purpose: to provide certification for nurses, accreditation for organizations that provide continuing education for nurses, and recognition to hospitals and other settings for their excellence in nursing. The ANCC also provides consultation, conferences, and other opportunities for ongoing nursing education and networking. They are part of the American Nurses Association (ANA) which represents all 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States.
Certification for Nurses
The ANCC provides opportunities for nurses to earn a variety of quality certifications. When you go to their website, you can find a listing of all the certifications they provide, as well as information about how to apply, maintain, or renew your specifically chosen certification. These certifications are for nurses at various levels and include specialty certifications for RNs as well as Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner certifications for advanced practice RNS (those RNs who have gone on to get advanced degrees and training). Just a few of the many specialty certifications they help nurses earn include cardio-vascular nursing, pediatric nursing, home health nursing, and forensic nursing. Some of the advanced practice certifications include acute care NP and Public/Community Health CNS certifications.
Accreditation and Recognition for Organizations
In addition to certifying individuals, the American Nurses Credentialing Center also accredits organizations that help provide nurses with the education and skills they need to flourish in their profession. If you are looking for quality continuing education, looking for the ANCC seal of approval is one way to ensure that you will find it. They make it easy to find their accredited organizations by letting you search by state or international area on their website. Organizations that have been approved by the ANCC get to use special logos that help nurses recognize their status.
The ANCC also recognizes healthcare facilities that provide excellent in nursing and in nursing environments. They have three programs through which they provide such recognition: the Magnet Recognition Program and the Pathway to Excellence and Pathway to Excellence in Long Term Care programs. Through the Magnet program, they assess the quality of a healthcare facility’s patient care and recognize institutions for superior nursing care. Through the Pathway programs, they recognize those institutions that they feel have provided a great working environment for nurses through providing excellent opportunities for nurses to develop as career leaders. The ANCC also provides promotional materials to help institutions celebrate certified nurses, including materials related to the annual certified nurses day held each March.
The ANCC also has a Credentialing Knowledge Center that provides materials for nurses to gain further education and competency. The Center sponsors conferences and symposiums for nurses and other healthcare providers. Like their other events and resources, you can trust the quality of these provided materials. Incorporated in 1990, the American Nurses Credentialing Center has become a highly respected and trusted organization for certification, accreditation, and recognition of quality patient care and working environments in the nursing profession.
