The NP Insider

A blog for the nurse practitioners of today
...and tomorrow

Strategies for Meeting the AACN Essentials: A Practical Approach for Nurse Practitioner Programs

Dec. 1, 2025

By Jennifer Smith, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, ENP-C

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) developed The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education as a foundational framework for nursing education, to ensure that graduates are practice ready and prepared to meet the demands of today’s complex …

AACN Essentials

FNP Pass Rates Bounce Back, but Overall 2024 Results Are Mixed

July 16, 2025

After 5 years of steady decline, family nurse practitioner pass rates on the most prevalent certification exam made a dramatic comeback in 2024.

This rebound — a 10% increase — contrasts with continued declines on other NP certification exams. The mixed results highlight both progress and gaps in nurse practitioner preparation.

This …

NP Certification Pass Rates

Whether You’re an NP Student or in Clinical Practice, This Is the Reference Book You Need

May 23, 2025

Since the first edition was published in 2011, Hollier's Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care has been an essential resource for nurse practitioner practice. For NP students, it complements their curriculum and serves as a vital study resource for certification exams. For experienced NPs, it is a trusted …

Clinical Guidelines
Evidence-Based Practice
Exam Prep
Clinical Practice

Should I Take the AANP or ANCC Certification Exam?

April 7, 2025

AANP or ANCC Certification Exam?

As nurse practitioner students near the end of their programs each year, they inevitably confront the same question: Which certification exam should I take?

As the leader in NP certification preparation since 1997, APEA has developed a deep understanding of the differences among the certification …

AANP
ANCC
Family Nurse Practitioner
Adult-Gero Nurse Practitioner
Certification

Increase Retention and Pass Rates for Your NP Program with This Strategy

March 12, 2025

Preparing nurse practitioner students for board certification and clinical practice requires academic programs to provide didactic and experiential teaching that builds the foundation for advanced practice. Programs that go a step further can reinforce that foundation and graduate more new NPs who are ready to pass and ready to practice.

This …

pass rates
review courses
clinical guidelines

Why On-Demand NP Review Courses Are a Key to Exam Success

Feb. 5, 2025

The end of your academic journey through an NP program brings you to the start of an exciting and rewarding career. But before you can work as a nurse practitioner, an important achievement awaits: Passing the national board certification exam for your specialty.

Thousands of NP graduates (and their faculty) …

NP review course

Your Guide to Choosing the Best NP Certification Review Course

Jan. 2, 2025

Graduation from a nurse practitioner program brings well-deserved excitement — and for most people, some anxiety. You stand at the threshold of your new role as an advanced practice nurse, yet successfully crossing it may feel as formidable as scaling a mountain.

This article serves as your climbing harness, providing …

NP certification
Review course
FNP
PMHNP
AGACNP
AGPCNP
Nurse practitioner certification
Review course

A Step-by-Step Guide to Answering Questions on the NP Certification Exams

Dec. 15, 2024

By Lindsey Luther, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CNE

As you prepare for your nurse practitioner certification exam, it's crucial to develop a systematic approach to answering questions. When you use the method described here to answer study questions prior to your testing day, the process will become second nature and you will …

Certification Exams
AANPCB
AANC
AANP

Strengthening the Core: Here’s How NP Programs Can Ensure 3P Competency

Nov. 1, 2024

The "3 Ps" — pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment — are the core courses in every nurse practitioner education program. They form the foundation for competencies that are essential to advanced practice nursing, which means academic programs are responsible for determining whether NP students master 3P course content.

2025 PMHNP Career Outlook: High Need, High Demand, Rising Salaries

Oct. 14, 2024

The psychiatric-mental health specialty is the fastest-growing choice among nurse practitioner students, and the interest couldn’t come at a better time. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults is affected by a mental illness. Yet the supply of professionals trained …

PMHNP

Budgeting for an NP Review Course

July 20, 2024

Budgeting for an NP Review Course

A certification review course and clinical update is a powerful investment in exam prep or continuing education. To assist students and practicing NPs in making this investment, Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) offers three resources for discounts and budgeting. All three options are available for …

Review Course
Certification Prep
Savings
Budget
Discounts
Payment Plans

FNP pass rates drop for 5th consecutive year

June 1, 2024

Pass rates on the most common certification exam for family nurse practitioners decreased for the fifth consecutive year in 2023 — a 13% drop since 2018.

What is behind this downward trend? NP education specialists and faculty consultants cite changing academic delivery models, varying admission requirements, preceptor challenges, and increased patient …

AANPCB
ANCC
FNP exam

Preparing for NP boards: A template for success from a student who passed on the first attempt

May 8, 2024

By Anitra Ingram, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

"Plan your work and work your plan." — Napoleon Hill

Prepping for a nurse practitioner certification exam can be overwhelming. I feel your pain. We’re talking high stakes here — a pivotal moment on a path that requires a ton of grit and sacrifice.

If you’re …

Certification Prep
Nurse Practitioner Students
Study Plan for NP Boards

Why should NPs get involved in advocacy?

May 1, 2024

After seeing patients all day, reviewing and completing charts, and making follow-up calls, the average nurse practitioner isn’t driving home thinking, “Gee, I need to get involved in advocacy.”

But they should.

For your patients, your profession, and yourself, advocacy is realistic for even the busiest NP. It can produce numerous …

Professional Issues
Scope of Practice

Identifying first steps for meeting the National Task Force Standards for Quality NP Education

Feb. 29, 2024

By Lindsey Luther, DNP, FNP-C, CNE

New academic standards for nurse practitioner programs have moved competency-based education, curriculum relevance, and increased clinical practice experiences into priority focus. Meeting these and other requirements in the 2022 Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (NTF Standards, 6th edition) requires faculty to rethink …

NTF Standards
curriculum mapping
competency-based education
NONPF
AACN Essentials

Psychiatric-mental health NPs have a new certification exam

Feb. 9, 2024

Students in psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) programs have a new option for national certification. This spring, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) will administer its first PMHNP exams.

The introduction of the AANPCB exam for PMHNPs means that the American Nurses Credentialing …

PMHNP
nurse practitioner certification
AANPCB
ANCC

Meet the APEA faculty: Jennifer B. Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, ENP-C

Jan. 19, 2024

Advice from APEA Nurse Practitioner Education Specialist Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith is a family nurse practitioner with clinical experience in multiple settings, including primary care and emergency medicine. She teaches the APEA Review Course & Clinical Update for FNPs and AGPCNPs and has earned dual certification as a family nurse practitioner …

Nurse Practitioners
Review Courses
FNPs
AGPCNPs
NP Board Exams

Understanding NP scope of practice: Staying in your lane

Jan. 8, 2024

By Kathy Baldridge, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

Organized medicine is actively campaigning to “stop scope creep.” Try saying that 3 times really fast! It’s a tongue twister, but it is often a brain twister as well. Defining scope of practice can be confusing to …

Scope of practice
Nurse practitioners
APRN practice
Full practice authority

AANPCB introduces new FNP test blueprint

Dec. 13, 2023

Family nurse practitioner candidates seeking certification by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) will take exams based on a new test blueprint starting Jan. 2, 2024. The blueprint incorporates a slightly higher percentage of questions reflecting assessment, …

AANPCB
FNP certification
Family nurse practitioners
Certification exams

Curriculum mapping in nurse practitioner education: Meeting NTF standards is one of many benefits

Nov. 17, 2023

Imagine that you are planning a road trip. You’ve packed your bags, put together the perfect playlist, and placed your travel snacks within arm’s reach. It’s time to go! You get in your car and load the destination address into your navigation app, only to discover that the drive will …

NTF Standards
Curriculum Mapping
NP Faculty

How should nurse practitioners list their credentials?

Oct. 20, 2023

One of the most common questions asked by new nurse practitioners is: "How do I list my new NP credentials?" The display of your degrees and credentials on the signage in your practice setting, on your business cards, and on the medication prescriptions you write is an important mechanism for …

ANCC
AANP
Credentials
Professional Issues

Top free apps for nurse practitioners

Oct. 19, 2023

In today’s mobile world, we use apps for all kinds of reasons. Apps can help us keep track of our bank account, our favorite sports teams, and the whereabouts of family and friends. Apps can also help NPs and NP students find and apply essential information for the assessment and …

Apps
Nurse Practitioners
Reference

Why did family nurse practitioner pass rates decline?

Sept. 1, 2023

Contributing factors include pivoting curriculum delivery and pandemic-related trauma

Certification data for 2022 show that pass rates for family nurse practitioner candidates dropped by 10% on one of the two available exams — the most significant decline in the history of this certification.

Pass rates for the FNP exam from the …

AANPCB
ANCC
Family Nurse Practitioners
Certification Exams
Nurse Practitioners
FNPs
NP Students
NP Faculty

Meet the APEA Faculty: Dr. Lindsey Luther

Aug. 1, 2023

Advice from Dr. Lindsey Luther

Lindsey Luther, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CNE, EBP(CH), is a family nurse practitioner who teaches the APEA Review Course & Clinical Update for FNPs and AGPCNPs and develops content for APEA education programs. She is a certified nurse educator and earned a certificate in evidence-based …

FNP. AGPCNP
nurse practitioner certification
AANP
ANCC
APEA
ATI

Meet the APEA Faculty: Dr. Kathy Baldridge

July 1, 2023

Advice from Dr. Kathy Baldridge

Kathy Baldridge, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, is a family nurse practitioner with clinical experience in multiple settings, including primary care and neurology. She teaches the APEA Review Course & Clinical Update for FNPs and AGPCNPs and is a frequent invited speaker at …

APEA
nurse practitioner students
exam prep
review courses
study tips

New standards for NP education emphasize competency, more clinical hours, and outcome measures

Aug. 16, 2022

An Overview of the 2022 NTF Standards

Nurse practitioner education programs in the United States are now tasked with meeting a new set of standards designed to ensure quality in the academic preparation of NPs. The National Task Force (NTF) for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education endorsed the standards and released them …

nurse practitioners
NTF Standards
NP faculty
NP education

Preparing for Boards During & After Covid

Oct. 20, 2020

How do I make the smartest decision about attending a review course right now? How can I stay focused and motivated if I’m unsure of my testing date?

These are common questions we’re asked by NP students and recent graduates who are navigating the unique challenges of preparing for boards …

Certification

Why You Should Avoid Incident-To Billing

July 9, 2020

By Kathy Baldridge, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

Building upon the strong foundations of the nursing model, APRNs can diagnose patients, prescribe medications, and initiate and manage patient treatments. Another distinctive difference from that of our nursing foundation is the ability to bill and be reimbursed for healthcare services, making APRNs “revenue-visible.”

Federal …

AANP
ANCC
Billing
Incident To
Professional Issues

APEA Live Webinar Course FAQs

March 17, 2020

What exactly is a live webinar?

A webinar is a live virtual event that is delivered online. Webinars are a way for participants in many different locations to see and hear a live presentation remotely. Webinar software enables interactive participation through chat boxes and Q&A features. Participants view the presenter …

Webinar
Review Course
Certification

New ANCC Exam Blueprint for Adult-Gerontology Primary Care

Aug. 14, 2019

NP students seeking to certify with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGPCNPs) will see a new exam content breakdown starting in December 2019. ANCC recently announced that a new exam blueprint will go into effect on Dec. 16.

As it did with …

ANCC
Adult-Gerontology
Certification Exams
Blueprint

ANCC Introduces New Exam for Family Nurse Practitioners

March 4, 2019

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recently published a new blueprint for its family nurse practitioner exam that will significantly change how FNP students prepare for ANCC certification. The blueprint implements new content domains that reflect a move toward more clinical content and significantly less questioning on professional …

AGPCNP-BC
ANCC
Family Nurse Practitioner

When Do the NP Certification Exams Change?

Jan. 7, 2019

Note: This blog post was updated on Dec. 28, 2021.

The concerns surface every year: questions about rumored “new” versions of the AANP and ANCC certification exams for FNP and AGNP candidates. Worried students want to know whether it’s true that a completely new exam will be introduced—and even more …

NP Certification
ANCC
AANP
Certification Exam

Topic

AACN Essentials3+
NONPF Competencies1
3Ps1
AANP7+
ANCC12+
Billing1
Incident To1
Professional Issues3+
Family Nurse Practitioner2+
Adult-Gero Nurse Practitioner1
Certification3+
Review Course3+
Nurse Practitioners5+
Continuing Education1
AANPCB5+
FNP exam1
Family Nurse Practitioners1
Certification Exams3+
FNPs2+
NP Students1
NP Faculty2+
FNP certification1
Family nurse practitioners1
Certification exams1
AGNP1
FNP3+
Salary1
Job Market1
AGPCNP-BC1
Credentials1
Adult-Gerontology1
Blueprint1
cettification1
exam prep2+
APEA2+
nurse practitioner students1
review courses2+
study tips1
Apps1
Reference1
AANC1
Certification Prep2+
Nurse Practitioner Students1
Study Plan for NP Boards1
Clinical Guidelines1
Evidence-Based Practice1
Exam Prep1
Clinical Practice1
FNP. AGPCNP1
nurse practitioner certification2+
ATI1
NP Certification Pass Rates1
NP Certification1
Certification Exam1
NP certification1
Review course2+
PMHNP4+
AGACNP1
AGPCNP1
Nurse practitioner certification1
NP review course1
NTF Standards3+
Curriculum Mapping1
curriculum mapping1
competency-based education1
NONPF1
Review Courses1
AGPCNPs1
NP Board Exams1
NP education2+
ATI Nursing1
Psychotherapy1
aanp1
Prescribing1
Scope of Practice1
Savings1
Budget1
Discounts1
Payment Plans1
Scope of practice1
Nurse practitioners1
APRN practice1
Full practice authority1
Webinar1
burnout1
nurse practitioners2+
nurses1
suicide1
mental health1
evidence-based medicine1
1
NP faculty1
pass rates1
clinical guidelines1

The NP Insider

A blog for the nurse practitioners of today...and tomorrow

By Jennifer Smith, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, ENP-C

AANP or ANCC Certification Exam?

The challenge: Building … Read More

Budgeting for an NP Review Course

By Anitra Ingram, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Advice from APEA Nurse Practitioner Education Specialist Jennifer Smith

By Kathy Baldridge, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

Advice from Dr. Lindsey Luther

Advice from Dr. Kathy Baldridge

What exactly is a live webinar?

Topic

A blog for the nurse practitioners of today
...and tomorrow

The challenge: Building …
Read More