Nurse Practitioner Credentials: What Do All of Those Titles & Letters Mean?
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Becoming a nurse practitioner may feel like eating a bowl of alphabet soup. With so many degrees and titles represented by all-caps acronyms, people wonder: what do all these letters mean? Understanding the nursing profession requires some familiarity with nursing degrees, specializations, certifications, and professional organizations, all represented by acronyms.
This jargon aims not to confuse people but to make short work of lengthy titles and accurately display credentials. This guide decodes common nurse practitioner (NP) credentials, including the display order, designations, degree and certification programs, specializations, and fellowship award titles.
How to Display Nurse Practitioner Credentials – The Proper Order
Nursing titles aren’t to be thrown about – there are rules on how to display them correctly. For example, Indeed.com provides guidelines for displaying nursing credentials (see examples in parentheses):
- Highest-earned degree (e.g., MSN, DNP)
- Licensure (e.g., LPN, LVN, RN)
- State designations or requirements (e.g. APRN, NP, CNS, CNA, CNM)
- National certifications (e.g., FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC)
- Awards and honors (e.g., FAAN or Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing)
- Other recognitions (e.g., EMT, cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR], basic life support [BLS], or advanced cardiac life support [ACLS])
The principle behind these guidelines is this: permanent credentials come first, and more voluntary credentials are last. For example, if a family nurse practitioner has an MSN, state licensure, and board certification, their title would be Janice Doe, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC.
For legal purposes, nurse practitioners need only display the APRN credential next to their names when writing, prescribing, or presenting. For example, if a nurse practitioner is authoring a research paper, presenting at a conference, or providing legal testimony, they should address themselves as Janice Doe, APRN.
All nurse practitioners have advanced degrees, but those with two advanced degrees need only display their highest level of education. Also, if an NP has a master’s or doctoral in a non-nursing field, those degrees are listed first. For example, suppose a family nurse practitioner has a master’s of public health (MPH), a master’s of science in nursing (MSN), a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP), and board certification. In that case, the ANCC recommends they write their title in this order: Janice Doe, MPH, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC (note the MSN is omitted).
NP Degree Abbreviations
All nurse practitioners have a minimum of a master’s of science in nursing (MSN) degree, and some have a doctor of nursing practice (DNP). However, many MSN and DNP degree programs are advertised with the level of education an applicant has and the final conferred degree. For example, a BSN-to-MSN program requires applicants to have a bachelor of science in nursing, which results in an MSN degree.
When searching for NP degree programs, knowing all the degree abbreviations in the nursing field is helpful. Here’s a list of degree abbreviations, listed from lowest to highest levels of education, and a general time-to-completion.
| Degree & Abbreviation | Duration |
|---|---|
| LVN: Licensed Vocational Nurse LPN: Licensed Practical Nurse | One year or less |
| ADN: Associate Degree in Nursing ASN: Associate of Science in Nursing | Two years |
| BSN: Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Three to Four years |
| MSN: Master of Science in Nursing | Two years |
| Post-Master’s Certificate (leads to a specialized NP designation; see below for details) | One to two years |
| DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice | Two to six years |
NP Licensure
Nurse practitioner designations signify that an RN has earned a master’s or doctoral-level degree, passed a certification exam, and has a state-level APRN license. Here are the four most common nurse practitioner designations:
NP Designations
Nurse practitioner designations signify that an RN has earned a master’s or doctoral level degree, passed a certification exam, and has a state-level APRN license. Here are the four most common nurse practitioner designations:
- NP: Nurse Practitioner
- CNS: Clinical Nurse Specialist
- CNA: Clinical Nurse Anesthetist
- CNM: Certified Nurse Midwife
NP Certifications
To become a nurse practitioner, one must earn one or more professional certifications. Several professional organizations certify nurse practitioners in general and specific fields of patient care.
Here are two NP professional organizations and the certifications they offer:
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- ACNP-BC: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- AGACNP-BC: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- AGPCNP-BC: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- ANP-BC: Adult Nurse Practitioner
- ENP-BC: Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- FNP-BC: Family Nurse Practitioner
- GNP-BC: Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- PMHNP-BC: Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- PMHNP-BC: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan)
- PPCNP-BC: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
- ACCNS: Clinical Nurse Specialist; Wellness through Acute Care (Adult-Gerontology, Pediatric & Neonatal)
- ACNPC: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Adult)
- ACNPC-AG: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Adult-Gerontology)
- CCNS: Acute/Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult, Pediatric & Neonatal)
NP Awards Fellowships
Earning an award is a high honor for any professional and nurse practitioners are no exception. Awards can be very high-profile and worthy of inclusion in a professional title. Here are three examples of awards and fellowships that nurse practitioners can earn.
The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) honors 2,900 Fellows who are nursing leaders in education, management, practice, and research. NPs with this award can use the FAAN designation in their title.
The Society of Hospital Medicine offers three levels of awards to physicians, healthcare administrators, nurse practitioners, and physician associates:
- Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM)
- Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine (SFHM)
- Master in Hospital Medicine (MHM)
Clinical healthcare professionals can use these designations in their titles if awarded.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) awards Fellows through the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). Award winners can display the FAANP credential should they be nominated for and receive this award. For example, the 2022 winner’s name and designations were: William E. Rosa, PhD, MBE, AGPCNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN.
Rachel Drummond, MEd
WriterAt NursingColleges.com, Rachel Drummond has applied her extensive experience in education and mindfulness to elucidate the importance of self-care for nursing students since 2022. Through her writings, she underscores the role of mental and physical well-being in fostering resilient and compassionate healthcare professionals.
Rachel is a writer, educator, and coach from Oregon. She has a master’s degree in education (MEd) and has over 15 years of experience teaching English, public speaking, and mindfulness to international audiences in the United States, Japan, and Spain. She writes about the mind-body benefits of contemplative movement practices like yoga on her blog, inviting people to prioritize their unique version of well-being and empowering everyone to live healthier and more balanced lives.