AGPCNP vs. AGACNP: 5 Big Questions Answered

The need for adult-gerontology nurse practitioners is not just growing, it’s urgent. Those interested in this field have two career paths to consider — adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner (AGPCNP) and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP).

While both focus on caring for an older patient population, they do so in different ways. Understanding what they do can help you make a choice as to which career path is best suited for you.

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What is the Scope of Practice for an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)?

As an AGPCNP, you will provide routine care and wellness services in the capacity of a primary care provider. You will develop care plans that are routine, planned and ongoing.

Potential workday responsibilities:

• Assessing patient health
• Maintaining health records
• Creating individualized health maintenance plans
• Administering and managing maintenance medications
• Helping patients manage long-term medical issues

In addition to providing care, you’ll also fill the roles of advocate and educator. 

What is the Scope of Practice for an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)?

As an AGACNP you would have an opportunity to deliver more “in the moment” or episodic care. There are no routine care plans in this field. Instead you’ll be working to treat a rotating roster of patients with timely, urgent medical needs. 

Potential workday responsibilities:

• Performing patient triage
• Providing needed treatment for patient stability
• Ordering patient tests and assessments
• Administering and managing medications for short-term use
• Interpreting diagnostic tests 

AGPCNPs and AGACNPs: Comparing The Job Skills

The skills needed by an AGPCNP and an AGACNP will be somewhat dictated by their practice location and area of speciality. Here are some specific skills that each should have:

Key AGPCNP skills

Interpersonal Skills: As primary care providers, AGPCNPs build longstanding relationships with their patients. This requires more than strong communication skills, it requires the AGPCNP to care personally for each of their patients, provide thoughtful follow ups and interactions, and recall information about the patient's life/family to continue to build the relationship. 

Transferring Information: The AGPCNP’s role of care isn’t limited to just treating the medical issue at hand. It’s also about helping to educate the patient so that they have a more holistic treatment plan. The goal is to help them understand (and continue) positive health actions at home and discontinue the negative ones.

Detail Oriented: This is a patient population that may not want to share all of their health information, may be confused about some of the details or may believe they are providing accurate information when in truth they are not. The AGPCNP’s attention to the details both in the stories, in the health records, and in how the patient presents may help them to put together the disparate pieces of a puzzle.

Key AGACNP skills

Bedside Empathy: Practicing in acute care settings, the AGACNP should be well-versed in building rapport with patients throughout short interactions. AGACNPs who excel are able to provide human moments amid a flurry of clinical touchpoints the patient experiences.

Ability to Multitask: This is a role filled with unplanned interruptions. It might be new patients coming in or complications arising from patients under treatment. Often it’s both at the same time. AGACNPs will have treatment, testing and care needs all at the same time and will need to be able to quickly move between them.

Information Gathering: When patients are coming in at a rapid rate and in various states of distress, treatment needs are immediate and it’s vital that information about the current issues and their health history are gathered quickly and accurately. You need to know the key questions to ask, in what order and be able to pick up any cues from your patient’s response.

AGPCNP vs. AGACNP: Comparing Practice Setting

While there are always exceptions, AGPCNPs generally find themselves in practice locations like nursing homes, inpatient facilities and private practices. Most days are structured with scheduled patient visits and wellness checks with some time set aside to answer questions that come in through an EMR (electronic medical record) system or on the phone. This allows the AGPCNPs to build a consistency of care because they are seeing the same patients on a somewhat regular basis. Days will be busy but predictable.

AGACNPs are often at home in intensive care settings, urgent care locations or on the hospital floor. They work with a fluid patient base, as every day their patient load will flex based on who walks in the door and what concerns they have. A workday is fast paced and pressure filled. Beds may be filled consistently for hours followed by a period where only sporadic, “light” treatments are needed. 

AGPCNPs vs. AGACNPs: Certifications & Licenses

In order to pursue an AGPCNP or AGACNP career you’ll need to earn a board certification. Certifications are managed by independent organizations that work to ensure a consistency in knowledge and understanding for someone who wants to move into a specific career.

AGPCNP Certifications

To earn an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner board certification you must pass a comprehensive, nearly 4-hour exam covering all of the base level knowledge you should have for the care and treatment of older patients.

There are two primary organizations that certify AGPCNPs - The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). 

This certification permits AGPCNPs to provide treatment and care to patients 13 years of age and older.

AGACNP Certifications

To become certified as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner you will need to sit for a 175-200 question exam (depending on the certifying organization). You’ll be tested on topics including professional responsibilities, clinical judgment and best practices.

The certifying organizations for AGACNPs are the American Association of 
Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the American Nurses Credentialing Center 
(ANCC), and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

A certification for AGACNPs is unique among nurse practitioners in that it 
enables them to work in acute care situations. This means that there could be 
situations where an AGPCNP would need to transfer patient care to an AGACNP.

What About Licensing?

In both roles you will have earned your degree and obtained the needed certification, but there is still one more step to go before you can start to practice — you’ll need to obtain a nursing license to work in your state. The requirements for how to obtain that license (i.e. what prior experience is needed, what the licensing process is like, how long it takes) vary from state to state.

AGPCNP vs. AGACNP: Career Advantages Outlook

The career outlook for AGPCNPs and AGACNPs is strong with both expected to see double-digit growth by the end of the decade. Because there is such a high demand for nurses in these roles, the offered bonus packages are strong in an attempt to attract top-level talent.

AGPCNP vs. AGACNP: Earning a Degree

Upon completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and the required clinical hours, you can get a few years of experience or move directly into a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. At this point you would choose whether to specialize in primary care or acute care.

At Franklin University, the MSN-AGPCNP degree program can be completed in 27 months. With that degree you will have gained the insight and skills that are critical in order to integrate current and emerging technologies to provide holistic, comprehensive nursing care. You will also have the knowledge and understanding to advocate and provide leadership across the care continuum in diverse settings to promote high quality, safe, effective patient-centered care.

If you choose to pursue an AGACNP degree it could take up to 36 months depending on where your area of speciality is focused. That speciality will also dictate the number of clinical hours that must be completed to earn your degree. After both the classroom and clinical studies are completed you will have the knowledge and skills to extend your nursing skills in a responsive and forward-focused way. Through practice, you’ll also be able to see the importance of collaboration in patient care treatments among other skills.

AGPCNP vs. AGACNP: Which is Right For Me

AGPCNPs and AGAPs are both vital to the healthcare system. For those looking to build a career as an AGPCNP, the MSN-AGPCNP degree program at Franklin University provides a unique educational opportunity.

Franklin offers AGPCNP opportunities at the registered nursing (RN) level, for nurses with a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) and at the postgraduate level. Each AGPCNP degree path has been specifically designed to provide working students with opportunities to expand their skills and knowledge-base while maintaining their careers.