Nurse Practitioner Certification Report

Upon completion of the Master of Science Advance Practice Nursing Program, the Nurse Practitioner (NP) must go through the process of credentialing to provide services in patient care. Certification is different from credentialing, for instance, once the Nurse Practitioner finishes his/her program, they could obtain a certificate by taking the certification exam from American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification (AANP). The credentialing process is when the healthcare provider is “given authority to provide patient care in the hospital setting” (Hittle, 2010). The hospital is responsible for conducting a review over the NP certification(s), education, skills, training, and licensure. “Credentialing is a system used by various organizations and agencies to ensure that their healthcare practitioners meet all necessary requirements and are appropriately qualified” (What Nurse Practitioners Need to Know About Credentialing, …show more content…
This process normally requires verification of licensure, certification, reference, and education checks. The NP can also pursue credentialing through other healthcare insurance companies, including government sponsored Medicaid and Medicare programs (Hittle, 2010). By doing this, the NP can bill and receive reimbursement care and services rendered to a patient. This process will involve obtaining and National Provider Identification number. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, will consider the NP as a unique health care provider, along with their certifications and licenses (Hittle, 2010). Usually the credentialing items are outlining of protocols and standardized procedures, DEA certification, references, NPI number, license verification (What Nurse Practitioners Need to Know About Credentialing, 2014). The nurse practitioner is then allowed to practice services when all the credentials