AAPACN is dedicated to supporting post-acute care nurses provide quality care.

Recertification Programs

AAPACN Recertification Programs

Strengthen your leadership in nursing skills in the post-acute care by maintaining your AAPACN certifications. AAPACN recertification programs help you remain up-to-date on any changes that may be relevant to you and your staff by offering recertifications for the RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, and QCP certifications.

Do You Know Your Recertification Date?
Find your recertification date by clicking My Certifications in the My Account area. You must complete your recertification requirements by the expiration date of your credential. There is no grace period given for completing your recertification. If you have not completed your recertification requirements, your credential will lapse on the expiration date, and you will no longer be able to use the designation.

RAC-CT Recertification

On-Demand Workshop
Members: $234  |  Non-members: $467
Continuing Education: 5.75 CE hours
Duration: Four sessions varying in length from 45 minutes to 2.25 hours

Recertification is available to individuals who have already earned their RAC-CT® certification for MDS 3.0. Once you have achieved your RAC-CT, it is valid for two years from your certification completion date. You must complete your recertification requirements by your expiration date in order to maintain your credential. Watch this short video to learn how to start your recertification.

Note: Purchasing recertification courses does not extend the expiration date of your credential. The expiration date for your credential remains the same, regardless of when your course materials expire.

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RAC-CT Recertification Requirements

To maintain your RAC-CT certification, you must recertify every two years. The current recertification requirements include taking and passing exams for the following four courses:

  • RAC-CT Recertification Part 1: Line-By-Line Updates to Chapter 3 of the RAI User’s Manual
  • RAC-CT Recertification Part 2: Updates and Pitfalls – OBRA Timing and Scheduling, CAAs, and Care Planning  
  • RAC-CT Recertification Part 3: Updates and Pitfalls – PDPM, Intro to Medicare, MDS 3.0 QM, and Five-Star
  • RAC-CT Recertification Part 4: Introduction to ICD-10-CM for Long-Term Care

These courses will help you:

  • Understand the updates to chapter 3 of the RAI User’s Manual Oct. 1, 2022, through Oct. 1, 2024
  • Identify updates in the RAC-CT courses from Oct. 1, 2022, through Oct. 1, 2024
  • Recognize pitfalls that could lead to inaccurate coding, Quality Measures, Five-Star outcomes, or loss of revenue
  • Explain ICD-10-CM coding conventions and general guidelines relevant to the long-term care setting
  • Understand the documentation required for ICD-10-CM assignment

If you do not meet the recertification requirements by the expiration date of your certification, you will no longer be entitled to use the RAC-CT credential. If you choose to recertify after your certification lapses, you will be required to retake and pass the final exams for the complete 10-course RAC-CT certification program.

RAC-CTA Recertification

On-Demand Workshop
Members: $234  |  Non-members: $467
Continuing Education: 4.0 CE hours
Duration: Ten sessions ranging from 10-35 minutes each

The RAC-CTA recertification is available to individuals who have already earned their RAC-CTA certification. Once you have achieved your RAC-CTA, it is valid for two years from your certification completion date. You must complete the recertification requirements before your expiration date to maintain your credential. Watch this short video to learn how to start your recertification.

Note: Purchasing recertification courses does not extend the expiration date of your credential. The expiration date for your credential remains the same, regardless of when your course materials expire.

Purchase

RAC-CTA Recertification Requirements

To maintain your RAC-CTA certification, you must recertify every two years. The current recertification requirements include participating in an on-demand workshop and passing a final exam for the following course:  

 RAC-CTA Recertification On-Demand Workshop (CEs – 4.0)

Following this course, you will: 

  • Understand the updates to the long-term care regulations that impacted the work of the Medicare specialist  
  • Identify areas to monitor and audit based on regulatory changes 
  • Recognize potential risks or penalties if out of compliance with updated regulations 
  • Identify key Medicare specialist strategies for success 

The recertification course is offered as an on-demand workshop and offers immediate access to the final exam. This course provides recorded instruction from two Master Teachers and a printable PDF handout of slides for reference.

If you do not meet the recertification requirements by the expiration date of your certification, you will no longer be entitled to use the RAC-CTA credential. If you choose to recertify after your certification has lapsed, you will be required to retake and pass the final exams for the complete 10-course RAC-CTA certification program.

DNS-CT Recertification

Members: $128  |  Non-members: $301

The DNS-CT recertification is available to individuals who have already earned their DNS-CT certification. Once you have achieved your DNS-CT, it is valid for two years from your certification completion date. You must complete the recertification requirements before your expiration date in order to maintain your credential. Watch this short video to learn how to start your recertification.

Note: Purchasing recertification courses does not extend the expiration date of your credential. The expiration date for your credential remains the same, regardless of when your course materials expire.

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DNS-CT Recertification Requirements

  • Hold a current RN license
  • Hold a current DNS-CT certification
  • Submit a renewal application and pay the renewal fee.
  • Complete at least 50 hours of continuing education within the two years preceding the renewal application submission or complete an approved professional development activity equivalent, or a combination of the two.
    • At least 25 hours must be related to the DNS-CT domains.
    • The remaining 25 hours can be for any healthcare-approved continuing education that meets licensure requirements (for a total of 50 hours).

Save the documentation to support your continuing education credits. AAPACN conducts random audits of renewal applications. If your application is selected for audit, you will be required to submit all supporting documents. Please maintain a copy of your renewal application and the supporting certificates and other documents for the entire two-year certification period in order to satisfy any audit requests.

If you do not meet the recertification by the expiration date of your certification, you will no longer be entitled to use the DNS-CT credential. If you choose to recertify after your certification has lapsed, you will be required to retake and pass the final exams for the complete 10-course DNS-CT certification program.

QCP Recertification

Application – Members: $130  |  Non-members: $303
Exam – Members: $130  |  Non-members: $303

The QCP recertification is available to individuals who have already earned their QCP certification. Once you have achieved your QCP, it is valid for four years from your certification completion date. You must complete the recertification requirements before your expiration date in order to maintain your credential. Watch this short video to learn how to start your recertification.

Note: Purchasing recertification courses does not extend the expiration date of your credential. The expiration date for your credential remains the same, regardless of when your course materials expire.

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QCP Recertification Requirements

You have two options for completing the requirements for recertification.

Option 1:

  • Pass the exam for QCP Recertification

Option 2:

  • Submit a recertification application 
  • Complete a minimum of 1,000 practice hours in long-term or post-acute care within the four years preceding the recertification application submission
  • Complete at least 80 hours of continuing education within the four years preceding the renewal application submission or complete an approved professional development activity equivalent, or a combination of the two.
    • At least 15 hours must be in QAPI or quality improvement areas related to the QCP domains.
    • The remaining 65 hours can be for any healthcare-approved CE that meets licensure requirements (for a total of 80 hours).

Save the documentation to support your continuing education credits. AAPACN conducts random audits of renewal applications. If your application is selected for audit, you will be required to submit all supporting documents. Please maintain a copy of your renewal application and the supporting certificates and other documents for the entire two-year certification period in order to satisfy any audit requests.

If you do not meet the recertification requirements by the expiration date of your certification, you will no longer be entitled to use the QCP credential. If you choose to recertify after your certification has lapsed, you will be required to retake and pass the QCP certification exam.

Need help accessing your certificate?

Your certificate will be ready for you on the My Certificates area of your Learner Dashboard once you have fulfilled all of the certification requirements. Be sure that you have registered for (or purchased) the course as well as enrolled in the course, which allows for tracking of your progress. This two-minute video explains how to register, enroll, and find your certificate.