Your Guide to Pulmonary and Critical Care Certification for NPs

How do nurse practitioners earn subspecialty credentials in pulmonary and critical care when, until 2025, no certification exam even existed for the field?

An estimated 8,000 to 13,000 APPs work in pulmonology and at least 15,000 in critical care, according to Corinne Young, director of APP and clinical services at Colorado Springs Pulmonary Consultants and founder of the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers.¹ Yet this sizable workforce had no formal subspecialty credential until CHEST launched its Critical Care APP Certification exam last year. Now NPs must understand three distinct credentialing layers: national board certification (the AGACNP-BC), the new CHEST critical care exam, and emerging pulmonary credentials expected in 2026. Understanding the difference between acute care and critical care tracks is an important first step in mapping your pathway.

The sections ahead cover each credential's requirements, compare fellowship programs, outline a step-by-step pathway from RN to pulmonary critical care NP, and break down current salary data.

What Does a Pulmonary Critical Care NP Do?

Pulmonary critical care nurse practitioners stand at the intersection of two demanding specialties, managing life-threatening respiratory crises in the ICU one day and coordinating complex chronic lung disease care in an outpatient clinic the next. That breadth makes the role remarkably versatile, but it also demands mastery of both acute resuscitation protocols and longitudinal disease management strategies that few other NP specialties require in equal measure.

Scope of Practice Across Inpatient and Outpatient Settings

In the intensive care unit, pulmonary critical care NPs initiate and titrate mechanical ventilation, interpret arterial blood gases, perform or assist with bedside bronchoscopies, place arterial lines, and manage hemodynamic instability in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, severe sepsis, and multi-organ failure. You round daily with multidisciplinary teams, adjust vasopressors and sedation drips, and lead family meetings to discuss goals of care. This scope closely aligns with the training foundation of an acute care nurse practitioner, though pulmonary critical care adds layers of subspecialty knowledge.

Outpatient pulmonary practice shifts the focus to chronic disease: you manage COPD exacerbations, titrate home oxygen, evaluate interstitial lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, coordinate pre- and post-lung transplant care, and often overlap with sleep medicine by interpreting polysomnography results and initiating CPAP or BiPAP therapy. Many pulmonary NPs split time between clinic and hospital consult services, covering both domains within a single week.

Patient Populations and Acute Care Requirements

The patient populations you serve are among the sickest in the hospital. Acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypoxemic respiratory failure, status asthmaticus, massive pulmonary embolism, COPD exacerbations requiring non-invasive ventilation, and post-operative respiratory complications all land in your care. Outpatient panels include patients with pulmonary hypertension, bronchiectasis, sarcoidosis, and occupational lung disease. The common thread is that nearly all these patients have experienced or remain at high risk for acute decompensation, so your acute care assessment skills must stay sharp even when you work primarily in clinic. If you are weighing whether acute care vs. primary care better prepares you for this role, the answer is clear: acute care certification is the expected baseline.

Typical Practice Settings

Pulmonary critical care NPs work in academic medical center ICUs, private pulmonary groups like Colorado Springs Pulmonary Consultants, Veterans Affairs hospitals, and community hospital critical care units. Academic centers often offer more procedural training and exposure to rare diseases, while private practices may provide greater autonomy and panel continuity. VA systems tend to integrate NPs deeply into pulmonary clinics and procedure suites, with strong mentorship structures.

The Steep Learning Curve and Onboarding Reality

Benjamin H. Singer, MD, PhD, medical director of the inpatient pulmonary service at the University of Michigan, notes that in outpatient pulmonary settings it takes nine to twelve months for an APP to cover the cost of their salary, benefits, and dedicated training time.¹ That extended ramp-up period reflects the complexity of pulmonary diagnostics, the nuances of pulmonary function test interpretation, and the procedural skill acquisition required. Many practices report that APPs leave after only a year, which means the practice never recoups the onboarding investment.¹ For you as a new NP, that statistic underscores the importance of seeking structured fellowship or mentorship programs that accelerate your competency curve and improve your retention value to the practice.

Which NP Board Certification Do You Need?

The AGACNP-BC, issued by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), is the only national board certification specifically designed for nurse practitioners managing acutely ill adult and older-adult patients.¹ It is the credential most hospitals and credentialing committees require before granting privileges in an ICU or inpatient pulmonary service. Understanding where this credential fits alongside other options is essential before you commit to a program or sit for an exam.

Three Credentials Side by Side

NPs interested in pulmonary and critical care typically weigh three board certifications:

• AGACNP-BC (ANCC): Adult-Gerontology Acute Care population focus. Designed for NPs who diagnose and manage complex, acute, and chronic conditions in hospitalized or critically ill adults. This is the go-to credential for ICU, step-down, and inpatient pulmonary roles.¹
• ACNPC-AG (AACN): Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP certification offered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. It shares the same acute care population focus as the AGACNP-BC and is accepted at many facilities, though availability of testing dates and employer recognition can vary by region.
• FNP-BC or FNP-C (ANCC or AANP): Family population focus.² Covers patients across the lifespan in primary care settings. Neither the ANCC nor the AANP version is intended for acute or critical care practice.³

The core distinction is population focus. Acute care certifications prepare you for high-acuity clinical decision-making, invasive procedures, and ventilator management. Family NP certifications do not. For a deeper comparison of how these tracks differ, see our guide on AGNP vs. FNP programs.

Why Acute Care Certification Matters for ICU and Pulmonary Roles

Most hospitals will not credential an FNP-certified NP to practice independently in a medical or surgical ICU. Credentialing committees align scope-of-practice privileges with the population focus of your board certification. If you hold an FNP, your training was validated for primary and ambulatory care, not for managing ventilator-dependent patients or performing bedside bronchoscopy.

That said, there are exceptions. Corinne Young, MSN, FNP-C, is one of the first 10 APPs nationwide to be named a fellow of CHEST and currently serves as director of APP and clinical services at Colorado Springs Pulmonary Consultants. She is also the founder and president of the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers. Young built her expertise over years of outpatient pulmonary practice, where credentialing requirements are sometimes less restrictive than in inpatient settings. However, this path is becoming less common as hospitals and health systems tighten credentialing standards to match certification with clinical setting.

Choosing Your Path

If you have not started NP school yet, the safest and most versatile route into pulmonary and critical care is an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP) program. You will graduate eligible for the AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG exam and be positioned for both inpatient critical care and outpatient pulmonary roles without credentialing roadblocks. Our critical care nurse practitioner career guide walks through what that trajectory looks like in practice.

If you already hold an FNP-C or FNP-BC, you still have options, but the road is narrower:

• Some outpatient pulmonary practices will credential experienced FNPs, especially in private practice settings.
• AGACNP post-master's certificate online programs allow you to add an acute care population focus without repeating an entire master's degree. These programs typically require one to two years of additional coursework and clinical hours.
• Specialty credentials like the CHEST Critical Care APP certification (covered in detail later in this guide) can strengthen your profile but do not replace national board certification for hospital credentialing purposes.

The bottom line: board certification determines which doors open for you. Choosing the right population focus before or early in your NP education is one of the most consequential career decisions you will make in this specialty.

Questions to Ask Yourself

The CHEST Critical Care APP Certification Exam Explained

The CHEST Critical Care APP Certification, launched in 2025 by the American College of Chest Physicians, is a subspecialty credential that layers on top of your existing NP certification exam or PA board certification, not a replacement for it.¹ If you are an acute care NP with your AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG credential, CHEST certification signals advanced competency in critical care medicine and positions you as an early adopter in a rapidly growing subspecialty.

In 2025, 172 APPs sat for the inaugural exam.² That small cohort means certified APPs today hold a competitive edge in a field where employer demand for specialized critical care expertise is surging. The credential demonstrates that you have met rigorous clinical and knowledge benchmarks beyond entry-to-practice competencies.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

To sit for the CHEST Critical Care APP Certification Exam, you must hold active acute care NP or PA certification and document at least 2,000 hours of direct critical care clinical practice.³ Those hours must be attested by a supervising physician or clinical manager, so start gathering documentation early. The application deadline for the 2026 spring exam was April 14, 2026. CHEST typically opens registration windows six to eight months before the exam date, and seats fill quickly as word spreads.

The exam itself is delivered online, a convenience for working NPs who cannot travel to a testing center. Registration and exam fees are not yet published for all future cycles, so check the Advanced Practice Provider Resources page on the CHEST website for current pricing. Budget for several hundred dollars in exam costs, plus any preparatory materials you choose to purchase.

What the Exam Tests: 11 Clinical Domains

The CHEST exam spans 11 domains of critical care knowledge, covering the full spectrum of what you will encounter in ICU, stepdown, and pulmonary acute care settings.⁵ Domains include:

• Airway management and mechanical ventilation
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Sepsis and shock
• Cardiovascular critical care
• Renal and electrolyte emergencies
• Neurologic critical care
• Trauma and surgical critical care
• Toxicology and environmental emergencies
• End-of-life and palliative care
• Professionalism and ethics
• Quality improvement and patient safety

The 2025 pass rate was 90 percent, reflecting both the quality of the inaugural cohort and the rigor of the exam.⁵ This is not a credentialing rubber stamp. The exam requires synthesis of pathophysiology, evidence-based protocols, and clinical decision-making under pressure.

Recertification and Maintaining the Credential

Recertification requirements and cycle length are still being finalized by CHEST, as the first cohort will not reach their renewal date until several years out. Expect a combination of continuing education credits in critical care topics and attestation of ongoing clinical practice hours, similar to other subspecialty credentials. Monitor the CHEST website and your professional association listservs for updates as the recertification framework is published.

Employer Recognition and Career Impact

Does CHEST certification translate to higher pay, expanded scope, or preferential hiring? Early anecdotal reports from the 2025 cohort suggest that employers in academic medical centers and large health systems view the credential favorably, particularly when hiring for ICU and pulmonary critical care APP roles. However, hard salary data and job-posting analyses are not yet available given the credential's infancy.

Corinne Young, one of the first 10 APPs nationwide to become a fellow of CHEST and founder and president of the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers, notes that subspecialty certification helps differentiate APPs in competitive job markets and supports scope-of-practice negotiations with medical staff committees.² As the credential matures and more employers recognize it, expect to see differential pay scales and advanced practice privileges tied to CHEST certification, much as certifications for nurse practitioners have functioned across specialties for decades.

Related Articles

Pulmonary APP Certification: What's Coming From CHEST in 2026

If you have been searching for a pulmonary-specific certification for nurse practitioners, you are not alone. As of mid-2026, no standalone pulmonary APP certification exam exists. However, CHEST (the American College of Chest Physicians) has taken concrete steps toward changing that, and understanding the current landscape will help you plan your credential pathway.

The CHEST Exploration Initiative

In late 2025, CHEST announced it would explore developing a pulmonary-specific certification for advanced practice providers, modeled after its successful Critical Care APP Certification program.¹ The organization has been gathering input from stakeholders, including the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP), to assess workforce needs and define competency standards.

As of June 2026, CHEST remains in the exploration phase. No pilot program has been announced, and no firm timeline for an exam launch has been confirmed. The organization indicated in late 2025 that decisions about moving forward would come sometime in 2026, but public updates have been limited.¹ If you are waiting for this certification, expect continued uncertainty through the rest of the year.

What APAPP Offers Right Now

While no pulmonary certification exam is available through APAPP or any other body, the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers provides valuable resources for NPs working in this specialty.³ Founded by Corinne Young, one of the first APPs to become a fellow of CHEST, APAPP focuses on education, professional networking, and advocacy for pulmonary APPs. If you are weighing the value of professional memberships, exploring nurse practitioner organization perks can help you decide where to invest.

Current member benefits include:

• Access to the CHEST APP Resource Hub, which offers clinical tools and educational materials⁴
• Networking opportunities with other pulmonary-focused NPs and PAs
• Advocacy efforts aimed at advancing the role of APPs in pulmonary medicine
• Collaboration platforms for sharing best practices and clinical insights

APAPP membership is not a certification, but it does position you within a professional community actively shaping the future of pulmonary APP practice.

Planning Your Path Without a Pulmonary Exam

For now, NPs interested in pulmonary medicine should focus on obtaining board certification as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP-BC) and pursuing fellowship training or continuing education in pulmonary topics. If CHEST does launch a pulmonary certification, it will likely follow the critical care model, requiring both national board certification and documented clinical experience.²

Keep an eye on announcements from CHEST and APAPP as 2026 progresses. The groundwork is being laid, even if the exam itself remains on the horizon.

Credential Stacking: How CHEST, Board Certification, and APAPP Fit Together

Each credential in the pulmonary critical care NP pathway builds on the one before it. Board certification is the foundation, CHEST certification adds subspecialty validation, and professional association membership through the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP) runs alongside as a continuous professional development resource rather than a formal credentialing layer.

CE Courses vs. Formal Certification: Know the Difference

Does a "critical care certificate" on your resume actually count as a credential, or is it just proof you completed a course? This distinction trips up more NPs than you might expect, and misleading marketing from some course providers makes the confusion worse.

What CE-Based Certificates Actually Provide

Continuing education programs, such as PESI critical care courses or Pulmonary & Sleep Academy workshops, deliver valuable clinical knowledge and award contact hours you can apply toward your state CE requirements. They are not, however, formal certifications. When you finish one of these programs, you receive a certificate of completion. That document confirms you sat through the material and met any post-test requirements, but it does not confer a nationally recognized credential. Hospital credentialing committees and state boards of nursing do not treat a CE certificate the same way they treat board-level certification.

Formal certifications, by contrast, involve a psychometrically validated examination administered by a recognized certifying body. The CHEST Critical Care APP certification exam, which launched in 2025, is one example. Board certifications like the AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG are others. These credentials signal a standardized level of competency that employers, payers, and regulatory bodies can verify. For a broader look at how these board exams work, see our guide to NP credentials.

When CE Courses Make Sense

CE courses are perfectly appropriate in several situations:

• Knowledge refresh: You want to brush up on ventilator management or pulmonary function testing before starting a fellowship.
• License renewal: You need contact hours to satisfy your state's CE mandate.
• Exploratory learning: You are considering a move into pulmonary or critical care and want foundational exposure before committing to a fellowship or certification track.

These programs fill a real gap, especially for NPs transitioning from primary care or other specialties. If you need help finding approved providers, our roundup of nurse practitioner continuing education options is a good starting point. Just keep in mind that CE courses should not be confused with the credential an employer is asking about in a job posting.

Watch for Misleading Language

Some course providers use the word "certification" loosely in their marketing. A weekend workshop described as a "Pulmonary Critical Care Certification Program" may actually be a certificate-of-completion course with no connection to a national certifying body. Before you invest time and money, ask a few pointed questions:

• Is there a proctored, standardized exam at the end?
• Is the credential recognized by CHEST, ANCC, AACN, or another national organization?
• Will credentialing committees at hospitals accept this as meeting privileging requirements?

If the answer to any of these is no, you are looking at a CE course, not a certification. That does not mean it lacks value, but it does mean it will not check the box when a hiring manager or medical staff office asks whether you hold a specialty credential. Knowing the difference before you enroll saves you from costly surprises down the line.

Pulmonary and Critical Care NP Fellowship Programs

Choosing a post-graduate fellowship involves balancing prestige and clinical exposure against geography, salary support, and program availability in your specialty. Pulmonary and critical care APP fellowships remain scarce compared to physician ACGME tracks, so finding the right fit often means casting a wide net across professional directories, hospital systems, and peer networks.

Where to Find NP Fellowship Listings

Start with the Association of Postgraduate APRN Programs (APGAP), which maintains a searchable directory of accredited NP residency programs and fellowships across medical and surgical specialties. While APGAP does not exclusively list pulmonary or critical care programs, filtering by specialty keywords can surface emerging offerings. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) historically serves physician trainees, but a growing number of APP fellowships now participate in its centralized application process for postgraduate advanced practice positions.

Professional societies offer another layer of discovery. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) hosts a career center with links to post-graduate training opportunities, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) maintains a resources page that occasionally flags APP-specific fellowships or satellite programs within physician-led critical care services. The Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP), founded by Corinne Young, also serves as a clearinghouse for fellowship announcements and informal mentorship connections.

Individual Institution Programs

Major academic medical centers are gradually launching pulmonary and critical care APP fellowships, though many remain physician-only at this stage. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Duke, Emory, and UCSF all operate well-established pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowships for internal medicine physicians, typically spanning 24 to 36 months and culminating in American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) subspecialty eligibility.¹² At present, Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus offers both a three-year combined pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship and a two-year standalone pulmonary disease track for physicians.³ Its Jacksonville campus offers a separate three-year combined track.² None of these physician tracks are open to NPs, but some institutions run parallel APP fellowships under their nursing or advanced practice divisions.

To locate APP-specific programs, navigate to the nursing education or advanced practice sections of institutional websites rather than the residency or GME pages. PRISMA Health in Greenville, South Carolina, launched one of the earliest pulmonary APP fellowships in 2022 under the direction of Sarah Tomashefski, and that model is now being replicated at select academic and community hospital systems. If a hospital's public site does not list an APP fellowship, contact the department of nursing or the pulmonary division directly to ask whether informal post-graduate onboarding or preceptorship pathways exist.

Verifying Program Legitimacy

Not all post-graduate training carries formal accreditation. Cross-reference any program against the ACEN vs. CCNE nursing accreditation standards or your state board of nursing to confirm that the fellowship meets continuing education or practice-hour requirements if you plan to use it toward certification or licensing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) publishes workforce data on nurse practitioners and physician assistants, including employment settings and salary ranges, which can help you benchmark whether a fellowship's stipend aligns with market norms. Many NP fellowships offer a salaried position with benefits; others provide a modest stipend or none at all, expecting fellows to cover living expenses through part-time moonlighting or savings.

Tapping Into Alumni Networks

Because the field is young, word-of-mouth remains one of the most reliable discovery tools. Reach out through LinkedIn, the APAPP member forum, or SCCM's APP section to connect with graduates of existing pulmonary or critical care fellowships. Alumni can share firsthand insights on program rigor, mentor quality, case volume, and post-fellowship job placement, details that rarely appear in official brochures.

Step-by-Step Pathway: RN to Pulmonary Critical Care NP

The journey from bedside RN to fully credentialed pulmonary critical care NP is a significant investment, typically spanning 9 to 13 years. The good news: several of these stages can overlap. Many nurses, for example, work ICU shifts while completing an NP program part-time, shaving years off the total timeline.

Pulmonary Critical Care NP Salary and Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not break out salary data specifically for pulmonary or critical care nurse practitioners, so the figures below reflect all NPs nationally as of 2024. That said, NPs working in high-acuity settings such as ICUs and pulmonary medicine units often command compensation at or above the 75th percentile due to the complexity and demand of the work. With a projected growth rate of approximately 40% from 2024 to 2034, nurse practitioners rank among the three fastest-growing occupations in the entire U.S. economy, and an estimated 135,000 net new NP positions are expected over the coming decade. Pulmonary and critical care subspecialties face especially acute workforce shortages: Corinne Young, founder of the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers, estimates that 8,000 to 13,000 APPs currently work in pulmonology and at least 15,000 in critical care, numbers that will need to grow substantially to meet rising patient demand.

NP Salary by State

The table below shows median annual salaries and total employment for nurse practitioners across the 25 highest-paying states, based on 2024 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Keep in mind that these figures represent all NP specialties combined. NPs working in pulmonary and critical care roles, particularly in states with large academic medical centers and high ICU volumes (such as California, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas), may earn premiums above these medians due to the specialized skill set required.

Common Questions About Pulmonary and Critical Care NP Certification

Pulmonary and critical care is a rapidly growing specialty area for nurse practitioners, and the certification landscape is evolving quickly. Below are answers to the questions NPs ask most often when exploring this career path.

Which NP certification do I need to work in pulmonary critical care?

Most employers require either the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP-BC) credential or the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC-AG) credential. Both certify you to manage acutely ill adult patients. The AGACNP-BC is the more common entry point because it covers the adult and older adult populations seen in pulmonary and ICU settings. Some facilities also accept Family NP certification for outpatient pulmonary roles, though acute care board certification is strongly preferred for inpatient critical care.

Is there a formal pulmonary NP certification?

Not yet, but CHEST (the American College of Chest Physicians) is developing one. CHEST launched its Critical Care APP certification exam in 2025, and a dedicated pulmonary APP certification is expected to follow. In the meantime, NPs in pulmonology typically hold a standard board certification such as AGACNP-BC and then pursue specialty continuing education, fellowship training, or membership in organizations like the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP) to demonstrate pulmonary expertise.

How does the CHEST critical care APP exam relate to my NP board certification?

The CHEST Critical Care APP certification is a voluntary, specialty credential that sits on top of your primary NP board certification. It does not replace the AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG. Think of it as a credential-stacking opportunity: your board certification proves your foundational NP competency, while the CHEST exam validates advanced critical care knowledge. In its first year (2025), 172 APPs sat for the exam, setting a new competency benchmark for the specialty.

How do I become an ICU NP?

Start by earning your MSN or DNP with an adult-gerontology acute care focus, then pass the AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AG board exam. From there, gain bedside ICU experience and consider applying to a post-graduate critical care NP fellowship program. Adding the CHEST Critical Care APP certification can further strengthen your qualifications. Structured fellowship training is especially valuable because, according to pulmonary practice leaders, it can take 9 to 12 months for a new APP to become fully productive in an outpatient pulmonary role, and the learning curve in the ICU is even steeper.

What is the best NP population focus for pulmonary critical care?

The adult-gerontology acute care (AGAC) population focus is the best fit. Pulmonary and critical care patients are overwhelmingly adults and older adults with complex, acute conditions such as respiratory failure, ARDS, and COPD exacerbations. Programs that lead to the AGACNP-BC credential prepare you specifically for managing these high-acuity populations. If you already hold a Family NP certification, you may still find outpatient pulmonary positions, but transitioning to the ICU typically requires acute care credentialing.

Are there post-graduate NP fellowships in pulmonary and critical care?

Yes, though they remain limited. One notable example is the pulmonary APP fellowship program at PRISMA Health in Greenville, South Carolina, directed by Sarah Tomashefski, MSN, AGNP-C, which launched in 2022. These fellowships provide structured clinical rotations, mentorship, and didactic training that accelerate your transition into specialty practice. Given the high turnover costs (it can take 9 to 12 months just to recoup salary and training expenses for a new APP), more health systems are recognizing the value of fellowship programs for retention.

What is the difference between ACNPC-AG and AGACNP-BC for critical care?

Both credentials qualify you for acute care NP practice, but they come from different certifying bodies. The ACNPC-AG (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology) is offered by the AACN Certification Corporation and was designed with a strong critical care emphasis. The AGACNP-BC (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP, Board Certified) is offered by the ANCC and covers a broader scope of acute care across adult populations. Either credential is accepted by most pulmonary and critical care employers, so your choice may come down to program availability and employer preference.

Building a career in pulmonary critical care comes down to stacking three credentials in the right order: earn your AGACNP-BC (or ACNPC-AG) first, sit for the CHEST Critical Care APP exam to validate your subspecialty expertise, and watch for the pulmonary-specific certification CHEST is developing. If you are still in school, choose an acute care population focus and start scouting fellowships before you graduate, since structured programs remain scarce and competitive. Reviewing the full landscape of nurse practitioner specialties can also help you confirm that pulmonary critical care is the right fit before you commit.

Your Action List

• Research programs: Shortlist AGACNP options that align with your timeline and budget.
• Bookmark CHEST: Save the Critical Care APP exam registration page and watch for 2026 pulmonary updates.
• Join APAPP: The Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers offers mentorship, fellowship leads, and the community you will lean on throughout this journey.