[NPInfo] OK, so you don't have to be an NP

[David Mittman]

to take these Boards. How can one expect a midwife or anesthetist to  
be  able to pass an exam truly geared to primary care?
I am not trying at all to be sarcastic.
Dave
About CACC and ABCC

CACC
The DNP degree is an academic program of study that provides formal  
education for nurses who aspire to a complex advanced practice, with  
broader scope and responsibility than master's degree education  
provides. Nurses with the clinical doctorate are distinguished by  
their ability to provide sophisticated comprehensive care that is  
central to improving an individual's health care.

Founded in 2000, the Council for the Advancement of Comprehensive  
Care (CACC) is the leading academic organization for the promulgation  
of doctoral level clinical nursing. The Council is a consortium of  
distinguished academic and health policy leaders who are committed to  
assuring high standards of doctoral nursing practice.

CACC and its programs are supported by grants from foundations and  
health care organizations. CACC actively promotes policy for national  
standards, reimbursement, access and increased authority of these  
individuals.

In order to distinguish DNP graduates who have achieved a high level  
of competence in comprehensive care, CACC and the National Board of  
Medical Examiners (NBME) have agreed to offer a certification  
examination that will validate the advanced clinical competency of  
these graduates.

Certification is an earned credential that demonstrates an  
individual's specialized knowledge, skills and decision making.  
Reliable quality and clear, identifiable standards of competence are  
necessary for the legitimate expansion of practice and for broad  
acceptance by the public and by commercial insurers. After meeting  
defined eligibility criteria, a certification candidate achieves a  
nationally recognized credential through successful completion of a  
recognized examination.

ABCC
CACC has established the American Board of Comprehensive Care (ABCC)  
as the certifying body. Advanced practice nurses with national  
certification in an advanced practice nursing specialty, and a Doctor  
of Nursing Practice degree, will be eligible to sit for  
certification. The exam is derived from the test pool of the USMLE  
Step 3 exam for MD licensure candidates. Successful DNP candidates  
will be designated as Diplomats in Comprehensive Care by the American  
Board of Comprehensive Care.