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Qualifying comes down to two things: an active nursing license and enough recent
critical-care hours. Here are the exact requirements from AACN.
1. License requirement
You need a current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license — meaning a license with no
active discipline or practice restrictions. There’s no degree requirement beyond licensure.
2. Clinical practice hours: two ways to qualify
Your hours must be in the direct care of acutely or critically ill adult patients. Pick
whichever pathway fits your work history:
| Option | Total hours | In the most recent year |
|---|---|---|
| Two-year pathway | 1,750 hours over the previous 2 years | 875 hours |
| Five-year pathway | 2,000 hours over the previous 5 years | 144 hours |
What counts as eligible hours?
Direct bedside care of acutely/critically ill adults clearly counts. So do hours spent
supervising nurses or nursing students at the bedside if you’re a manager, educator,
preceptor, or APRN — as long as the majority of your hours center on critically ill
patients. When in doubt, check the official handbook for your pathway before you apply.
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Sources & references
The exam facts on this page are drawn from official certifying-body materials, reviewed 2026-06-18 by the DrCertifications exam-prep team (10+ years in exam preparation and publishing).