Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association

What Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association does

Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) is a US-based nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1981 and headquartered in Sewell, New Jersey, serving advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and other advanced practice nurses (APNs) who specialize in the care of older adults. The organization functions as the recognized member body for gerontological advanced practice nursing, providing the Gerontological Specialist-Certified (GS-C) credential, continuing education through an online learning library (library.gapna.org), a members-only community forum (GAPNA Exchange), advocacy and policy work, and two annual conferences — the fall ENGAGE conference (ENGAGE26 scheduled at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista) and the pharmacology-focused PharmaCon (PharmaCon27 scheduled for Hawaii). Its core technology stack consists of a membership management platform with an integrated online learning library and community forum; the product portfolio also includes the Leadership Institute, Dementia Care Specialist Course, PAC/LTC Workshop, Pharmacology Update Workshop, Age-Friendly Health Systems / 4Ms educational initiative, the peer-reviewed Journal of Gerontological Nursing, the GAPNA Chat podcast, toolkits and ebooks, a career center, and foundation scholarships and grants.

GAPNA generates revenue from four streams: individual and institutional/organizational membership dues, conference registration and sponsorship, GS-C certification and recertification fees, and online continuing education. Individual and student membership (with a $30 student discount) sits alongside a five-tier institutional structure — Bronze ($115/member, 10-25 members) through Diamond ($95/member, 501+ members) — targeting health systems, nursing schools, and clinical organizations. Strategic pharma partnerships — Platinum-tier Neurocrine Biosciences, Otsuka, and Eisai, plus Salix, Sumitomo Pharma America, Alpha Cognition, Acadia Pharmaceuticals, and Sanofi — together with corporate membership from Optum, supplement conference sponsorship and program funding. The customer base spans individual APNs in gerontology (primary), academic institutions and nursing schools, and health systems employing APNs in older-adult care, with a horizontal segmentation approach across persona and business-unit buyers. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or technology integrations are documented.

Name

Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association

Legal name

Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association

Website

https://gapna.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GAPNA is a US nonprofit professional association serving advanced practice nurses specializing in older-adult care. It provides GS-C certification, continuing education, annual conferences (ENGAGE, PharmaCon), a members-only community forum, and advocacy, funded by membership dues, certification fees, and pharmaceutical sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sewell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual nurses and institutional/organizational members at tiered pricing levels (Bronze through Diamond for institutions, with per-member rates ranging from $95-$115).
2. Conference Revenue: Revenue from annual conferences including ENGAGE and PharmaCon events, with registration fees and sponsorship opportunities.
3. Certification Fees: Fees from Gerontological Specialist-Certified (GS-C) examination and recertification processes.
4. Online Education: Continuing education content through the Online Library, including pharmacology updates, dementia care courses, and leadership programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GAPNA is a professional association that serves gerontological advanced practice nurses through individual and institutional memberships, the Gerontological Specialist-Certified (GS-C) credentialing program, the GAPNA Online Library for continuing education, the GAPNA Exchange member community, and annual conferences (ENGAGE and PharmaCon). It also publishes the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, the GAPNA Chat podcast, and clinical toolkits, while running advocacy and scholarship programs for the gerontological nursing profession.

Product overview

GAPNA offers a portfolio of membership-based services, professional certification, and educational products for gerontological advanced practice nurses. The core offerings include the GS-C Certification program, the Online Library for continuing education, the GAPNA Exchange Community forum, and annual conferences (ENGAGE and PharmaCon). Educational products include the Leadership Institute, Dementia Care Specialist Course, PAC/LTC Workshop, and Pharmacology Update Workshop. Publications include the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, GAPNA Chat podcast, and various toolkits. The organization also operates a Career Center and provides foundation scholarships. No technical product integrations, API, or AI capabilities are documented.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GAPNA Membership Programs Multi-tier membership offerings including Individual, Student (with $30 discount), Institutional & Organizational tiers (Bronze through Diamond at $95-$115 per member annually), and Associate memberships for gerontological advanced practice nurses and healthcare organizations.
• Gerontological Specialist-Certified (GS-C) Certification Professional certification exam and credential for gerontological advanced practice nurses, including recertification processes, exam preparation resources, and a Certificant Directory.
• GAPNA Online Library Digital learning platform providing continuing education courses, webinars, pharmacology updates, dementia care specialist training, and other educational content for gerontological nursing education, accessible at library.gapna.org.
• GAPNA Exchange Community Members-only online community forum for networking, discussion, and collaboration among gerontological healthcare professionals.
• ENGAGE Annual Conference GAPNA's flagship annual fall conference featuring pre-conference workshops, education sessions, and networking opportunities for gerontological healthcare professionals.
• PharmaCon Conference Annual pharmacology-focused conference providing specialized education on medication management in older adults, with PharmaCon27 scheduled for Hawaii.
• Leadership Institute Leadership development program designed to prepare gerontological nurses for leadership roles within the organization and in healthcare settings.
• Journal of Gerontological Nursing Peer-reviewed professional journal publishing research and clinical insights relevant to gerontological nursing practice.
• GAPNA Chat Podcast Podcast series covering topics relevant to gerontological advanced practice nursing, including certification guidance and clinical updates.
• GAPNA Career Center Online job board and career resources for gerontological nursing professionals.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum Strategic Partner of GAPNA, supporting the association's mission to advance gerontological nursing practice.
• Salix PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner supporting GAPNA's educational and professional development initiatives.
• Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner supporting GAPNA's programs and initiatives for gerontological healthcare professionals.
• Alpha CognitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner contributing to GAPNA's mission to support nurses caring for older adults.
• Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner supporting GAPNA's educational initiatives and professional resources.
• SanofiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner providing support for GAPNA's programs and professional development offerings.
• OtsukaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner supporting GAPNA's mission to advance gerontological nursing practice.
• EisaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partner contributing to GAPNA's educational and professional initiatives.
• OptumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Member of GAPNA, representing a major healthcare organization committed to supporting the advancement of gerontological nursing.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Nursing: The American Academy of Nursing is an honorific organization for nursing leaders that engages in policy, publications, and recognition programs. It overlaps with GAPNA's advocacy and recognition activities but at a leadership-level rather than full-membership scale.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners: AANP is the largest U.S. membership organization for nurse practitioners of all specialties. It overlaps with GAPNA in providing CE, advocacy, and certification-related programming, but serves the full NP workforce rather than specializing in gerontology.
• American Nurses Association: ANA is the premier professional organization representing the entire U.S. nursing workforce. It competes with GAPNA for member mindshare on advocacy and continuing education, but at a much broader scope than gerontological advanced practice.
• Sigma Nursing: Sigma (formerly Sigma Theta Tau International) is the global nursing honor society offering publications, leadership programs, and educational events. It competes with GAPNA for engagement from the same APN demographic but operates across all nursing specialties.

Emerging players

• American Geriatrics Society: AGS is the physician-led professional society for geriatricians, addressing the same older-adult patient population as GAPNA. It overlaps with GAPNA in clinical education and advocacy on Age-Friendly Health Systems but serves a different (physician) profession.

Direct peers

• National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists: NACNS represents clinical nurse specialists, a category of advanced practice nurse. Like GAPNA, it operates as a smaller specialty APN association offering CE, advocacy, and member communities, targeting a similarly sized APRN sub-segment.
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: AACN is a large specialty nursing association that runs its own certification programs, annual conferences, CE library, and member community. It mirrors GAPNA's association operating model but serves the critical-care specialty rather than gerontology.
• Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association: HPNA is a specialty nursing association serving APRNs and RNs in hospice and palliative care, an adjacent geriatric-focused specialty. It operates a similar model of specialty certification, annual conference, and membership tiers, directly comparable to GAPNA's structure.
• Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society: WOCN is a specialty nursing organization offering its own certifications (CWOCN), annual conference, and continuing education. It is structurally comparable to GAPNA as a mid-size specialty nursing association with certification and conference franchises.

Others

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing: NCSBN is the umbrella organization for U.S. state nursing regulatory bodies. It is not a direct competitor for members but is an ecosystem participant whose licensure and APRN regulation policies shape GAPNA's scope of practice advocacy agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GAPNA_HQ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXMRJxc9AVWRbex6DmAq84w/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/GAPNA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gerontological-advanced-practice-nurses-association-gapna-
• Instagraminstagram.com/gapna_hq

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association