AACN

What AACN does

AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) is a California-domiciled nonprofit professional association founded in 1969 and headquartered in Aliso Viejo. It is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 500,000 nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients, with 130,000+ active members working as nurse managers/directors, clinical nurse specialists, nurse educators, and staff RNs across acute and critical care subspecialties. The organization operates through more than 200 local chapters across the United States and is governed by a board with nurses in leadership (President Rebekah Marsh).

AACN's core offerings span six integrated revenue streams: (1) annual membership dues priced at $78 individual / $69 group / $65 organization bulk; (2) certification programs including CCRN, PCCN, CMC, CSC, and advanced-practice credentials, plus micro-credentials for ECMO, Sepsis, and ARDS; (3) the annual National Teaching Institute (NTI) conference offered in-person and virtual; (4) peer-reviewed publications—American Journal of Critical Care, Critical Care Nurse, and AACN Advanced Critical Care; (5) online courses, webinars, podcasts, and CE activities; and (6) advertising/sponsorship sales (handled via Walchli Tauber Group). Its underlying platform is a member-facing digital ecosystem (MyAACN dashboard) that consolidates certification management, CE transcripts, micro-credential exams, and NTI session access; a 2026 partnership with Xapify extends the AACN Competence Framework into a digital, software-distributable format. The business model is diversified across subscription (membership), transaction (certification/micro-credential/conference), and advertising revenue, with B2B bulk-voucher programs serving healthcare employers as a secondary buyer segment.

Name

AACN

Legal name

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

Website

https://aacn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AACN is a 1969-founded nonprofit professional association and the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, serving 130,000+ members and 500,000+ acute and critical care nurses through membership dues, certifications (CCRN, PCCN, micro-credentials), the annual NTI conference, peer-reviewed journals, and continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Nursing Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Nursing certification programs
• Continuing nursing education
• Professional nursing association
• Critical care nursing resources
• Peer-reviewed nursing journals

Headquarters

HQ city

Aliso Viejo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to education, certification, networking, and member benefits. Individual memberships at $78/year with group and organization discounts available for bulk purchases.
2. Certification Programs: Fees for certification exams including CCRN, PCCN, and other specialty credentials. Pricing varies by certification type with member and nonmember rates.
3. NTI Conference: National Teaching Institute annual conference with in-person ($895 member / $1090 nonmember) and virtual ($415 member / $535 nonmember) registration options. Organization discounts available for bulk voucher purchases.
4. Micro-Credentials: Individual exam fees for specialized micro-credentials such as ECMO, Sepsis, and ARDS. Organization discounts available for purchases of 20+ vouchers.
5. Advertising and Sponsorship: Print and digital advertising sales in AACN publications including American Journal of Critical Care and Critical Care Nurse. Online sponsored content program with CERPs for companies and sponsors.
6. Product Sales: Online store offering books, pocket cards, practice tools, certification reviews, and other nursing education products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AACN provides a suite of professional development products and services for acute and critical care nurses, including annual memberships, specialty certification exams (CCRN, PCCN, CMC, CSC, ACNPC and others) plus micro-credentials (ARDS, Sepsis, ECMO), online courses, webinars, and continuing education activities. The organization also hosts the annual National Teaching Institute (NTI) conference with in-person and virtual formats, publishes peer-reviewed journals (American Journal of Critical Care, Critical Care Nurse, AACN Advanced Critical Care), recognizes excellence through Beacon and Excellence Awards, and operates 200+ local chapters that provide networking and community support.

Product overview

AACN operates as a membership-based professional nursing organization rather than a traditional SaaS product. Its portfolio consists of integrated service offerings: membership with a personalized dashboard (MyAACN) providing access to certifications, online courses, transcripts, and NTI management; certification programs including CCRN, PCCN, and subspecialty credentials; the annual National Teaching Institute (NTI) conference offered in both in-person and virtual formats; peer-reviewed clinical publications (American Journal of Critical Care, Critical Care Nurse, AACN Advanced Critical Care); micro-credentials targeting specific competencies such as ARDS, Sepsis, and ECMO; online educational courses and CE activities; chapter networks spanning 200+ locations; and recognition programs including Beacon Awards and Excellence Awards. These offerings serve acute and critical care nurses across roles (direct care, leadership, education, advanced practice) through a unified membership platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NTI (National Teaching Institute): Annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Expo conference for acute and critical care nurses
• Beacon Awards
• Clinical Voices
• AACN Newsline
• CSI Academy

Products and services

• AACN Membership Annual membership program providing access to certifications, education, networking, conferences, CE contact hours, online courses, journals, and professional development resources for acute and critical care nurses, with personal dashboard (MyAACN), transcripts, and collections.
• AACN Certification Programs Professional certification programs including CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse), PCCN (Progressive Care Certified Nurse), ACNPC, ACNPC-AG, ACCNS-AG, ACCNS-N, ACCNS-P, CCNS, CMC (Cardiac Medicine), CSC (Cardiac Surgery), and CCRN-E (Pediatric), with separate member and non-member exam fees, preparation tools, handbooks, renewal pathways, and online verification.
• National Teaching Institute (NTI) Conference Annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Expo for acute and critical care nurses, offering in-person ($895 member / $1,090 nonmember) and virtual ($415 member / $535 nonmember) registration with 37.75+ CE contact hours, 48+ live sessions, on-demand access, and bulk vouchers for organizations (30+ at $760 in-person / $385 virtual).
• American Journal of Critical Care Peer-reviewed evidence-based scientific journal published by AACN covering critical care research and clinical practice.
• Critical Care Nurse Evidence-based clinical practice journal published bimonthly for acute and critical care nurses.
• AACN Advanced Critical Care Quarterly journal from AACN focusing on advanced practice topics in critical care nursing.
• ARDS Micro-Credential Specialty micro-credential validating knowledge in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) care for acute and critical care nurses, with member ($35) / nonmember ($50) / organization discount ($30 for 20+ vouchers) pricing.
• Sepsis Micro-Credential Specialty micro-credential validating specialized knowledge in sepsis management based on U.S. practice standards, with member ($40) / nonmember ($55) / organization discount ($35 for 20+ vouchers) pricing.
• ECMO Micro-Credential Specialty micro-credential validating specialized knowledge in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation based on U.S. practice standards, with member ($35) / nonmember ($50) / organization discount ($30 for 20+ vouchers) pricing.
• AACN Online Courses E-Learning program with online courses to enhance clinical knowledge and skills for acute and critical care nurses, including continuing education activities for member CE credit.
• AACN Webinar Series Ongoing webinar series providing education and professional development content for nurses, with sessions accessible via AACN membership.
• Beacon Awards Award program recognizing excellence in acute and critical care nursing units, with the Beacon Award given to units that demonstrate exceptional patient care and healthy work environments.
• NTI 2026 Virtual Conference Virtual edition of the National Teaching Institute for 2026 delivering 37.75+ CE contact hours, 48 live chat sessions, and hundreds of on-demand sessions available through October for acute and critical care nurses.
• AACN Competence Framework (Digital Format via Xapify) Digital delivery of the AACN Competence Framework through partnership with Xapify, enabling competency standards to be deployed digitally for acute and critical care nursing professionals.
• AACN Online Store E-commerce storefront at aacn.org/store offering books, pocket cards, practice tools, certification reviews, and other nursing education products to members and non-members.
• AACN Online Sponsored Content Program Sponsored content program enabling companies and sponsors to deliver approved educational content with CERPs to AACN members through online placements.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• XapifycoreTechnology or Integration · 2 February 2026The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has partnered with Xapify to deliver the AACN Competence Framework in a digital format. This partnership enables digital delivery of competency standards for acute and critical care nursing professionals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM): SCCM serves the multidisciplinary critical care team (physicians, pharmacists, nurses) with congress, certifications, and clinical guidelines. Overlaps AACN in critical care content, congress experience, and educational programming for nurses.
• National League for Nursing (NLN): NLN is a membership organization for nurse educators offering certifications, conferences, and publications. Direct analog as a nursing membership association with certification and education portfolio.
• Sigma (Sigma Theta Tau International): Sigma is the global honor society for nursing, providing scholarly publications, leadership programs, and educational events. Directly comparable as a membership-based nursing organization with publications, conferences, and credentialing-adjacent offerings.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): AANP is a membership association for nurse practitioners with conferences, CE, and certification resources. Comparable as a nursing-specialty association with similar revenue mix and advocacy focus.
• Oncology Nursing Society (ONS): ONS is a specialty nursing association providing membership, the OCN certification, annual congress, journals, and chapter network. Same membership-plus-certification-plus-conference product structure as AACN, focused on oncology.
• Emergency Nurses Association (ENA): ENA is a specialty nursing association for emergency nurses with similar structure: membership, specialty certification (CEN), annual conference, peer-reviewed journal, and chapter network. Closest peer in business model and product mix.
• Infusion Nurses Society (INS): INS is a specialty nursing association for infusion nurses, providing CRNI certification, an annual convention, journal, and chapter activities. Same membership/certification/conference model as AACN, smaller in scale.
• American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA): AANA represents nurse anesthetists with membership, certification (NCE), continuing education, and an annual meeting. Comparable specialty nursing association structure to AACN.

Broad incumbents

• American Nurses Association (ANA): ANA is the largest general-membership professional association for all US nurses, offering continuing education, certification, advocacy, and publications. It overlaps AACN on certification/CE but operates at broader specialty scope.

Regional players

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): NCSBN is the US regulatory body that owns the NCLEX licensure exam; it is more credentialing-and-regulatory than membership-driven, but is the most consequential US nursing credentials organization adjacent to AACN's certification role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aacnme
• Facebookfacebook.com/aacnface
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aacn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AACN