Study resources

HANCB does not endorse any specific study guide or reference materials for preparation for the ACRN or AACRN certification exams. However, the following are suggested resources that may help you prepare for your exam. 

The Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) annual conference and local chapter meetings may provide additional, up-to-date information that is central to HIV/AIDS nursing. Learn more about becoming an ANAC member.

ACRN suggested resources 

• National HIV Curriculum 
• National HIV/HCV Co-infection Curriculum
• ANAC’s Core Curriculum for HIV/AIDS Nursing (2010) 
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services current treatment guidelines
• Medical Management of HIV Infection (Updated Annually) 
• HIV/AIDS Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice (2006) 
• HIV/AIDS Annual Update
• AIDS Clinical Care
• AIDS Patient Care
• AIDS Education and Prevention
• American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• American Journal of Public Health
• Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC)
• Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
• The Body: The HIV/AIDS Resource

AACRN suggested resources

• HIV Essentials (2017) 
• Sande’s HIV/AIDS Medicine: Medical Management of AIDS 2013
• Medical Management of HIV Infection (Updated Annually) 
• Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents
• Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents
• Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant HIV-1-Infected Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States
• Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection
• Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Exposed and HIV-Infected Children
• Guidance for Non-HIV-Specialized Providers Caring for HIV-Infected Residents Displaced from Disaster Areas
• Clinical Practice Guideline: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States
• Clinical Providers’ Supplement: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States 
• Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Recommendations for Post-exposure Prophylaxis
• Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Post-exposure Prophylaxis
• Antiretroviral Post-exposure Prophylaxis After Sexual, Injection Drug Use, or Other Non-occupational Exposure to HIV in the United States
• Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV in the United States  
• Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations 
• Suggested reporting language for the HIV laboratory diagnostic testing algorithm
• Quick reference guide - Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations
• Update to CDC's U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2010: Revised Recommendations for the Use of Hormonal Contraception Among Women at High Risk for HIV Infection or Infected with HIV
• Antiretroviral Drugs for Treatment and Prevention of HIV Infection in Adults: 2018 Recommendations of the International Antiviral Society
• HIV Prevention in Clinical Care Settings: Recommendations of the International Antiviral Society - USA Panel
• Drug Resistance Mutations in HIV-1
• HCV Guidance: Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C