PCCN® is a registered service mark of the AACN Certification
Corporation and denotes certification in acute care nursing as granted by the AACN
Certification Corporation. Registered nurses who have not achieved PCCN certification
status or whose PCCN status has lapsed are not authorized to use the PCCN credential.
PCCN stands for Progressive Care Certified Nurse. For a definition of certification,
click here.
The PCCN examination is a 2 1/2-hour test consisting of 125
multiple-choice items. Each PCCN examination, focused on the care of the adult acutely
ill patient, is based on the results of a comprehensive study of acute/critical
care nursing practice completed in 2003. AACN Certification Corporation used the
AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care, a model that matches patient needs with nurse competencies,
as the framework to develop this certification program. The PCCN credential has
been approved for those nurses who have successfully completed the certification
program. PCCN certification denotes to the public those practitioners who possess
a distinct body of knowledge called acute care nursing.
The exam are given via
Computer-Based Testing
and are offered year-round five days a week at the more than 100 Applied Measurement
Professionals, Inc. (AMP) assessment centers nationwide. A paper and pencil version
of the exam is generally offered at the National Teaching Institute (NTI), which
will be held next in Atlanta, GA May 19-24, 2007. The NTI exam is offered at a discounted
price for both members and nonmembers, and you do not have to be attending the NTI
to sit for the exam. The application deadline for the May, 2007 exam will be in
early April, 2007. A paper and pencil version of the exam is also offered at the
SEPA Chapter Trends conference in Philadelphia, PA; visit the
What's New
area of this Web site for exam information.
To access the 88-page Certification Exam Handbook, which contains
the 3-page PCCN exam application, please click
here.
The above document may be viewed and printed out using Acrobat
Reader, available below. This handbook can also be e-mailed to you as a Word 2000
or Rich Text Format (.rtf) attachment; click on Contact Us above and specify which
handbook and format you would like. However, all of the information contained in
the handbook, as well as the application, may be found on this Web site.
RN LICENSURE
PCCN exam candidates must hold current,
unencumbered registered nurse licensure in the United States. In order to meet the RN licensure requirement for initial PCCN certification
and recertification, an individual nurse's RN license must be unencumbered. This
means than an RN license, issued by a state board of nursing, must not have provisions
or conditions that would limit the nurse's practice in any way. It is the responsibility
of the exam applicant or PCCN certified nurse to notify the AACN Certification Corporation
when any restriction is placed on his / her RN license.
CLINICAL PRACTICE
PCCN exam candidates must have completed 1,750 hours in direct
bedside care of acutely ill adult patients within the 2 year period preceding date
of application, with 875 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding
application. Clinical practice hours accrued in an undergraduate student role are
NOT acceptable. NOTE: Nurses serving as manager, educator (in-service or academic),
CNS or preceptor may apply their hours spent supervising nursing students or nurses
at the bedside. Nurses in these roles must be actively
involved in caring for patients at the bedside; for example, demonstrating how to
measure pulmonary artery pressures or supervising a new employee or student nurse
performing a procedure at the bedside.
Eligible clinical practice hours for AACN Certification Corporation
examinations or certification renewal are those completed in facilities that are
U.S.-based or Canada-based, or in facilities determined to be comparable to the
U.S. standard of acute/critical care nursing practice, as evidenced by
ANCC Magnet Status
or
Joint Commission International accreditation.
For a list of frequently asked questions regarding PCCN certification
and recertification,
click here.
This document may be viewed and printed using Acrobat Reader,
available below. The document may also be obtained via e-mail as Word 2000 or Rich
Text Format (.rtf) attachments; click on Contact Us above and specify the document
and format you would like to receive.
|
PCCN Examination |
|
|
AACN Members |
$170 |
|
Nonmembers |
$250 |
|
PCCN Exam Retest |
|
|
AACN Members |
$135 |
|
Nonmembers |
$215 |
Payable in U.S. Funds. Fees are subject to change without
notice.
If joining at the time of application, you may pay the $78
annual AACN membership fee and member exam fee of $170.
The Certification Exam Handbook contains complete examination
information, including the:
- PCCN Study Bibliography
- PCCN Test Plan
- PCCN Exam Application
Computer-based testing for the PCCN commenced August 16, 2004.
Click Here
to download the 88-page Certification Exam Handbook
This document may be viewed and printed using Acrobat Reader,
available below. The document may also be obtained via e-mail as Word 2000 or Rich
Text Format (.rtf) attachments; click on Contact Us above and specify the document
and format you would like to receive.
The most recent study or practice, completed in 2003, defines
the dimensions of progressive care practice and identifies the actual tasks, knowledge
and experiences required of a registered nurse practicing in a progressive care
setting.
In the study, progressive care nurses across the United States
were surveyed to ascertain the frequency and significance of the various elements
of their practice. Through an extensive review and evaluation process, the tasks
crucial to progressive care nursing were defined using the Synergy Model as an organizing
framework. PCCN examinations are based on these tasks and the knowledge required
to perform them. The Executive Summary of the 2003 Job Analysis is available by
clicking here.
The above document may be viewed and printed using Acrobat
Reader, available below. The document may also be obtained via e-mail as Word 2000
or Rich Text Format (.rtf) attachments; click on Contact Us above and specify the
document and format you would like to receive.
PCCN certification is achieved by those progressive care nurses
who pass a PCCN examination in progressive care nursing. PCCN certification denotes
to the public those practitioners who possess a distinct and clearly defined body
of knowledge called progressive care nursing.