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AACN News—October 2008—Certification

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Vol. 25, No. 10, OCTOBER 2008

NTI 2008 Certification Session Available Free Online

The session titled “Intensive Power Units: Healthy Work Environments That Promote Certification” from NTI 2008 is now available free online. This inspiring and fun session presented by Milisa Manojlovich, PhD, RN, CCRN, and Greta Lynn Krapohl, MSN, RN, demonstrates how the characteristics of healthy work environments contribute to empowered nurses, who in turn are able to gain specialty certification. This session is of special interest to managers, directors, clinical nurse specialists and staff leaders seeking to create healthy, powerful work environments, and promote specialty certification. If you missed this session at NTI, want to hear it again or would like to share it with others, visit the Web site at www.aacn.org > Certification > Certification News. One contact hour of CE is available free for both AACN members and nonmembers.

Countdown to Renewal by Synergy CERPsP

There are only 15 months left before full transition to Renewal by Synergy CERPs (applies to CCRNs and PCCNs). Will you be ready? Are you collecting Category A, B and C CERPs in the minimum amounts per category? Now is the time to ask questions. For more information go to www.aacn.org > Certification > Certification News.

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Call to Action: Share Your Best Practices for Building a Culture of Certification


If you have had success building a culture of certification at your facility or through your AACN chapter, we’d like to learn more about your best practices.

Although you may submit a best practice online at any time, the most innovative best practices submitted by Oct. 17 will be selected for panel presentation at NTI 2009 in the mastery session: “Building a Culture of Certification: Best Practices Roundtable,” in New Orleans.

The submission form is on the Certification Web site at www.certcorp.org > Certification News. Once you click on the link you will be asked to describe your best practice, your role in the implementation effort, any barriers to successful implementation, and if you have identified outcomes and goals to measure the success of your best practices.

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Certification Q & A


QI’ve heard my BLS card may not be enough documentation for CERPs. Is that true?

A BLS, ACLS and PALS courses may be counted as Category A CERPs (Renewal by CERPs or Renewal by Synergy CERPs);
however, a copy of your card alone is not sufficient documentation, as it does not include the actual class time, which may vary from course to course. Please provide documentation of the hours of the course, with course date and title, your name and signature of a supervisor, educator or professional associate, so the total number
of CERPs may be calculated.

QI loved seeing the maps in the Certification Oasis at NTI with the number of certified CCRNs or PCCNs by state. Are these maps online?

A Yes. The maps are available at www.aacn.org > Certification > CCRN > New CCRNs > CCRN Locations. We plan to update the maps for CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, CMC and CSC annually. The most recent update was February 2008.

QWhat is a "Synergy CERP"?

ASynergy CERP is a term used to define the continuing education renewal points (CERPs) categorized in the new Renewal by
Synergy CERPs program. CERPs haven't changed; neither has
the credit allotted to CERPs in the new program. Even the total number of CERPs (100) required for a CCRN or PCCN renewal period has not changed. The organizing framework for the CERPs categories and the weight of requirements for those categories have changed under the Synergy CERPs renewal program. The new
categories are based on the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care, which has been the framework for the exams for many years. Here are the new categories:

Category A= Clinical Judgment and Clinical Inquiry =
minimum of 60 CERPs

Category B= Caring Practices; Response to Diversity; Advocacy/Moral Agency/Facilitation of Learning = minimum of 10 CERPs

Category C= Collaboration and Systems Thinking =
minimum of 10 CERPs

+ 20 CERPs in any of the above categories to total 100 CERPs.

QWhy is the CCRN/PCCN Renewal Program changing?

AThe main reason for the change is to have the certification program and the renewal program based on the same organizing framework. and to have the requirements more closely match the certification test plan content areas and their weight.

For more information about Renewal by Synergy CERPs go to www.aacn.org > Certification > Certification News > CCRN and PCCN Renewal by Synergy CERPs. As you scroll down the Web page, you’ll find lots of resources, including a slide presentation that explains the new renewal program.

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