In alignment with AACN Certification Corporation’s mission of patient protection, CCRN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway validates the valuable critical care specialty knowledge of the many nursing professionals who do not exclusively or primarily practice in direct care but influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients.
If I have never been certified as a CCRN, can I obtain CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
Yes. Any nurse who meets the eligibility requirements for the Knowledge Professional Pathway may apply for and take the CCRN exam.
How do I prepare for the CCRN exam?
All resources used to prepare for the CCRN exam are applicable for use in preparing for critical care certification via any of the CCRN eligibility pathways. Refer to the How to Prepare webpage.
If my practice is not focused on acutely/critically ill patients, would I be eligible for CCRN renewal?
No. To renew your CCRN credential via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, you must influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients — those with problems listed on the CCRN Test Plan, found in the CCRN Exam Handbook – Knowledge Professional Eligibility Pathway.
If my practice covers multiple patient care settings, would I be eligible for CCRN – Knowledge Professional certification?
If you meet eligibility requirements for CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, your practice need not exclusively focus on the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients. For example, if you manage a critical care unit and a regular medical/surgical unit, you may count the hours spent managing the critical care unit toward practice hours for the CCRN – Knowledge Professional credential.
If I practice as an acute care NP, would I be eligible to renew to CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
Because most acute care NPs (ACNPs) provide direct patient care (e.g., physical assessment, direct intervention), CCRN certification via the Direct Care Pathway would be more appropriate for ACNP practice. If your practice does not include providing direct patient care for 12 hours per month on average, CCRN – Knowledge Professional certification would be an alternative option.
What may be counted toward the practice hours needed for CCRN renewal via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
In addition to non-direct care practice hours influencing the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients, nurses serving as a manager, educator (in-service or academic), APRN or preceptor may apply hours spent supervising nursing students or nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill patients toward the practice hour requirement for CCRN renewal. Nurses in these roles must be actively involved in patient care; for example, demonstrating how to measure pulmonary artery pressures or supervising a new or student nurse performing a procedure.
If my primary role is as an educator or manager, but I also work a 12-hour shift in a critical care setting each month, should I renew as a CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
No. If you meet the direct care requirements for CCRN renewal, you should continue to renew as a CCRN via the Direct Care Pathway.
If my primary role is not direct patient care, but I teach nurses or nursing students at the bedside of acutely/critically ill patients, should I renew as a CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
If you meet the Direct Care Pathway requirements for CCRN renewal (which can include teaching nurses or nursing students providing direct care to acutely/critically ill patients), you should continue to renew via that pathway. Nurses who lack sufficient direct care hours but positively influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients could opt to renew their CCRN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway.
If I was certified as a CCRN in the past, would I be eligible for CCRN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
- If your CCRN certification expired less than three years ago, you may be eligible for retroactive Inactive status. If eligible, you could renew via the Knowledge Professional Pathway.
- If your CCRN certification expired more than three years ago AND you meet the eligibility requirements for CCRN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, you may apply for that credential as an initial exam applicant.
If I hold current Inactive status, what do I need to do to renew my CCRN – Knowledge Professional certification?
As soon as you meet the eligibility requirements for CCRN renewal via the Knowledge Professional Pathway (both CERPs and practice hours), you may reactivate your certification. Reactivation must be completed before the end of your Inactive status period. Refer to the CCRN Renewal Handbook - Knowledge Professional Pathway for details.
If I am shifting my pathway from Direct Care to Knowledge Professional when renewing my CCRN certification, how many CERPs do I need?
When renewing your CCRN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway for the first time, you may meet the CERP requirements for either the Direct Care or Knowledge Professional Pathway — both require 100 CERPs.
- The CERP program for the Knowledge Professional Pathway includes 80 CERPs in Category A and 10 CERPs each in Categories B and C.
- The CERP program for the Direct Care Pathway includes 60 CERPs in Category A, 10 CERPs each in Categories B and C, plus 20 CERPs in a category of your choice.
If I work in one of the roles listed, but my practice focuses on patients who are not acutely/critically ill, would I be eligible for CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
No. Nurses eligible for CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway must in their practice influence patients, nurses and/or organizations to have a positive impact on the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients (majority of the hours for eligibility must focus on the critically ill). Nurses whose practice does not focus on acutely/critically ill patients are not eligible for CCRN via any eligibility pathway.
If I work in a role that is not listed as part of the Knowledge Professional Pathway but my practice involves acutely/critically ill patients in alignment with the CCRN Test Plan, could I be eligible?
Yes. The list of roles is not all-inclusive. If your practice influences patients, nurses and/or organizations to have a positive impact on the care delivered to acutely/critically ill patients, you may be eligible for CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway.
If I have been actively CCRN-certified since 1990 and renew via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, will my “certified since” date remain as 1990?
Yes. Nurses who renew their CCRN certification via any eligibility pathway retain their “certified since” date as the date they first became certified.
Am I able to attach my CMC or CSC subspecialty credential to CCRN if I meet the Knowledge Professional Pathway requirements?
No. As a non-direct care credential, CCRN – Knowledge Professional certification may not be tied to CMC or CSC. If you are shifting CCRN pathways from Direct Care to Knowledge Professional, your CMC or CSC will automatically be placed on Inactive status — unless you have another clinical nursing specialty certification to which the subspecialty certification can be tied.
If I am unsure whether my practice qualifies for CCRN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, what should I do?
For questions about CCRN eligibility, please email certification@aacn.org.