In alignment with AACN Certification Corporation’s mission of patient protection, PCCN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway validates the valuable progressive 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 ill adult patients.
Q: If I have never been certified as a PCCN, can I obtain PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: Yes. Any nurse who meets eligibility requirements for the Knowledge Professional Pathway may apply for and take the PCCN exam.
Q: How do I prepare for the PCCN exam?
A: All resources used to prepare for the PCCN exam are applicable for use in preparing for progressive care certification via either PCCN eligibility pathway. Refer to the How to Prepare page.
Q: If my practice is not focused on acutely ill patients, would I be eligible for PCCN renewal?
A: No. To renew your PCCN credential via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, you must influence the care delivered to acutely ill adult patients — those with problems listed on the PCCN Test Plan, found in the PCCN Exam Handbook – Knowledge Professional Eligibility Pathway.
Q: If my practice covers multiple patient care settings, would I be eligible for PCCN – Knowledge Professional certification?
A: If you meet eligibility requirements for PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, your practice need not exclusively focus on the care delivered to acutely ill adult patients. For example, if you manage a progressive care unit and a regular medical/surgical unit, you may count the hours spent managing the progressive care unit toward the practice hours for the PCCN – Knowledge Professional credential.
Q: If I practice as an acute care NP, would I be eligible to renew to PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: Because most acute care NPs (ACNPs) provide direct care (e.g., physical assessment, direct intervention), PCCN (or CCRN) certification via the Direct Care Pathway would be more appropriate for ACNP practice. If your practice does not include providing direct care for 12 hours per month on average, PCCN – Knowledge Professional certification would be an alternative option.
Q: What may be counted toward the practice hours needed for PCCN renewal via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: 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 toward the practice hour requirement for PCCN renewal. Nurses in these roles must be actively involved in patient care; for example, demonstrating how to apply ECG leads or supervising a new employee or student nurse performing a procedure.
Q: If my primary role is as an educator or manager, but I also work a 12-hour shift in a progressive care setting each month, should I renew as a PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: No. If you meet the direct care requirements for PCCN renewal, you should continue to renew as a PCCN via the Direct Care Pathway.
Q: If my primary role is not direct care, but I teach nurses or nursing students at the bedside of acutely ill patients, should I renew as a PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: If you meet the Direct Care Pathway requirements for PCCN renewal (which can include teaching nurses or nursing students providing direct care to acutely ill adult patients), you should continue to renew via that pathway. Nurses who lack sufficient direct care hours but positively influence the care delivered to acutely ill patients could opt to renew their PCCN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway.
Q: If I was certified as a PCCN in the past, would I be eligible for PCCN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
- If your PCCN 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 PCCN certification expired more than three years ago AND you meet the eligibility requirements for PCCN certification via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, you may apply for that credential as an initial exam applicant.
Q: If I hold current Inactive status, what do I need to do to renew my PCCN – Knowledge Professional certification?
A: As soon as you meet the eligibility requirements for PCCN 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 PCCN Renewal Handbook - Knowledge Professional Pathway for details.
Q: If I am shifting my pathway from Direct Care to Knowledge Professional when renewing my PCCN certification, how many CERPs do I need?
A: When renewing your PCCN 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.
Q: If I work in one of the roles listed, but my practice focuses on patients who are not acutely ill, would I be eligible for PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway?
A: No. Nurses eligible for PCCN 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 ill adult patients. Nurses who are not working with acutely ill adult patients are not eligible for PCCN through either eligibility pathway.
Q: If I work in a role that is not listed as part of the Knowledge Professional Pathway but my practice involves acutely ill adult patients in alignment with the PCCN Test Plan, could I be eligible?
A: 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 ill adult patients, you may be eligible for PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway.
Q: If I have been actively PCCN-certified since 2004 and renew via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, will my “certified since” date remain as 2004?
A: Yes. Nurses who renew their PCCN certification via either eligibility pathway retain their “certified since” date as the date they first became certified.
Q: Am I able to attach my CMC or CSC subspecialty credential to PCCN if I meet the Knowledge Professional Pathway requirements?
A: No. As a non-direct care credential, PCCN – Knowledge Professional certification may not be tied to CMC or CSC. If you are shifting PCCN 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.
Q: If I am unsure whether my practice qualifies for PCCN via the Knowledge Professional Pathway, what should I do?
A: For questions about PCCN eligibility, please email certification@aacn.org.