The AACN Certification Corporation is the certifying body that is separate but closely related to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This body exists to provide specialized nursing certification to various types of registered nurses. An RN with experience in progressive bedside care for acutely ill patients can take an exam to get PCCN certification.
This Progressive Care Nursing Certification can help advance a registered nurse’s career, but actual experience is required before taking the PCCN exam. Once a nurse has the experience, then he or she can use various study materials or educational programs to prepare for the exam. Finally, when a nurse passes the exam, AACN grants the PCCN certification.
Step 1:
You will first have to become an RN or APRN (advanced practice registered nurse) through the normal channels used to become an RN. This is important for this progressive-care certification because time as an LVN or other lower-ranking nurse does not count toward the PCCN experience requirements.
Step 2:
After becoming a registered nurse, you then need to accumulate at least 1750 hours of experience in bedside care of acutely ill patients. While this 1750-hour requirement must be completed over the course of the previous two years, at least half of it must be during the previous year.
For example, if you have worked 1500 hours in bedside progressive care (including supervising others who are providing direct care) over the past year, you would only need 250 hours of experience in the year before that.
Step 3:
Now, let’s assume that you have racked up the required hours of experience as an acute-care bedside nurse. What you need to do now is to start getting ready for the PCCN exam. The AACN Certification Corporation has a handbook designed to assist you in finding references and providing other test preparation information for the PCCN test. Access that exam online booklet by using the link in the Resources below.
There are also some PCCN review courses (some live and some online). Access the link in the Resources below to get information on these PCCN courses.
Step 4:
If you are confident that you are ready to ace this test and get your PCCN certification, then apply for the exam online (see Resources). The first time you take the test (and hopefully the last time), you will pay either $175 or $255 (as of February 2011), depending on whether you are a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Whether you should pay for a membership depends on your personal situation. In most cases, you should because the discount for members is roughly the same as the membership cost for a year. This would give you certification plus member benefits assuming you pass the PCCN test. However, the cost of membership for international progressive acute-care nurses is slightly more expensive, so those nurses need to decide the value of an AACN membership to them. You will be offered a membership when you use the PCCN certification application.
Hopefully, you will pass the test and get nursing certification for progressive care of acutely ill patients. But if you do not, you can take it again at a slightly lower price ($135 or $215).
Resources:
PCCN Exam Handbook
PCCN Online Certification Application (For Exam)
PCCN Review Courses
