Your Guide to CPEN ® Certification Get Recognition. Get Ahead.
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Transcript of Your Guide to CPEN ® Certification Get Recognition. Get Ahead.
Your Guide to CPEN® Certification
Get Recognition. Get
Ahead.
Why Certify?
Nurses seek certification for different reasons:
Professional development
Career advancement
Patient outcomes
Public accountability
Your Benefits
Recognition from colleagues
Personal accomplishment
Increased confidence in clinical skills
Increased job satisfaction
An edge on career advancement
Professional Benefits
Special recognition Peers
Nurses Week, Certified Nurses Day
Patients/families
Credential on name badges
Opt-in to BCEN® Registry for public listing
Professional Benefits
Potential for career/financial rewards Bonuses
Salary differential
Send proof of your credential to your current employer, or to potential employers, using BCEN’s online Publish Credential service
Professional Benefits
Proof of professional growth Meets a national standard for specialized knowledge
Certified RNs = quality indicator for Magnet®
CPENs are Category N for Magnet application
“Nurses who are nationally certified carry a body of knowledge that directly impacts patient outcomes. Patient outcomes are a large part of advancing on the clinical ladder.”
- Debbie White, MSN, MSA, RN, ACNS-BC, NEA-BCVice President and Chief Nursing OfficerSaint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, MOFrom State of Nursing Salaries: 2011
Patient Benefits
Increases consumer confidence
Promotes accountability
Increases awareness of nursing certification
“Nearly 8 out of 10 people surveyed in 2002 were aware that nurses could be certified in a specialty area—in fact, more aware of nurse certification than teacher or physician certification.”
Harris Interactive, Inc. American Association of Critical Care Nurses Survey. November 2002.
What is the CPEN Exam?
Exam developed jointly by PNCB and BCEN
Tests knowledge and skills of RNs who provide urgent and emergent nursing care to pediatric patients
Experience-based
Not limited to peds-only or ED-only RNs
Content reviewed and updated, if needed, every 4 to 5 years
Who is BCEN®?
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
Established in 1979
Largest certification board for emergency nursing professionals
Develops robust certification exams fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum, who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety, and outcomes
Who is PNCB?
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
Established in 1975 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
Largest certification board for nursing professionals who care for pediatric populations
Strengthening care for children is at the heart of everything PNCB does
CPEN Exam Eligibility
Recommended2 years of full-time practice in pediatric emergency nursing care
Direct care, health care facilitation, education, and advocacy for pediatric emergency patients and their families
Required1,000 hours in pediatric emergency nursing practice as an
RN in the past 24 months
A current, active, unrestricted RN license in the U.S. or Canada
Eligibility Examples
Full-time employment as an emergency nurse in a pediatric emergency setting for 6 months, or
Full-time employment as an emergency nurse in a mixed-age emergency setting for 2 years with a population of approximately 20% pediatric patients, or
Part-time employment as an emergency nurse in a pediatric emergency setting, for example, 20 hours per week for 1 year, or
Any other combination of practice involving direct care, health care facilitation, education, and advocacy for pediatric patients and their families for a total of 1,000 hours in the past 24 months.
Eligibility FAQs
Q: Do I need a BSN to take the exam?
A: No. You can hold a diploma, associate’s degree, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in nursing.
Q: If I have 1,000 hours of experience before I reach the 24-month point, do I have to wait to apply?
A: No. This timeframe just makes sure the experience is recent.
Q: What counts for clinical practice hours?
A: Providing direct care, health care facilitation, education, and advocacy for patients and families.
Prepara
tion
Reso
urc
esExam Content Outline1
CPEN Reference List2
CPEN Exam Prep3
Test-taking Strategies Modules4
CPEN Content Outline
Consists of six major content areas:
Lists percentage of questions in each subject matter area
Access the detailed content outline here
1. Triage process
2. Assessment
3. Technical skills
4. Medical conditions
5. Surgical/Trauma emergencies/Procedural sedation
6. Special considerations
CPEN Exam
175 multiple-choice questions
Tests your ability to apply knowledge and think critically
Goal is to determine one best answer among choices
For current pass rates, visit the BCEN website or the PNCB website.
Reference List
A list of respected texts
Consider using one textbook with which you’re familiar
Not inclusive of all resources that could be used
Access the reference list here
What texts are available where you work?
Are funds available to create a study library?
CPEN Prep Exam
Optional online practice test developed by BCEN and PNCB
50 questions
Shows how questions are presented
Includes the rationale for answers
Score report can show weak areas and help you focus your studies
Not a study or review course.See the prep exam webpage for
current pricing.
Test-taking Strategies Module
Optional online learning activity developed by PNCB
Exam preparation tips
Strategies for answering multiple-choice exam questions
Techniques to manage test anxiety
Not a study or review course.See PNCB’s website for current
pricing.
Preparation FAQs
Q: Do I have to take a review course?
A: No, BCEN and PNCB do not require that you take a review course. We can’t endorse a review course, but BCEN lists classes as a courtesy here.
Q: Does PNCB or BCEN offer a review book or course?
A: No. Doing so would be a conflict of interest, especially if a candidate failed the exam after paying for a PNCB or BCEN review.
Q: Can BCEN or PNCB recommend the best text?
A: We can’t endorse specific texts or review courses, but we recommend using one pediatric emergency nursing textbook with which you’re familiar.
Tip! Know colleagues who recently passed? Ask what texts or other resources they found most helpful.
Ste
ps
in A
pply
ing
& T
est
ing
Apply Online with AMP1
Schedule Exam with AMP2
Take the Exam at AMP3
How do I apply?
Allow 15 minutes to complete the online application. Have your RN license info handy.
Go to the Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) website.
Click “Candidates.”
Select category, program, and exam.
Enter requested information. Basic info about you
RN licensure
Education and employment
Pay the exam fee.
Tip! You will need to take your exam within 90 days of applying. Be sure you’re ready to schedule your test within that timeframe when you submit the application.
Eligibility Notification
This is your green light to schedule your exam!
You can set your exam date, time, and location at the time of application or
Schedule your test after AMP notifies you by email and postcard that your application is approved
Check your spam/junk folder for this important email.
Important timing information:
You receive a 90-day testing window soon after applying:
You must schedule your test date and sit for the exam during that timeframe.
Scheduling Your Exam
Soon after eligibility notification, visit Applied Measurement Professionals online to schedule your testing day and time.
Changing or cancelling test dates is managed by AMP.
A 90-day extension is available from AMP for a fee. Tip!
Even before you apply, find the closest testing center to you at AMP’s website.
Test Administration
You will test at a proctored AMP Testing Center.
More than 200 locations across the U.S.
3 hours testing time
175 multiple-choice questions
You’ll be offered a tutorial on using the computer.
Pass/fail status received before leaving the center (official mailed results within 3 weeks)
What to Expect
Watch a 5-minute video about scheduling and testing with Applied Measurement Professionals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUFF-Sux28
Test Administration Tips
Arrive at least 30 minutes early.
Bring the 2 required, unexpired IDs matching your name on your application.
Download your Candidate Handbook for explanations of all policies, including what can and cannot be brought in with you.
You are allowed to take breaks, but they count as part of your testing time.
Testing FAQs
Q: Is the CPEN exam like the NCLEX?
A: While there are similarities (e.g., testing on a computer in a secure, proctored environment), there are also differences.
The CPEN exam asks only multiple-choice questions, while NCLEX contains alternate item formats (fill in the blanks,
hot spot items, etc.). With the CPEN exam, you can also return to questions and change an answer before final submission.
The CPEN exam does not use adaptive testing, which can vary the number of questions a candidate sees, and ends when competence is determined. The CPEN exam does not end until 3 hours are up, or unless you submit answers
before that time limit.
More Testing FAQs
Q: Is there a penalty for incorrect answers?
A: No, so it is better to answer every item rather than skip any items.
Q: How is the exam scored?
A: The number of questions that must be answered correctly to pass is decided by a psychometrician and an expert panel of CPENs. Each question is evaluated for difficulty. Each test form is analyzed for the passing cut point. Your ability to pass the examination depends on the knowledge and skill you display, not on the performance of other candidates.
After the Exam
Candidates who pass
Receive pass packet by mail in 3 weeks
Celebrate your achievement!
Wear your lapel pin
Frame your certificate
Let your leadership know
Use BCEN’s online Publish Credential service
Opt-in to BCEN’s online Public Registry
Ask CPEN to be added to your name badge
Get familiar with the recertification process
Candidates who are unsuccessful
Score report mailed in 2-3 weeks
Reduced fee to retest
90-day waiting period to retest
Celebrate & Recognize!
Visit the PNCB or BCEN websites for…
T-shirts
Badge appliques
Plaques
Download a sample press release
Print out a Wall of Distinction poster
Maintaining Certification
All certification boards require a renewal process.
CPEN recertification documents that you’re keeping practice and knowledge current.
CPENs recertify every 4 years.
The testing company (AMP) will contact you with reminders.
Learn what counts for your recertification here.
Questions?
Visit our websites or contact us for assistance:
AMPonline.goamp.com888-519-9901
BCENwww.BCENcertifications.org 877-302-BCEN
PNCBwww.pncb-cpen.org 888-641-2767
?
Free Resources
Unit meetings?
Skills fairs?
Certified Nurses Day or Nurses Week events?
Order free materials here
Thank you!BCEN and PNCB thank you for the difference you make for children in your ED.
We wish you much success in your future professional development!