CCNS (Neonatal) - Acute/Critical Care CNS

The CCNS (Neonatal) is an advanced practice certification from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), showing the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) RNs' and APRNs' commitment to caring for acutely and critically ill neonatal patients. The CCNS (Neonatal) certification is currently only a renewal option for nurses who already hold CCNS credentials.

Exam Format

The CCNS (Neonatal) exam is a 2-hour computer-based test with 100 multiple-choice questions. The test plan includes the following domains:

• Clinical judgment (65%)

  • Cardiovascular (7%)

  • Pulmonary (11%)

  • Endocrine (3%)

  • Hematology, immunology, and oncology (3%)

  • Gastrointestinal (5%)

  • Renal and genitourinary (4%)

  • Integumentary (3%)

  • Musculoskeletal (3%)

  • Neurology (6%)

  • Psychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive health (3%)

  • Factors influencing health statuses, such as risk assessment, prevention, and wellness (6%)

  • Multisystem (11%)

• Professional Caring and Ethical Practice (35%)

  • Advocacy and moral agency (4%)

  • Caring practices  (6%)

  • Response to diversity (3%)

  • Facilitation of learning (5%)

  • Collaboration (5%)

  • Systems thinking (6%)

  • Clinical inquiry (6%)

Candidates are also tested on validated competencies, skills and procedures appropriate for RNs or APRNs.

Completion Time: Candidates have 2 hours to complete the CCNS-N exam

Cost: 

• Renewal by by Practice Hours or CE Points and Exam: 

  • $205 AACN Member / $310 Non-Member

• Renewal by Practice Hours and CE Points

  • $250 AACN Member / $340 Non-Member

Testing Options

PSI Testing Centers administer on-site testing. Candidates may also opt for Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) to take the exam on their home computer or another computer, free from distractions.

Rescheduling, Cancellations, and Extensions

A candidate may reschedule or cancel the exam up to 48 hours before the scheduled exam. 

• Log into the AACN customer dashboard

• Click Certification to reschedule the exam

• Click “My Certifications” and “Manage Appointment” 

• Receive a rescheduling confirmation email with the new date and time

• Refunds aren’t given for missed appointments

• $100 applies when requesting an exam extension

The Consensus Model in 2015 determined that CCNS certifications would only be available as a renewal option for current CCNSs. Late or retroactive renewal is unavailable. A candidate must maintain renewal requirements before expiration.

If candidates allow their certifications to expire, they must meet the eligibility requirements for advanced practice adult-gerontology, pediatric or neonatal CNS exams, such as ACCNS-AG, ACCNS-P or ACCNS-N.

Candidates may renew up to four months before their current certification expires. They can access their AACN account by the following pathway:

• Log into AACN account with the associated email or AACN customer number

• Locate AACN customer number on the most recent renewal notice

  • Initial password is a candidate’s last name

• Change password after logging in or click “Forgot Password”

• Verify and update account information to ensure correct mailing address to receive the certificate

• Verify and update the email address to receive renewal confirmation

Certificants who renew online receive their new CCNS-N certificate within 2 to 4 weeks.

Renewal Options

CCNS (Neonatal) certification renewal includes one of three options.

1. Practice Hours and CE Points

2. Practice Hours and Renewal Exam (plus Pharmacology CE)

3. CE Points and Renewal Exam

Contact Points are a combination of informal and formal educational activities that provide contact hours, CE and optional activities, such as presentations, preceptorship and volunteer opportunities.

Certificants who don’t successfully pass the renewal exam must complete up to 15 CEs based on the lowest scored areas. To successfully renew, completion of the CEs must occur after the renewal exam but before the expiration of the certification.

Option 1: Practice Hours and CE Points

Renewal Eligibility

• Maintain a current, valid, unrestricted and unencumbered RN or APRN license

• Notify AACN Certification Corporation within 30 days of nursing license provisions or conditions

  • Documentation of provisions and conditions must be reviewed before approving renewal

• Practice as an APRN for 1,000 hours during the five-year renewal period

  • Eligible practice hours include active CNS care of acutely or critically ill neonatal patients

  • A supervisor or professional associate must verify and provide documentation of practice hours

• Complete 150 CE points, a minimum of 75 from Category I - Acute/Critical Care Education and 25 as Pharmacology CE within the five-year renewal period

• Complete the CE Renewal Points Log

Option 2: Practice Hours, Pharmacology CE and Exam 

Renewal Eligibility

• Maintain a current, valid, unrestricted and unencumbered RN or APRN license

• Notify AACN Certification Corporation within 30 days of nursing license provisions or conditions

  • Documentation of provisions and conditions must be reviewed before approving renewal

• Practice as an APRN for 1,000 hours during the five-year renewal period

  • Eligible practice hours include active CNS care of acutely or critically ill neonatal patients

  • A supervisor or professional associate must verify and provide documentation of practice hours

• Complete 25 Pharmacology CE within the five-year renewal period

• Complete the CE Renewal Points Log

• Pass the CCNS-P renewal exam

Option 3: CE Points and Exam

Renewal Eligibility

• Maintain a current, valid, unrestricted and unencumbered RN or APRN license

• Notify AACN Certification Corporation within 30 days of nursing license provisions or conditions

• Complete 150 CE points, a minimum of 75 from Category I - Acute/Critical Care and 25 as Pharmacology CE within the five-year renewal period

• Complete the CE Renewal Points Log

• Pass the CCNS-P renewal exam

Candidates who renew by practice hours, options 1 and 2 must:

• Include active involvement in the direct care of all clinical nurse specialist roles as an APRN for a minimum of 1,000 hours during the five-year renewal period

• Hours are eligible if spent caring for the neonatal patient population for which the certification is held

• Practice hours may include hours supervising the acute/critical care practice of APRN students

Candidates who renew by taking the renewal exam, options 2 and 3 must:

• Complete up to 15 CEs of their lowest exam score areas if they don’t pass the exam

• CEs must be completed after the exam and before the certification expires to renew successfully

Cost: 

• Renewal by by Practice Hours or CE Points and Exam: 

  • $205 AACN Member / $310 Non-Member

• Renewal by Practice Hours and CE Points

  • $250 AACN Member / $340 Non-Member

Certificants seeking renewal should consult the CCNS Renewal Handbook to review the CE Points Program requirements for each renewal option.

CE Renewal Points Program

Category I: Approved Programs

• Meet the care needs of neonatal patients

• Address clinical knowledge, skills and abilities utilized by a neonatal CNS

• 25 CE points in Category I must be advanced practice pharmacology-based and appropriate for the licensed role and population

  • 60 minutes equals 1 CE point for programs that don’t specify pharmacology hours or don’t provide formal contact hours

• Continuing Medical Education (CME) can’t account for more than 50% of the total points in Category I

• Category I CE Points may be awarded for completing an academic credit course

  • One credit course is worth 15 CE Points

• Eligible courses include but aren’t limited to:

  • Physical assessment

  • Anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology

  • Diagnostic tests used in acute and critical care settings

  • Concerns that regard the acute or critical care environment

  • Psychosocial or behavioral responses to the patient or family

  • Issues of the patient care environment

  • Therapies, interventions, or knowledge vital to patient management

  • Applied clinical research

Continuing education programs not approved include AACN chapter programs, clinical in-services, workshops and study modules.

Category II: Optional Activities

Optional activities may account for no more than 75 of the required 150 CE Points. In addition, Points in Category II aren’t required and activities required for employment aren’t counted.

• Professional Publications: Number of awarded CE Points varies

  • Refer to the handbook

• Professional Presentations: 3 points per hour of a lecture, with a maximum of 9 CE Points awarded per year

• Preceptorship or Volunteer Activities

  • Participating in activities that solve or prevent a complex problem or improve care across multiple departments, settings, facilities or regions: 10 points per activity per year

  • Participating in leadership responsibilities or committee involvement on a chapter or regional level: 30 points per committee per year

  • Leadership or professional committee involvement; governmental or health-related organizations: 30 points per committee, per year

  • Candidates must obtain a minimum of 80 hours per year of preceptorship activity before granting points

• Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Certification (Wellness through Acute Care) (ACCNS-P) certification is an entry-level certification from AACN for graduate-level clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) with an RN or APRN license

• Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Certification (Wellness through Acute Care) (ACCNS-N) is an entry-level certification from AACN for graduate-level clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) with an RN or APRN license

• Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) is a specialty accreditation designation for RNs with a diploma, associate's degree, BSN, MSN or a higher nursing degree.

• The CCRN (Pediatric) and CCRN (Neonatal) certification accredits nurses that provide direct care to directly/critically ill pediatrics or neonatal patients.

• CCRN-K (Pediatric) and CCRN-K (Neonatal) certifies nurses influencing the care delivered to acutely/critically ill pediatrics or neonatal patients but don’t provide direct patient care. 

• Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-PC) accredits Master’s or DNP level primary care pediatric nurse practitioners.

• Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-AC) provides certification to Master’s, DNP, or postgraduate certificate level to acute care pediatric nurse practitioners.

• ACCNS-P (Pediatric) is an entry-level advanced practice accreditation for clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who provide advanced nursing care from wellness to acute care of pediatric patients.

• Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS) is offered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) to develop additional skills, knowledge and career opportunities for pediatric primary care mental health specialists.