ONP-C - Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner-Certified

The Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner-Certified (ONP-C) certification, offered by the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB), validates that a nurse practitioner (NP) has exceptional experience and knowledge in caring for orthopedic patients. The ONP-C certification distinguishes the orthopedic NP as a researcher, educator, and leader in orthopedic nursing and medicine.

Completion Time: Candidates have 3 hours to complete the ONP-C exam

Cost:

• $350 for American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON), Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA), or Canadian Orthopaedic Nurses Association (CONA) members

• $475 nonmembers

• Retake fee for members is $300 and $425 for non-members

• Retake fee for Retest-for-Success program members is $350 and $475 for non-members

Exam Format

The ONP-C Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner-Certified exam is a computer-based, 150-question exam. Only 135 of these questions count toward the score, and the candidate must correctly answer 96 questions to pass. Candidates have 3hours to complete the exam.

The exam includes questions on the conditions and tasks related to the Orthopaedic NP roles, with a certain number of questions in each of the following key areas:

Conditions 

• Degenerative Disorders (53)

• Orthopaedic Trauma (27)

• Sports Injuries (20)

• Inflammatory Disorders (12)

• Metabolic Bone Disorders (11)

• Congenital/Pediatric (7)

• Neuromuscular (5)

• Musculoskeletal Tumors (5) 

Tasks 

• Clinician/Practitioner (85-95)

• Consultant (11-19)

• Educator (13-23)

• Researcher (3-9)

• Manager (3-9)

Test Dates

The ONP-C exam  may be taken in-person or as an online proctored exam.

Eligibility

Applicants must have the following to take the ONP-C exam:

• An active, unencumbered license as a registered nurse (RN)

• Three years of experience as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)

• A master's degree or higher from an NP program

• At least 2,000 hours of experience as an NP working with patients with musculoskeletal conditions

To apply for ONP-C certification, prospective candidates must:

• Download and read the ONP-C candidate handbook

• Complete an attestation in the handbook

• Have a supervisor complete and sign a form verifying 2,000 hours of RN or NP experience with musculoskeletal patients

• Apply for and pass the ONP-C exam

During the application process, the candidate completes an attestation that they have read the candidate handbook. Scantron reviews the application and, if approved, emails the candidate an authorization to test (ATT).

The ONP-C credential is valid for 5 years. All candidates must apply for renewal at least 6 weeks before their expiration date to keep their certification from lapsing. Certificate holders may renew by continuing education (CE) or by exam.

Renewal by CE

To renew by CE, candidates must:

• Maintain an active, unencumbered license as an RN

• Have 1,500 hours of clinical experience as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or NP within the past five years

• Earn 100 CE hours, with at least 65 hours related to orthopedics

• Submit renewal fees with a completed online or paper application

Renewal by Exam

To renew by exam, candidates must follow the same process for initial certification.

Renewal Fees

• Online submission: $300 for NAON members, $425 for non-members

• Paper submission: $350 for NAON members, $475 for non-members

Additional resources that may aid nurses studying for the ONP-C Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner-Certified certification include:

• National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) Orthopaedic Nursing journal

• NAON Orthopaedic Nursing Review Course (ONRC)

• NAON Member Discussion Forum

• ONBC's ONP-C Exam Prep Resources

• Candidate Handbook

The ONCB also offers the following certifications:

• Orthopaedic Nurse Certified (ONC)

• Orthopaedic Nurses Certification - Advanced Certification (ONC-A)

Other related certifications include:

• NCCPA CAQ in Orthopaedic Surgery (CAQ-OS)

• ABPTS Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)