TCRN - Trauma Certified Registered Nurse

The Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) certification is specifically designed for nurses who care for trauma patients across the continuum of care, from injury prevention to rehabilitation. The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) offers this certification recognized nationally. It's intended for RNs working in emergency departments, trauma centers, critical care units and flight nursing. The TCRN certification validates a nurse's specialized knowledge and skills in trauma nursing, underscoring their commitment to patient care and professional development.

Eligibility

• Must be a licensed RN

• Recommend 2 years of trauma nursing practice experience, but not required

• Recommend 20-30 hours of trauma-specific coursework, but not required

Completion Time: 3 Hours

Costs: 

• Initial exam fee: $380 for non-members / $285 for Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) members / $195 for active, reserve or veteran military members

• Restest fee: $200

• Renewal Fee: $280 for non-members / $210 for STN members / $195 for military members

Exam Format

The TCRN exam consists of 175 multiple-choice questions, with 150 scored questions and 25 unscored pretest questions. The exam covers a wide range of topics relevant to trauma nursing, including trauma assessment, continuum of care for trauma and special considerations in trauma care. The breakdown of scored questions based on areas of focus include:

• Clinical Practice - Head and Neck: 29 items

• Clinical Practice - Trunk: 36 items

• Clinical Practice - Extremity and Wound: 25 items

• Clinical Practice - Special Considerations: 22 items

• Continuum of Care for Trauma: 21 items

• Professional Issues: 17

Candidates receive pass/fail score results from the test administrator shortly after completing the exam when taking the exam in person. Those testing via Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) receive their score on-screen immediately after completing the exam. Unsuccessful candidates receive instructions from BCEN via email on reapplying for the exam.

Application Process

• Set up your profile on the BCEN website

• Confirm your eligibility

• Complete the TCRN application

• Pay required fees by credit card, company check or ACH

• Receive exam eligibility notification via email from BCEN

• Schedule the TCRN exam within the 90-day test window

• Read the Candidate Handbook for guidelines on the exam process

• Prepare to take the TCRN exam

The TCRN certification is valid for four years. Renewal requires either fulling continuing education (CE), with a CE attestation and application with the renewal fee or recertifying by exam. To renew your TCRN certification, you must:

• Hold a current, unrestricted RN license

• Log into your BCEN account

• Select “Recertify by CE” or “Recertify by Exam”

• Schedule exam or confirm completion of appropriate CE

• Submit renewal application and payment

Renewal Fees

• 280 for non-members

• $210 for STN members

• $195 for military members

Renewal through continuing education requires you to complete and attest to 100 contact hours of nursing CE at or above the nursing practice level. Of these, 75 must be clinical content directly related to trauma nursing, and 50 must be from an accredited source. You may opt to recertify by exam if you do not have enough CE.

CE credits can be earned through various activities, such as attending workshops and conferences and completing online courses. About 10% of renewal applications are randomly selected for CE audit. If selected, you must show proof of all 100 contact hours of CE completed. BCEN must receive CE documentation within 30 days of notification of audit. All CE must be completed within the current four-year certification cycle and may be tracked in the BCEN CE tracker.

BCEN offers various study materials, including exam content outlines, sample questions, practice exams, reference lists and online review courses. These resources are designed to help candidates prepare for the TCRN exam. The Candidate Handbook also provides valuable information on the exam and exam process.

Besides TCRN certification, trauma nurses may pursue other advanced certifications to further specialize their skills, such as:

• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) 

• Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) 

• Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) 

• Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)

• Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN)