Certification

Critical-Care Certification

In a nutshell, certification shows knowledge and expertise in a certain field or area. Critical-care certification is a highly recognized and impressive accomplishment since there is only a 50%-60% pass rate. Knowing what to expect and having the right resources will increase your chances of passing the exam.

Requirements

1. You must be a licensed registered nurse (without restrictions) in the USA.
2. A BSN is not required to take the exam.
3. Must have worked as a critical-care nurse for 1,750 hours of direct bedside care for two consecutive years prior to taking the examination (875 of these hours must be in the most recent year prior to your application for certification).

Examination

• The examination consists of 150 questions, 25 of which are not graded, but are merely new tests questions they are trying out.

These 150 questions cover the following areas:

* Cardiac (32%);

* Pulmonary (17%);

* Neurology (5%);

* Gastrointestinal (6%);

* Renal(5%);

* Endocrine (4%);

* Multisystem (8%);

* Professional Caring and Ethical Practice (20%);

• A passing score of 70% (that is 87 correct answers out of the 125 graded questions) is required for certification.
• The fee to take the examination is $220 for AACN Members and $300 for non-members.
• Once you send in your application you have 30 days to schedule your exam. If you fail to schedule and take the exam within those 30 days you are required to start from scratch.
• TIP:Do not send in your application until you are absolutely sure you are ready to take the exam. Do not try to cram for this exam. Try to study a couple of hours a day, one area at a time.

Links:

• AACN Certification Corporation
• Take a Free Sample Test from AACN

Visit:Go Amp.comto find out more about:

• AACN candidate Handbook
• Order practice exams (for a fee)
• Locate testing centers
• Register for exam

Resources