CERTIFICATION
Certification is the formal process by which a certifying agency (CNET) validates a nurse's knowledge, skills, and abilities in a defined role and clinical area of practice, based on predetermined standards. Nurses achieve certification credentials through specialized education, experience in a specialty area, and a qualifying examination.
To be eligible to apply for certification, the nurse must:
1. Be currently licensed as a registered nurse in the United States, its territories or Canada, and
2. Work in collaboration or in a practice with a physician that is Board Certified within one of the following specialties: Plastic/Aesthetic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, or Facial Plastic Surgery (ENT), and
3. Have a minimum of 2 years of nursing experience as a registered nurse within one of the listed core specialties above in a general staff, administrative, teaching, or research capacity before application, and
4. Have spent at least 1,000 practice hours within the core specialties during the preceding 2 years, and
5. Have your Supervising Core Physician endorse your application.
The Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse (CPSN) Examination measures the nurse's ability to:
1. Synthesize the nursing process in the care of patients with plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures.
2. Apply principles of biopsychosocial sciences in the care of patients with plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures.
The certification examination consists of approximately 200 multiple-choice items written to measure attainment of the above objectives. The questions are designed to measure proficiency in plastic surgical nursing practice and are written within the framework of the nursing process. Approximately 4 hrs are given to complete the examination.
The breakdown of the test items by content area is given below:
The Certified Aesthetics Nurse Specialist (CANS) Examination is designed to help ensure the safety of individuals undergoing nonsurgical aesthetic procedures by measuring the registered nurse's knowledge and ability to:
1. Plan and administer nonsurgical aesthetic procedures, which include (a) aesthetic injectables, (b) laser, light, and energy-based therapies, and (c) clinical skin care.
2. Assess and monitor the physical and psychological status of patients before, during, and after procedures.
3. Select appropriate strategies to meet the educational, health promotion, and psychosociocultural needs of patients.
4. Coordinate care to ensure safe, efficient delivery of high-quality care, in collaboration with other health care providers.
The certification examination consists of approximately 150 multiple-choice items written to measure attainment of the above objectives. The questions are designed to measure proficiency in nonsurgical aesthetic procedures and are written within the framework of the nursing process. Approximately 4 hrs are given to complete the examination.
The breakdown of the test items by content area is given below:
To download the application and study guide for the examination, go to http://www.psncb.org.
RECERTIFICATION
To renew your CPSN or CANS certification, you must have earned 45 hrs during a 3-year period, where 30 of those hours must be related to plastic surgery. Of these 45 hrs, 2 hrs must be specific to patient safety. Applications for certification renewal must be received 30 days in advance of the certification expiration date. Applications received with 29-15 days of expirations are subject to a late fee. Applications received after 30 days will not be denied.
There are five categories in which you may accumulate contact hours.
Category A (Plastic Surgical Programs): This group encompasses plastic surgical programs offering continuing education credit in nursing. These programs must be specific to plastic surgical nursing practice. To qualify, a program must indicate that a single continuing education unit (CEU) equals 10 educational contact hours, or the program must use the recognized value of CERP (continuing education recognition point) in which one educational contact hour equals one CERP. (One CEU equals 10 educational contact hours, which equal 10 CERPs. CERPs may not be converted to CEUs.) A copy of the certificate awarded must be submitted as proof of attendance. Credit will be given according to the number of contact hours awarded. CPSNs who present plastic surgical programs, which are awarded continuing education credit, may receive credit for the number of contact hours awarded for the presentation.
Category B (Academic Courses): This group encompasses programs that address the broad area of health care and nursing-related courses offered by an accredited educational institution. It is not necessary that the course content be plastic surgical nursing concepts. If the applicant has been accepted into an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program or Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), he/she can apply all academic credit work toward the 15 general contact hours required for recertification unless specifically relating to Plastic Surgery. The 30 contact hours in Plastic Surgery are still required.
Category C (Professional Publications): This group encompasses the publication of materials relevant to plastic surgical nursing in a recognized professional journal, newsletter, or by a recognized publishing house. The format shall be a manuscript, research paper, book chapter, or book. Authorship or coauthorship of a book equals 15 contact hours. A book chapter, manuscript or article paper equals five contact hours. A copy of the publication must be submitted as part of the application for recertification.
Category D (Independent Study): This group encompasses continuing education offerings for self-study that have been awarded contact hours. Credit will be given according to the number of contact hours awarded to each offering, including journal articles (journal articles must have been published within the 3-year certification period). A copy of the certificate awarded must be submitted as documentation.
Category E (General Nursing and Health Care Programs): This group encompasses programs that address a broad area of health care, general nursing, and continuing education activities planned to meet the individual's potential for professional growth. A copy of the certificate that details the number of contact hours awarded must be submitted as documentation of attendance. Health care programs specific to plastic surgery but not designed for nursing (i.e., Continuing Medical Education [CME]) may apply at the discretion of the PSN Board. All information would have to be submitted and reviewed for approval.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING CERTIFICATION
1. I have returned to school to work on my BSN/MSN. Will courses I take while working on my degree meet the criteria for recertification?
All of your courses will meet the criteria Category B: Academic Courses. Note: One semester credit equals 15 contact hours; one quarter credit equals 10 contact hours. To receive credit for any courses you take, you must provide an official transcript. These credits, unless specifically related to Plastic Surgery, will not count toward the 30 Plastic Surgery credit hours.
2. I attended a plastic surgical program that offered CME credit, but not nursing contact hours. Will this be accepted as credit toward recertification?
Possibly. If you were officially registered for a program that offered CMEs and not nursing contact hours, and if the program was specific to Plastic Surgery and relevant to your practice, you can submit a letter, accompanied by all supporting documentation, requesting the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board (PSNCB) review and accept the CMEs toward recertification.
3. Can I receive credit for a published abstract?
No, but you may be able to earn contact hours for the presentation of your abstract. Many groups offering educational programs print program abstracts in a meeting publication or journal. These are not accepted as a publication, but the author may receive continuing education credit if it is awarded for the presentation of the abstract at an educational meeting. For example, if your abstract is accepted for the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses (ASPSN) National Meeting, it is printed in the PSN journal and you are given time during the meeting to present the abstract. The session at the meeting is awarded nursing contact hours by the ASPSN. You may receive the same number of contact hours as your audience for your presentation. If, however, you present an abstract at a meeting that only offers CME, you will not receive credit.
4. I am the second author of a plastic surgical nursing article published in a recognized professional journal. Do I receive partial or full credit for publication?
Yes, if listed as an author, you receive full credit. Authorship of an article/chapter that meets the specified criteria equals five contact hours.
5. Do all plastic surgical nursing contact hours have to be awarded by the ASPSN?
No. However, the ASPSN is an excellent resource for the approved plastic surgical nursing educational program. In addition, the ASPSN offers contact hours through continuing education articles for independent study. To use the credits from the ASPSN Convention for your recertification, the dates of the meeting must fall before the date your application is to be submitted (30 days before recertification).
6. I sat for the PSNCB examination on the 15th of the month and attended a continuing education program over the next 3 days. Now that I have passed the examination, will I be able to use the approved contact hours from that program for recertification?
Yes. Approved programs attended within 30 days of the date the examination was taken and passed may be submitted. Programs attended before that time are not accepted.
7. I submitted my CPSN recertification application in April, my certification expires in June. In May, I attended an educational program awarding nursing contact hours. Can I use those contact hours for my next recertification cycle in 3 years?
No. Contact hours earned during the period of your certification can be used only during the current recertification period.
8. I have more contact hours of continuing education than the required amount. Should I list and provide evidence of all offerings I attended in case some contact hours are not accepted?
Yes. List all the hours you have accumulated.
9. What will happen if I am unable to meet the continuing education requirements for recertification?
You may certify by taking the examination or lose your CPSN credential.
Respectfully,
Tracey A. Hotta, RN, BScN, CPSN, CANS
Editor, PSN Journal, 2011-2016