As President of the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board (PSNCB), I have an ongoing theme in my messages to you and that is to promote certification. Most importantly, certification is the highest recognition of professional competence in our specialty. For those who have not achieved certification as a CPSN (certified plastic surgical nurse) or CANS (certified anesthetic nurse specialist), consider making obtaining certification your professional goal. The PSNCB believes that attaining a common knowledge base, using the nursing process, and demonstrating a high level of skill in the practice setting are necessary for the specialty practice of plastic and aesthetic nursing. This accomplishment should receive professional recognition. Consider it a badge of honor! We are proud to say that currently, there are 380 nurses who have achieved certification as a CANS and 256 nurses who have achieved certification as a CPSN. Visit the PSNCB website and review the criteria for eligibility to sit for the certification examinations.
CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Nursing Education and Testing (C-NET) is transitioning both the CPSN and CANS examinations to a computer-based testing format. The testing will be conducted at certified testing sites across the country throughout the year.
C-NET began accepting applications to sit for the CPSN and CANS examinations on February 15, 2021. You can find the applications on http://www.cnetnurse.com under the Plastic-Surgical tab. Be aware that it can take up to 6 weeks for applications to be processed. Once your application is approved, you will be given a confirmation email with a link to schedule an examination date within a 90-day testing window.
Fees for the examination are as follows:
$295 for ISPAN members; $395 for nonmembers
$25 Application Processing Fee (nonrefundable)
$20 Returned Check Fee (for insufficient funds)
Refer to http://www.cnetnurse.com for updates to the new testing format and test dates. According to C-NET, these testing procedures are subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
MAINTAINING YOUR CERTIFICATION
To those who are currently certified, take note that you must maintain your certification by submitting an online application every 3 years. I want to encourage you to start your recertification packet as soon as it is available, which is usually about 1 month after your last packet was accepted. Trust me on this one! It will eliminate stress and make the recertification process so easy. Simply go to the PSNCB website and use the nurse's log-in tab. You will be able to view your recertification information, including your current certification expiration date. There is a tab that you can click to begin your recertification online application. You may work on each section at your own pace. Just be sure to use the "Save Application" tab, and your application will be saved and ready for you the next time you log in. Each time you complete any continuing education, just upload your certificate and save it. Doing this after you complete any activity will help ensure that you will be ready to submit your packet when you have met all the requirements.
For your packet to be accepted successfully, it must meet all the criteria outlined in the Recertification Guidelines. Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when completing your packet.
RECERTIFICATION HELPFUL HINTS
* There are five forms (charts). One for each of the different types of continuing education options you may have participated in. Make sure you enter your continuing education in the appropriate area, with the correct certificate.
* All continuing education credits must be dated and completed within your 3-year recertification period.
* Form 1 is only for your Core Specific credits, and you must have at least 30 credits to meet the recertification requirement. To renew your CPSN credential, these credits must be specific to plastic surgery, oculoplastic surgery, and/or facial plastic surgery (ENT). To renew your CANS credential, these credits must be specific to plastic surgery, oculoplastic surgery, dermatology, and/or facial plastic surgery (ENT).
* You must submit at least 45 total credits to meet the requirement for recertification.
* Any journal article entry must list the original publication date of the article (not the date when you took the test to earn the continuing education units). This original publication date must be within your 3-year recertification period.
* Both the CPSN and CANS are nursing certifications; therefore, we will only accept a total of 15 continuing medical units (CME). All other continuing education units must be approved by an accredited provider of nursing education. The approved provider of your medical (CME, PRA, AMA) or nursing continuing education (ANCC, AANP, ISPAN, Council on Continuing Education, etc.) must be listed on the uploaded certificate.
* Abstracts are not acceptable for continuing education.
* You must submit at least two safety credits. These can be accumulated in any category and may include the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals (http://www.jointcommission.org). Safety credits may be listed on the certificate, but many times they are not. The title should indicate that the program addressed some type of patient safety. Topics of acceptable safety courses may include preventing medication errors, preventing patient falls, and preventing infections. Remember, your basic cardiac life support (BCLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) courses count for 1 patient safety credit.
* The last section of your packet is for your supervisor or supervising physician to complete. To recertify your CANS credential, the supervising physician must be board-certified in one of the four listed core specialties. The supervising physician must sign the attestation form. You will also need to upload a copy of the physician's current and unencumbered license and board certification. To recertify your CPSN credential, the supervising physician or a supervisor may sign the attestation form stating that you are working with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You will also need to upload a copy of the physician's current and unencumbered license and board certification.
CERTIFICATION RECOGNITION
Recognizing our certified nurses is especially important to the PSNCB and ISPAN. On the PSNCB and ISPAN websites, there is a star symbol that states, "Is your nurse certified?" Any individual can click on this symbol and enter a name, city, and state to find out whether a nurse is certified. We are currently in the process of designing CANS and CPSN certification pins. Consider this your badge of honor and wear it proudly! Details about the certification pins will follow as soon as they are available.
ISPAN MEETING IN ATLANTA
I truly hope to see you at the 2021 ISPAN Meeting being held October 27-31 in Atlanta, GA. Review the meeting agenda and look for potential certification activities. We are currently planning a breakfast to honor all of our CPSN and CANS certified nurses. Remember the PSNCB is here for you. Feel free to reach out to the Board with any questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Renee J. Hinojosa, MSN, APRN,
ACNS-BC, CPSN, CANS
President PSNCB