Acute Care CPNP® Recertification

Documentation of 10 Contact Hours
or Academic Credit

May be selected for 4 years of your 7-year cycle

Looking for suggestions for contact hour agencies? Need to calculate CMEs or CEUs to contact hours? Scroll down to find out more about this Recertification option.

Basic Guidelines:

Please read the following to help you determine acceptable content for this Acute Care Recertification option:

What is the difference between continuing education and contact hours? Continuing education includes lectures, seminars, conferences, online education, grand rounds, etc. that you attend as a learning exercise. Contact hours can be earned for attending a continuing education course. Typically 1 contact hour is equivalent to a 60-minute educational program. Organizations that offer continuing education must apply to an accrediting agency to award contact hours.

Which contact hour agencies are accepted?

We've listed examples below, but this isn't a complete list. Basically, if the contact hours you earn are applicable to pediatrics, you may use it.

PALS hours are not eligible for Recertification. Contact hours from credentialing programs such as Advanced Pediatric/Cardiac/Trauma Life Support, Basic Trauma Life Support, or the Emergency Nurses Pediatric Course are applicable only when earned from the initial course.

Can I use the contact hours earned from SAEs?

If a PNCB SAE was used as a previous Recertification activity, the contact hours earned by completing the SAE for Recertification cannot be used for a contact hours option for another PNCB Recertification year. Feel free to use these contact hours earned for a state board of nursing or employer.

Do you need to see documentation?

Please do not mail us copies of your documentation. We'll only need to see these certificates if you are selected in our annual random audit. When you fill out your online or paper application, you will attest that the information you submitted is true.

Calculating Contact Hours

Continuing Education as CE, CME, CNE, etc. is awarded from an accredited provider and is typically 1 credit or contact hour equivalent to a 60-minute educational program.

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