Common Questions About CPN® Recertification

1. Once I am a CPN®, what are the Recertification requirements?
2. After I pass the exam, aren't I always a Certified Pediatric Nurse?
3. What are the benefits to online Recertification?
4. Do I need to take the Self-Assessment Exercise option this year?
5. If I choose a documentation option, what do I need to have ready in order to complete my enrollment form?
6. What contact hours did I submit last year?
7. Do I need to mail you my continuing education certificates?
8. When will I receive my new wallet card?
9. When will I receive paper Recertification forms in the mail?
10. How can I get paper Recertification forms if they weren't mailed to me?
11. I selected a Self-Assessment Exercise for my option. When will it be sent?
12. Why is the Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE) completed after I recertify?
13. What if I select a Self-Assessment Exercise as a recert option and fail?
14. How can I encourage my nurses to recertify?
15. I've lost my CPN® lapel pin. How do I get another?
16. I've misplaced my CPN® wall certificate. How can I order another one?
17. I'm retiring. How can I let the PNCB know this so I don't continue to receive Recert reminders?
18. What is your policy on appeals?

1. Once I am a CPN®, what are the Recertification requirements?
CPNs® maintain certification through annual required participation in the PNCB Recertification Program.

• Annual Recertification enrollment is required.
• Recertification enrollment begins approximately 1 year or more from initial certification. Check your wallet card for the year of expiration. You will enroll for Recertification between October 1 and December 1 the year prior to your card's expiration date.
• Recertification program activities/requirements are managed in 7-year cycles.
• Certification expires February 28 of each year (as shown on your wallet card) unless you're newly certified.
• Online Recert is fast, secure, and saves you $10.00. Paper forms are available annually in October from the link at left.
• The deadline for Recert enrollment is December 1, annually.
• Complete and current RN license information must be provided.

2. After I pass the exam, aren't I always a Certified Pediatric Nurse?
Passing the exam is just the first step in maintaining your certification. Approximately one year after this achievement, you must choose to participate in recertification to remain an active CPN®. Self-Assessment Exercises (SAEs), contact hours, academic credit, and clinical practice hours - all these continuing education activities ensure that nurses certified by the PNCB stay current in peds content.

Nurses who do not actively maintain certification cannot use the "CPN" credential, and may miss out on pay raises or other benefits provided by their employers. You worked hard to put those three little letters by your name. Maintaining your certification lets you keep them there.

Check the year of expiration on your wallet card. You will need to enroll in Recert between October 1 and December 1 of the year prior to your card's expiration date.

3. What are the benefits to online Recertification?
We're glad you asked! There are quite a few and we hope you take advantage of this fast, convenient and money-saving way to recertify. Online recertification offers a summary of your recertification history, real-time tracking of your order status, and faster processing and delivery of your wallet card. Plus online Recert saves you $10.00!

4. Do I need to take the Self-Assessment Exercise option this year?
The easiest way to keep track of what you've done in the past is to view your Recertification History online. Simply log-in to see which of the Recert options you've already completed in your current 7-year cycle. Unless you've waited until the end of your 7-cycle to complete required SAEs, you have the flexibility to choose when to complete these activities.

5. If I choose a documentation option, what do I need to have ready in order to complete my enrollment form?
When you select a documentation option for Recertification, the hours you document must be already earned within 1 or 2 years of the Recertification deadline of December 1, depending on the type of option. You will be asked to provide certain information, such as the name of the class/course/practice site, dates, number of hours and the agency (if applicable) from which the hours were awarded. Click here for more about Documentation Option Requirements.

6. What contact hours did I submit last year?
If you use online Recert, we document these details in your your online Recertification History. Log-in to see your past choices.

7. Do I need to mail you my continuing education certificates?
No. You'll be listing the information we need in your online or paper application. The only reason we would need to see a photocopy of your CE certificates is if your name is selected for a random audit.

8. When will I receive my new wallet card?
New for this year is online wallet card access! We're really excited about this change, which gets your card to you faster and lets you print a new one immediately should you misplace it. Your current wallet card is valid until February 28, 2008. Once your 2008 Recertification Enrollment is succesfully processed, you can access your new wallet card with an expiration date of February 28, 2009 online.

9. When will I receive paper Recertification forms in the mail?
We won't be mailing out paper forms this year, and we encourage all nurses to use fast and secure online Recertification, which saves you $10.00. If you'd like to print forms and mail them in, please use the link at the upper left. All nurses receive a Recert reminder postcard before October 1st.

10. How can I get paper Recertification forms if they weren't mailed to me?
Visit the Paper Recert Forms link to the left for printing out the pages you need.

11. I selected a Self-Assessment Exercise for my option. When will it be sent?
We begin mailing SAEs in late December 1st. You can track your order online after this date by logging in to your online account. If you don't receive yours by mid-January, please contact us.

12. Why is the Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE) completed after I recertify?
When you select an SAE for a Recertification option, you're making a commitment to complete and send the answer sheet to us according to the 2008 SAE calendar. So, although contact, clinical practice, and preceptor hours need to be earned and documented at time of Recertification enrollment, the SAE option is one a nurse promises to fulfill in the coming months. You will still be provided an updated online wallet card with a 2/28/09 expiration date once your enrollment form is successfully processed because you're making a commitment to follow through on this activity.

13. What if I select an SAE as a recert option and fail?
CPNs who to fail achieve a passing SAE score (70%) on first scoring, will be given an additional opportunity to retake the test items which were missed. Following the guidelines listed below will help to assure your completion of the SAE requirement. Please read the following instructions carefully:

• In order to fulfill your 2008 SAE Recertification Program requirement you must redo the items answered incorrectly and pass with a minimum score of 80%. These items are noted on your "Individual Performance Report," included in this packet.
• Use the enclosed answer sheet to redo incorrectly answered items only.
• An additional $30 re-score/administrative fee will be required and must be included with your new answer sheet in the enclosed return envelope.
• The completed answer sheet and $30 fee are due on or before August 1, 2007.
• Upon passing (with a minimum score of 80%), we will send the Critique/Answer booklet and a CE certificate awarding 10 NAPNAP contact hours in Pharmacology.
• If you fail to successfully complete this SAE requirement, your 2008 Recertification Option will be changed to INACTIVE. A Critique will be mailed to you along with a re-score IPR.

14. How can I encourage my nurses to recertify?
One easy way is to send a reminder email to nurses you supervise. Another is to post a simple sign in the nurses' lounge or work area to let them know Recert time is here. If your hospital provides extra benefits to nurses who maintain certification, mention these in any communication you send. This lets your nurses know that your hospital recognizes the value of its certified staff.

15. I've lost my CPN® lapel pin. How do I get another?
Simiply email us at service@pncb.org and we'll be glad to send out a replacement.

16. I've misplaced my CPN® wall certificate. How can I order another one?
We'll be glad to send you another copy. Duplicate certificates are $15.00 each. Click here to order a duplicate.

17. I'm retiring. How can I let the PNCB know this so I don't continue to receive Recert reminders?
We hope you enjoy your retirement! Visit our Retirement page for information about notifying us. We want to be sure to keep you from getting Recert reminders, plus we want to send you a letter thanking you for your years of service in the field of pediatric nursing!

18. What is your policy on appeals?
Should you need to consider an appeal concerning Recertification, please consult our Appeals Policy and Procedures.