“Your idea, talent, experience and certificates are not enough. What is needed is a strong passion for driving your idea, talent, experience and your certificates to success. ” – Oscar Bimpong
50 Nursing Certifications
In the United States and Canada, many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, signifying that they possess expert knowledge. There are over 200 nursing specialties and subspecialties. Studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty-certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.
AACN Certification Corporation (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) - Website Certifications for critical care and progressive care nurses, nurse managers and more.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) - Website Certifications across various specialties, including family nurse practitioner, pediatric nursing, psychiatric and mental health nursing, and more.
National Certification Corporation (NCC) - Website Certifications for obstetric, neonatal, and women's health care specialties.
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) - Website Certifications for pediatric nurses, including primary care, acute care, and pediatric nurse practitioners.
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) - Website Provides Nurse Practitioner certification programs that align with specialty area knowledge and the role of the Nurse Practitioner.
Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) - Website Certifications for oncology nursing, including pediatric hematology oncology, breast care, blood and marrow transplant, and more.
Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) - Website Provides the CNOR (Certified Nurse Operating Room) and other certifications for perioperative nursing.
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) - Website Offers the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) and the Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) certifications.
American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) - Website HIV Specialist™ (HIVS) certification for nurses providing direct care to people living with HIV.
American Board of Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) - Website Certification for nurses who practice occupational and environmental health nursing.
American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification (ABPANC) - Website Certification for nurses working in preanesthesia and postanesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, and pain management.
Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) - Website Offers several certifications for nurses working in hospice and palliative care.
Certification for Emergency Nurses (BCEN) - Website Offers certification for emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, pediatric emergency, and trauma nursing.
National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) - Website Offers the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) certification.
Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB) - Website Offers certifications for orthopaedic nursing.
National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) - Website Offers the Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) credential.
Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB) - Website Offers certifications in wound care, ostomy care, and continence care.
Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB) - Website Offers the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN®) credential.
Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC) - Website Offers the Certified Registered Nurse Infusion (CRNI®) credential.
American Association of Moderate Sedation Nurses (AAMSN) - Website Offers the Certified Moderate Sedation Nurse (CMSN) credential.
American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) - Website Offers the Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN) credential for nurses working in wound care.
Addictions Nursing Certification Board (ANCB) - Website Offers the Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) and Certified Addictions Registered Nurse - Advanced Practice (CARN-AP) credentials.
American College of Cardiovascular Nurses (ACCN) - Website Offers the Board Certified Cardiovascular Nurse (BCCVN) credential for nurses working in cardiovascular care.
National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC) - Website Offers the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC) credential for nurses working in the legal field.
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) - Website Offers the Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS) credential for pediatric-focused APRNs.
National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) - Website Offers the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) credential.
American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) - Website Offers the Certified Heart Failure Nurse (CHFN) credential for nurses working with heart failure patients.
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) - Website Offers the Certified Ambulatory Care Nurse (CABCN) credential for nurses working in ambulatory care.
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) - Website Offers the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) credential for nurses working in neuroscience.
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) - Website Offers the CNS-CP (Clinical Nurse Specialist – Certified Perioperative) credential for clinical nurse specialists working in perioperative settings.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation - Website Offers the Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (ACNPC-AG) certification for acute care nurse practitioners.
American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC) - Website Provides certification for nurses in holistic nursing and nurse coaching.
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) - Website Offers the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) credential for nurses in emergency nursing.
Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) - Website Offers a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) certification for registered nurses in the hospice and palliative nursing care.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) - Website Provides a Pain Management Nursing Certification (RN-BC) for registered nurses practicing in pain management.
Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) - Website Offers the Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse (CPON) certification for registered nurses in pediatric oncology.
Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board (RNCB) - Website Provides the Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) credential for rehabilitation nurses.
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) - Website Offers the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) credential for legal nurse consultants.
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) - Website Provides the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Certification (ENP-C) for nurse practitioners working in emergency care.
National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) - Website Offers the Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care Certification (C-NNIC) for neonatal nurses working in neuro-intensive care.
National Certification Corporation (NCC) - Website Offers the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC) certification for registered nurses working in neonatal intensive care.
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) - Website Offers the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care (PNP-PC) certification for primary care pediatric nurse practitioners.
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) - Website Offers the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care (PNP-AC) certification for acute care pediatric nurse practitioners.
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) - Website Provides the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A-GNP) certification for primary care nurse practitioners working with adult-gerontology populations.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation - Website Offers the Critical Care Nurse Specialist (CCNS) certification for clinical nurse specialists in critical care.
American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners (AANLCP) - Website Offers the Nurse Life Care Planner (CNLCP) certification for nurses working in life care planning.
Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) - Website Provides the Certified in Perinatal Loss Care (CPLC) certification for nurses providing care to families experiencing perinatal loss.
Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) - Website Offers the Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP) certification for nurse practitioners working in oncology.
American Board of Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) - Website Provides the Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist (COHN-S) certification for occupational health nursing specialists.
American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) - Website Offers the Registered Nurse-Board Certified (RN-BC) credential in psychiatric–mental health nursing.
Remember, this list is not exhaustive and many other specialized nursing certifications exist. The specific certification a nurse may pursue depends on their interest, specialty area, and career goals. It's also important to remember that certification requirements may vary by country and certifying body. Therefore, nurses interested in these certifications should check the specific requirements with the relevant certifying bodies.