Nursing credentials and certifications


Nursing credentials and certifications are the various credentials and certifications that a person must have to practice nursing legally. Nurses' postnominal letters reflect their credentials—that is, their achievements in nursing education, licensure, certification, and fellowship. The letters usually appear in the following order:
Generally, credentials are listed from most to least permanent. A degree, once earned, cannot, in normal circumstances, be taken away. State licensure is active until retirement and otherwise only revoked in cases of serious professional misconduct. Certifications generally must be periodically renewed by examination or the completion of a prescribed number of continuing education units. This is often called maintenance of certification.
Nurses may also hold non-nursing credentials including academic degrees. These are usually omitted unless they are related to the nurse's job. For instance, those with master's degrees usually do not list their bachelor's degrees, and a staff nurse would likely not list an MBA, but a nurse manager might choose to do so.
Some nurses who achieve a master's degree leave the patient-care aspect of nursing, and practice in a more managerial role. An example would be earning an MSN in healthcare risk management. Such a nurse, while still fully an accredited nurse, will likely become the risk manager for a hospital, working in health administration rather than direct care and perhaps even becoming the director or manager of the risk-management department. In this role, he or she may never see another patient except while doing hospital inspections, or perhaps talking to a patient or the patient's family about a quality-of-care concern. In this role, the nurse becomes something similar to an auditor and a teacher of patient care quality and risk for the entire hospital staff. This nurse likely will also get the certification CPHQ: Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.
Nursing credentials are separated from the person's name with commas. Usually, no periods are placed within the credentials

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. Over 200 nursing specialties and subspecialties are available. Studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty-certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction and lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.
Registered nurses are not required to be certified in a certain specialty by law. For example, it is not necessary to be a certified medical-surgical registered nurse to work on a medical-surgical floor, and most medical-surgical nurses are not CMSRNs. Certifications do, however, instill professionalism and make the nurse more attractive to prospective and current employers. Certified nurses may earn a salary differential over their uncertified colleagues, but this is rare.
Some hospitals and other health-care facilities are willing to pay certified nurses extra when they work within their specialties. Also, some hospitals may require certain nurses, such as nursing supervisors or lead nurses, be certified. Certification instills confidence in the nurses. Magnet hospitals advocate certifications.

Alphabetical listing of nursing and related credentials and certifications

Key

Throughout the list, the following credentialing organizations are mentioned:

A

B

C

  • CANP: Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner
  • CAPA: Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia nurse
  • CARN: Certified Addictions Registered Nurse
  • CATN-I: Course in Advanced Trauma Nursing -Instructor
  • CATN-P: Course in Advanced Trauma Nursing -Provider
  • CBCN: Certified Breast Care Nurse
  • CBN: Certified Bariatric Nurse
  • CCCI: Canadian Certified Clinical Instructor
  • CCCN: Certified Continence Care Nurse
  • CCDS: Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist
  • CCE: Certified Childbirth Educator
  • CCHP: Certified Correctional Health Professional
  • CCHP-CP: Certified Correctional Health Professional-Clinical Provider
  • CCM: Certified Case Manager
  • CCNS: Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • CCRN: Certification in Acute/Critical Care Nursing
  • CCTC: Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator
  • CCTN: Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse
  • CDAL: Certified Director of Assisted Living
  • CDDN: Certified Developmental Disabilities Nurse
  • CDCES: Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist
  • CDMS: Certified Disability Management Specialist
  • CDN: Certified Dialysis Nurse
  • CDONA/LTC: Certified Director of Nursing Administration/Long Term Care
  • C-EFM: Certified in Electronic Fetal Monitoring
  • CEN: Certified Emergency Nurse
  • CENP: Certified Executive in Nursing Practice
  • CETN: Certified Enterostomal Therapy Nurse
  • CFCN: Certified Foot Care Nurse
  • CFN: Certified Forensic Nurse
  • CFNP: Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
  • CFPN: Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse
  • CFRN: Certified Flight Registered Nurse
  • CGN: Certified Gastroenterology Nurse
  • CGRN: Certified Gastroenterology Registered Nurse
  • CHES: Certified Health Education Specialist
  • CHN: Certified Hemodialysis Nurse
  • CHPLN: Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse
  • CHPN: Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse
  • CHPNA: Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant
  • CHPPN: Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse
  • CHRN: Certified Hyperbaric Registered Nurse
  • CHSE: Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator
  • CHSE-A: Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced
  • CHSOS: Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist
  • CIC: Certified in Infection Control
  • CLC: Certified Lactation Counselor
  • CLNC: Certified Legal Nurse Consultant
  • CLS: Clinical Laboratory Scientist
  • CM: Certified Midwife
  • CMA: Certified Medical Assistant
  • CMAS: Certified Medical Audit Specialist
  • CMC: Cardiac Medicine Certification
  • CMCN: Certified Managed Care Nurse
  • CMDSC: Certified MDS Coordinator
  • CMSRN: Certified Medical—Surgical Registered Nurse
  • CNA: Certified Nursing Assistant
  • CNAMB: Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse
  • CNCC: Certified Nurse in Critical Care
  • CNE: Certified Nursing Educator
  • CNE: Chief Nurse Executive
  • CNeph: Certified in Nephrology Nursing
  • CNL: Clinical Nurse Leader
  • CNLCP: Certified Nurse Life Care Planner
  • CNM: Certified Nurse Midwife
  • CNML: Certified Nurse Manager and Leader
  • CNN: Certified in Nephrology Nursing
  • CNO: Chief Nursing Officer
  • CNOR: Certified Perioperative Nurse
  • CNP: Certified Nurse Practitioner
  • C-NPT: Certified in Neonatal Pediatric Transport
  • CNRN: Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse
  • CNS: Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • CNSC: Certified Nutrition Support Clinician
  • COCN: Certified Ostomy Care Nurse
  • COHC: Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist
  • COHN: Certified Occupational Health Nurse
  • COHN/CM: Certified Occupational Health Nurse/Case Manager
  • COHN-S: Certified Occupational Health Nurse—Specialist
  • COHN-S/CM: Certified Occupational Health Nurse—Specialist/Case Manager
  • CORLN: Certified Otorhinolaryngology Nurse
  • CPAN: Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse
  • CPDN: Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse
  • CPEN: Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse
  • CPHON: Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse
  • CPHQ: Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
  • CPLC: Certified in Perinatal Loss Care
  • CPN: Certified Pediatric Nurse or Community Psychiatric Nurse
  • CPNA: Certified Pediatric Nurse Associate
  • CPNL: Certified Practical Nurse, Long-term care
  • CPNP: Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
  • CPON: Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse
  • CPSN: Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse
  • CRN: Certified Radiologic Nurse
  • CRNA: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
  • CRNFA: Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant
  • CRNI: Certified Registered Nurse Infusion
  • CRNL: Certified Registered Nurse, Long-term care
  • CRNO: Certified Registered Nurse in Ophthalmology
  • CRNP: Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
  • CRRN: Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse
  • CRRN-A: Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse—Advanced
  • CS: Clinical Specialist
  • CSC: Cardiac Surgery Certification
  • CSHA: Certified Specialist in Hospital Accreditation
  • CSN: Certified School Nurse
  • C-SPI: Certified Specialist in Poison Information
  • CT: Certified in Thanatology
  • CTN: Certified Transcultural Nurse
  • CTRN: Certified Transport Registered Nurse
  • CTRS: Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist
  • CUA: Certified Urologic Associate
  • CUCNS: Certified Urologic Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • CUNP: Certified Urologic Nurse Practitioner
  • CURN: Certified Urologic Registered Nurse
  • CVICU: Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
  • CVN: Certified Vascular Nurse
  • CVOR: Cardiovascular Operating Room
  • CVRN-BC: Cardiovascular Nurse-Board Certified.
  • CWCN: Certified Wound Care Nurse
  • CWOCN: Certified Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse
  • CWS: Certified Wound Specialist

D

E

  • ECRN: Emergency Communications Registered Nurse
  • ED: Emergency Department
  • EdD: Doctor of Education
  • EN: Enrolled Nurse
  • ENC: Emergency Nurse Certified
  • ENP-BC: Emergency Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified
  • ENP-C: Emergency Nurse Practitioner- Certified
  • ENPC: Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course
  • ENPC-I: Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course Instructor
  • ENPC-P: Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course Provider
  • ET: Enterostomal Therapist

F

G

  • GN: Graduate Nurse
  • GNP: Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
  • GPN: General Pediatric Nurse
  • GPN: Graduate Practical Nurse
  • GRN: Graduate Registered Nurse

H

  • HACP: Hospital Accreditation Certified Professional
  • HNB-BC: Holistic Nurse Baccalaureate-Board Certified
  • HNC: Holistic Nurse, Certified
  • HN-BC: Holistic Nurse-Board Certified
  • HWNC-BC: Health and Wellness Nurse Coach-Board Certified

I

L

M

N

  • NC-BC: Nurse Coach-Board Certified
  • NCMP: Certified Menopause Practitioner
  • NCSN: National Certified School Nurse
  • NE-BC: Nurse Executive-Board Certified
  • NEA-BC: Nurse Executive Advanced-Board Certified
  • NHDP-BC: National Healthcare Disaster Professional-Board Certified
  • NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • NNP-BC: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • NP: Nurse Practitioner, Adult
  • NP: Nurse Practitioner, Family
  • NP: Nurse Practitioner, Pediatrics
  • NP-C: Nurse Practitioner, Certified
  • NPP: Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric
  • NSE: Nursing Student Extern
  • NSWOC: Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence
  • NRP: Neonatal Resuscitation Program
  • NVRN: Neurovascular Registered Nurse
  • NZCFN: New Zealand Certified Flight Nurse
  • NPS: Neonatal / Pediatric Specialty

O

P

Q

R

S

T

  • TCAR: Trauma Care After Resuscitation course
  • TCRN: Trauma Certified Registered Nurse
  • TNCC: Trauma Nursing Core Course
  • TNCC-I: Trauma Nursing Core Course Instructor
  • TNCC-P: Trauma Nursing Core Course Provider
  • TNP: Telephone Nursing Practitioner
  • TNS: Trauma Nurse Specialist

V

  • VA-BC: Vascular Access Board Certified

W