The CPN certification is valid till one year, with annual re-certification. During that period, a self-assessment activity should be finished at one time and is available on the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board website. Re-certification is tracked in seven year cycles and in among those 7 years, the PNCB's Pediatric Nursing Self-Assessment Exercises (SAE) is required. In the other six years of the cycle, nursing certificants must either show documentation of 10 contact hours, 1 academic credit, or 5 contact hours & 200 clinical practice hours. There's also an option of remaining inactive during one of the years within the 7 year cycle.
The Certified Pediatric Nurse Exam is offered throughout the year at several examination sites in the U.S.. When the application for the CPN exam is accepted and processed, the RN will receive a testing admission ticket. There's a 90-day window in which the CPN exam must be taken. Cost for carrying the CPN exam is either $295 for computer-based testing or $285 for paper-pencil testing. If the CPN exam is retaken, the fee is $245 for computer-based testing or $225 for paper-pencil testing.
Effective since 12/15/08, the CPN exam lies in 175 multiple-choice queries and 3 hours is allotted to complete the CPN exam. About one-quarter of the exam tests the RN's knowledge of child development, including developmental milestones. Other one-quarter of the CPN exam contains questions regarding specific pathologic illnesses that can affect the pediatric population. The remainder of the CPN exam is made up of questions pertaining to psychosocial issues, health promotion, and family education.
