Thank you!
Thank you for wanting to learn more, and for
choosing PNCB as your certification board!
We hope you find this presentation helpful. For
feedback on how we can improve this resource,
contact feedback@pncb.org.
Why Recertify?
Why Recertify?
 Every certification board must show evidence to their
accrediting authority that certificants are engaged in
activities that keep their expertise current.
 All nursing certification boards require this renewal or
recertification process in order for you to maintain the
credential for which you tested.
 For some CPNs, there are financial benefits from
employers, plus CPNs often renew for personal reasons.
 For most CPNPs, state boards need proof of renewed
certification for authority to practice.
The Basics
Each year:
 Document 15 contact hours of CE or other PNCB
approved activity
During each 7-year Recert Tracking Cycle:
 Complete required PNCB Pediatric Updates modules
(formerly called SAEs)
Tip! These PNCB modules substitute for contact hours
when you apply them to your Recert enrollment.
The Big Picture
Tip! Click here to download examples of 7-year
cycles and a worksheet to help you plan.
When is it?
 Annual online enrollment for everyone
 From October 1 to December 31
 What if I just tested?
 Check the expiration date on your online
wallet card. You will need to enroll in Recert
between October 1 and December 31 in the
year prior to this expiration date and
annually thereafter. When you recertify is
not based on your exam month.
 Will I be reminded?
 Yes! By a fun postcard in late September,
plus emails, e-news, and on Facebook.
Why annual?
Keeps costs manageable
 Instead of payment covering a renewal
span of 3-5 years, this cost is broken up
into smaller chunks.
Easier recordkeeping
 Instead of gathering CE certificates, etc.
for a 3-5 year renewal period, you only
go back 12-24 months. (12 months for
clinical practice documentation).
Why annual?
Helps PNCB keep in touch
 About 14% of the U.S. population moves
every year.
 People change emails addresses more
often than mailing addresses.
 An up-to-date database saves staff time
and re-mailing costs.
How do I get ready?
Understand the open enrollment time period
 October 1 through December 31 each year
 Newly certified?
Check your online wallet card at www.pncb.org. You will
need to enroll in Recert between October 1 and
December 31 in the year prior to this expiration date
and annually thereafter.
Why so early?
If my wallet card doesn’t expire until 2/28
of the following year, why do I recertify
before that date?
With over 30,000 certificants, PNCB
staff need time to…
 Give personal guidance when needed
 Send CPNP verifications to state boards of
nursing
 Manage special issues
How else can I get ready?
Think about what you plan to document
 Get familiar with PNCB options to understand the full
range of your choices.
 Review what CE or other activities you’ve completed.
Check amounts, when you earned it, and if it meets
PNCB’s flexible requirements.
And those modules I’ve
heard about?
Plan ahead
 If you need or want to complete a PNCB Pediatric
Updates (formerly SAE) module for an upcoming
enrollment, don’t wait too long to get started:
 Must be completed successfully before it can be applied
as a recert option.
 Allow 2 weeks for CE to load into your record in order to
apply it during your online enrollment application. We’re
working on making this faster!
Tip!
You don’t have to complete a PNCB Pediatric
Updates module your first year of Recert.
 You decide when to complete these required PNCB
modules during each 7-year Recert cycle.
 It’s a common misconception that you have to complete
a module your first year of Recert. Spread the word!
What is the 7-year cycle?
The 7-year Recert tracking cycle is your timeline
for completing PNCB Pediatric Updates
requirements.
 Gives CPNs and CPNPs a reasonable amount of time
to fit these into your busy schedule.
 It’s a misconception that this means Recert is every 7
years, or that you have to re-take the formal board
exam at the end of every 7-year cycle. PNCB does not
offer re-testing as a Recert option. Spread the word!
What exactly do I do?
Between October 1 and December 31, you will
visit www.pncb.org and…
 Complete a short online application where you:
1. Select a recert option
2. Tell PNCB some details about that option to document
how you stayed current
3. If applying a completed Pediatric Updates module, you’ll
tell us to count it for your Recert
4. Update your contact, license, and employment info
5. Pay any fee associated with your selected option
Tip!
You do not pay a second time when applying a
previously purchased PNCB Pediatric Updates
module to your Recert enrollment.
 Our database will already know you paid for it.
What are my options?
Options include
 Document 15 actual contact hours from an accredited
source.
 Document 10 contact hours combined with 1
Professional Practice Learning (PPL) activity.
 Document academic credit in combination with 1 PPL or
5 contact hours.
 CPNPs can document academic credit with 1 Pediatric
Updates module.
 Apply your required PNCB Pediatric Updates modules.
Record Review Year
 Available once every 7 years
 Use this when you didn’t have a chance to earn CE, or if a
major life event has occurred.
 You will still come the PNCB website, update your info, and
pay a nominal fee.
 Your certification is still in good standing using this option.
 If you wait until the end of your current 7-year cycle to use it,
your PNCB Pediatric Updates module requirements will still
need to be met first.
 Some people are hesitant to use this option, but there’s no
issue with using it. CPNP verifications are still sent to state
boards as usual.
 Some people like to wait until the end of their cycle and use it
“just because.”
Do I have do to all options?
 No, the choice is yours, except you’ll need to complete
required Pediatric Updates during your 7-year Recert
tracking cycle.
 Many options = Maximum Flexibility
 Recognizes what you’re already doing
Mythbuster: You do not have to do all available options in one
year. You do not have to do all available options in 7 years.
Example: Some CPNs and CPNPs only choose to document
contact hours every year, except for when they document
required Pediatric Updates. That’s perfectly fine!
Contact Hours
The most common Recert choice!
Hours must be:
 Completed within 24 months prior to your Recert
enrollment.
 Awarded by our approved list of common accrediting
agencies (e.g., ANCC, NAPNAP, AMA, state boards of
nursing and many more).
 Relevant to practice for your certification type.
Need CE?
 Links to free CE are listed on the PNCB website.
 PNCB offers free CE modules online in small increments.
 Medscape is a great resource: http://www.medscape.org/nurses
 Nurse.com offers some free CE too: http://ce.nurse.com/FreeCE.aspx
 Advance offers low cost and free CE:
 RNs: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/CE/TestCenter/Main.aspx
 NPs: http://nurse-practitioners-and-physicianassistants.advanceweb.com/CE/TestCenter/Main.aspx
 Healio/SLACK Publications offers CME for NPs, usually at a cost:
http://www.healio.com/pediatrics/education-lab
More Resources
 CPNPs receive free print subscriptions to SLACK’s Pediatric
Annals, which offers access to Healio online CME.
 CPNs and CPNPs can sign up for free Advance publications. Visit
My CPN Corner or My CPNP Corner at www.pncb.org.
More about contact hours
 Contact hours from programs such as the American
Heart Association's (AHA) or Emergency Nurses
Association's (ENA) — PALS, Advanced
Pediatric/Cardiac/Trauma Life Support, Basic Trauma
Life Support, or the Emergency Nurses Pediatric Course
(ENPC) — are applicable only when earned from the
initial course/certification.
 Acute Care CPNPs cannot use PALS to meet Recert
requirements as this was a requirement to sit for the
exam.
How do I document CE?
You’ll answer a few simple questions online:
 Name of activity
 Accrediting organization
 Date of completion
 Number of contact hours
Tip! The accrediting body is usually listed on the bottom
of your CE certificate. Your hospital/employer may be
the CE provider, but a bigger state or national
organization is usually the accrediting agency.
Do I send my paperwork?
Not unless you’re selected for our random audit
as required by our accreditor.
Tip! You have the option to upload CE certificates, transcripts,
and other supporting documentation in your personal archiving
tool, My ReCErt Tracker.
You can upload documents as you earn them any time of the
year.
Using My ReCErt Tracker is optional, but a unique benefit of
being PNCB certified.
Tip!
 If you apply a Pediatric Updates module, the contact
hours you earned from it count toward your requirement
of 15 contact hours annually.
Example: A CPN plans to apply a Pediatric Updates for RNs
module that awarded him 15 contact hours. He will not
document 15 additional contact hours on top of that for his
annual enrollment.
Example: A CPNP plans to apply a Pediatric Updates module
that awarded her 7.5 contact hours. She will only need to
document the equivalent of 7.5 additional contact hours for a
total of 15 for her enrollment. Or she may have completed 2
modules, which will count as the full 15 contact hours needed.
Academic Credit
Uses 1 semester or quarter hour in combination with
another option to reach the required 15 contact
hours per year.
 Awarded from an accredited institution
 Successfully completed
 Earned within 24 months prior to your online Recert
enrollment application
 Relevant to pediatric nursing or nursing leadership
 Cannot be the same as reported in a previous year
 Cannot be academic credit earned from a PNP program
attended to meet PNCB CPNP certification eligibility
What is PPL?
Short on accredited contact hours? Professional
Practice Learning (PPL) will count for 5 contact
hours toward your Recert enrollment.
You can apply only 1 PPL per year.
PPL categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Clinical practice
Precepting
Authoring articles, or textbook chapters
Scholarly posters
Academic or non-academic lectures
Committee membership
PPL: Clinical Practice
Minimum of 200 hours completed in the past 12
months prior to Recert enrollment
Completed while holding active licensure for the
state/territory in which the hours were performed
Tip! Clinical practice is direct, hands-on care for the
pediatric population, paid or volunteer. It does not include
management, supervision or education of other personnel or
students to help achieve patient care goals.
Is clinical practice
required?
No. PNCB understands that people
take time off, have major life
events, may not work full time, etc.
 But if you are working, and are short
on accredited contact hours, you can
use clinical practice as Professional
Practice Learning.
 Clinical practice counts as 5 contact
hours for your Recert enrollment.
PPL: Precepting
At least 80 hours completed in the past 24
months prior to Recert enrollment:
 Level-appropriate: CPNPs must precept graduate PNP
or FNP students with a focus on mastery of pediatric
clinical content; CPNs must precept RN-level students.
 Completed while holding active licensure for the
state/territory in which the hours were performed.
✖ Does not include orientation.
✖ Preceptor hours cannot be used to meet clinical practice
PPL.
PPL: Authorship
Peer-reviewed journal article or textbook
contributions:
 Completed in the last 24 months prior to Recert
enrollment
 Any page length
 May be co-authored
 Tip! An unpublished or published Doctoral
dissertation/capstone project or Master's thesis
completed in the last 24 months prior to Recert
enrollment will also be accepted for this category.
PPL: Scholarly Posters
Created and presented in the last 24
months prior to Recert enrollment and:
 Selected for conference or hospital presentation
 Related to pediatric nursing or nursing practice
PPL: Lecture Presentation
Accomplished in the last 24 months
prior to Recert enrollment
Related to pediatric nursing or
nursing leadership
A specific lecture cannot be used
more than once for PPL credit
Non-academic Lectures
If presented in a non-academic
setting (e.g. conferences)
 At least one hour in length
 Sponsored by employer or a
membership or an educational
organization
 Awarded CE to attendees
 Included learning objectives and a
reference list
 Included education materials created for
public education or patient/family
teaching
Academic Lectures
If presented in an academic setting…
 Awarded academic credit to students
 Does not include lectures of the same material or
modification of the same material for presentations
or lectures that are required as part of employment
PPL: Committee Work
Within the last 24 months prior to
Recert enrollment and:
 State or national level as an officer or
committee task force member
 Tip! PNCB committee members receive
CE and discounted Recertification fees
for volunteering and therefore cannot
also apply PNCB committee activity to
the Committee PPL option.
Why so many choices?
Flexibility
Recognition for the ways CPNs and
CPNPs…
 Keep current,
 Strengthen the profession,
 And help others grow their knowledge!
What if I hold multiple
PNCB certifications?
CPN + CPNP
 Streamlined plan if you want to maintain both
 Will save you time and money
 1 Recert enrollment application for both
 You will fulfill 1 Pediatric Updates for RNs per 7-year cycle
CPNP-PC + CPNP-AC
 Streamlined plan to maintain both
 60 contact hours’ worth of PNCB Pediatric Updates instead
of 90
 1 Recert enrollment application for both
PNCB Pediatric Updates
We invite you to see our in-depth
Pediatric Updates Basic PowerPoint
to learn about this required activity.
Click here to see this resource.
Questions? We’re here for you!
Email recert@pncb.org for
assistance so we can help.