The National Certification Board: Perioperative Nurses, Inc. (NCB:PNI) has changed its name to Certification Board Perioperative Nursing (CBPN) which is responsible for the CNOR and CRNFA exams. Its parent corporation is Certification Boards, Inc. (CBi). There is also a new (separate) company, Certification Partnering Services (CPS) under the umbrella of CBi.
As of 1998, the deadline for recertification was changed from May 1 to July 1. Late applications will be accepted July 2 - 31 with a $75 late fee. Another change in 1998 was the period of time for accumulating contact hours. We can now accumulate contact hours from January 1 of the year we were certified/recertified until July 1 of the year we recertify. This gives us a total of 5.5 years to accumulate 125 contact hours (it has dropped from 150 hours).
Another big change is the merger of the CNOR and CRNFA credential. CRNFAs who are CNOR only need to recertify once to keep both credentials current. There will only be one fee and only 200 hours will be required to renew both credentials.
The CBPN Board is now offering BSN and MSN scholarships. These will be only awarded to RNs with certification.
Starting in 1999, you may recertify by exam, contact hours or by points. Points are accumulated by participating in various professional activities (writing an article or book chapter, giving professional educational presentations, holding an office at the national and/or local levels, cross-training, or serving as a preceptor). Information is in recertification packets and on the certification web site. 250 points are needed for renewal. One contact hour equals two points, so the requirement is the same - 125 contact hours or 250 points.
Inactive status is now offered. This is for nurses who no longer work or have left the perioperative setting. This status gives CNORs an additional three years to meet the recertification requirements. During the inactive status, they may not use "CNOR" in their credentials. The recertification must occur within a five-year time span (including working in a perioperative area). The three-year span is not a deadline extension of the original five year criteria. Eligibility for recertification must occur within a five year period - not eight years.
The requirement for a BSN for CNOR has been dropped. For a detailed explanation, please visit the Certification Board's web site. There are many valid reasons for this decision. An interesting note: In 1979, a study showed 65% of nurses were diploma grads and 13% had associate degrees. In 1996, another study showed 66% of nurses came from associate and diploma programs. Of the current 30,000 CNORs, over 63% do not have a BSN degree.
Remember you must have a BSN for certification as an RN First Assistant (RNFA) starting in the year 2000.
There are two committees that are looking for volunteers. The Item Review Committee reviews and refines questions for the certification exams. The Item Writers Committee creates the test questions (which are then reviewed).
For more information on certification, scholarships, test dates, or committee membership, access the Perioperative Certification web page.