10/16/24, 8:35 Pccnexamhandbook -
AM pccn
PCCN
Exam Handbook
(Adult)
Progressive Care
Nursing Certification
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,10/16/24, 8:35 Pccnexamhandbook -
AM pccn
MISSION
AACN Certification Corporation drives patient health and safety through comprehensive
credentialing of acute and critical care nurses ensuring practice consistent with standards of
excellence.
VISION
All nurses caring for acutely and critically ill patients and their families are certified.
VALUES
As the Corporation advances its mission and vision to fulfill its purpose and inherent obligation of
ensuring the health and safety of patients experiencing acute and critical illness, the Corporation is
guided by a set of deeply rooted values:
• Providing leadership to bring all stakeholders together to create and foster cultures of
excellence and innovation
• Acting with integrity and upholding ethical values and principles in all relationships and
the provision of sound, fair and defensible credentialing programs
• Committing to excellence in credentialing programs by striving to exceed
industry standards and expectations
• Promoting leading edge, research-based credentialing programs for all nurses
who care for and influence the care of acutely and critically ill patients
• Demonstrating stewardship through fair and responsible management of resources and
cost-effective business processes
ETHICS
AACN and AACN Certification Corporation consider the American Nurses Association (ANA)
Code of Ethics for Nurses foundational for nursing practice, providing a framework for making
ethical decisions and fulfilling responsibilities to the public, colleagues and the profession. AACN
Certification Corporation’s mission of public protection supports a standard of excellence where
certified nurses have a responsibility to read about, understand and act in a manner congruent with
the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.
The following AACN Certification Corporation programs have been accredited by the National Commission
for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation arm of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE):
CCRN® (Adult) PCCN® ACCNS-AG®
CCRN® (Pediatric) CMC® ACCNS-P®
CCRN® (Neonatal) CSC® ACCNS-N®
CCRN-ETM (Adult) ACNPC-AG®
Our advanced practice certification programs, ACCNS-AG, ACCNS-P, ACCNS-N and ACNPC-AG, meet the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) criteria for APRN certification programs.
about:bl 2/
, 10/16/24, 8:35 Pccnexamhandbook -
AM pccn
Certification Organization for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
PCCN EXAM HANDBOOK
Progressive Care Nursing Certification - Adult
As healthcare becomes increasingly complex and challenging, certification has emerged as a mark of excellence showing
patients, employers and the public that a nurse possesses a defined body of knowledge and has met the rigorous
requirements to achieve specialty and/or subspecialty certification.
AACN Certification Corporation programs were created to protect healthcare consumers by validating the knowledge of
nurses who care for and/or influence the care delivered to the acutely and critically ill. We are pleased to provide you with
this handbook with information about our programs and how to apply for and take the PCCN certification exam.
Today, more than 115,000 practicing nurses hold one or more of these certifications from AACN Certification Corporation:
Specialty Certifications
CCRN® is for nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
CCRN-K™ is for nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients,
but do not primarily or exclusively provide direct care.
CCRN-E™ is for nurses working in a tele-ICU monitoring/caring for acutely/critically ill adult patients from a remote
location.
PCCN® is for progressive care nurses providing direct care to acutely ill adult patients.
PCCN-K™ is for nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely ill adult patients, but do not primarily or exclusively
provide direct care.
Subspecialty Certifications
CMC® is for certified nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult cardiac patients.
CSC® is for certified nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult patients during the first 48 hours after
cardiac surgery.
Advanced Practice Consensus Model-Based Certifications
ACNPC-AG® is for the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner educated at the graduate level.
The ACCNS credentials are for clinical nurse specialists educated at the graduate level to provide care across the
continuum from wellness through acute care:
ACCNS-AG® is for the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialists educated to care for adult-gerontology
patients. ACCNS-P® is for the pediatric clinical nurse specialists educated to care for pediatric patients.
ACCNS-N® is for the neonatal clinical nurse specialists educated to care for neonatal patients.
Advanced Practice Certifications
With implementation of the Consensus Model in 2015, ACNPC and CCNS are available as renewal options only:
ACNPC® is for acute care nurse practitioners educated to provide care to adult patients.
CCNS® is for acute/critical care clinical care specialists educated to provide care to adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
We continually seek to provide quality certification programs that meet the changing needs of nurses and patients.
Please visit www.aacn.org/certification, or call 800-899-2226 for more information about the above certifications.
Thank you for your commitment to patients and their families and to becoming certified.
PCCN Exam Handbook │ January 2019 1
about:bl 3/
AM pccn
PCCN
Exam Handbook
(Adult)
Progressive Care
Nursing Certification
about:bl 1/
,10/16/24, 8:35 Pccnexamhandbook -
AM pccn
MISSION
AACN Certification Corporation drives patient health and safety through comprehensive
credentialing of acute and critical care nurses ensuring practice consistent with standards of
excellence.
VISION
All nurses caring for acutely and critically ill patients and their families are certified.
VALUES
As the Corporation advances its mission and vision to fulfill its purpose and inherent obligation of
ensuring the health and safety of patients experiencing acute and critical illness, the Corporation is
guided by a set of deeply rooted values:
• Providing leadership to bring all stakeholders together to create and foster cultures of
excellence and innovation
• Acting with integrity and upholding ethical values and principles in all relationships and
the provision of sound, fair and defensible credentialing programs
• Committing to excellence in credentialing programs by striving to exceed
industry standards and expectations
• Promoting leading edge, research-based credentialing programs for all nurses
who care for and influence the care of acutely and critically ill patients
• Demonstrating stewardship through fair and responsible management of resources and
cost-effective business processes
ETHICS
AACN and AACN Certification Corporation consider the American Nurses Association (ANA)
Code of Ethics for Nurses foundational for nursing practice, providing a framework for making
ethical decisions and fulfilling responsibilities to the public, colleagues and the profession. AACN
Certification Corporation’s mission of public protection supports a standard of excellence where
certified nurses have a responsibility to read about, understand and act in a manner congruent with
the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.
The following AACN Certification Corporation programs have been accredited by the National Commission
for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation arm of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE):
CCRN® (Adult) PCCN® ACCNS-AG®
CCRN® (Pediatric) CMC® ACCNS-P®
CCRN® (Neonatal) CSC® ACCNS-N®
CCRN-ETM (Adult) ACNPC-AG®
Our advanced practice certification programs, ACCNS-AG, ACCNS-P, ACCNS-N and ACNPC-AG, meet the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) criteria for APRN certification programs.
about:bl 2/
, 10/16/24, 8:35 Pccnexamhandbook -
AM pccn
Certification Organization for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
PCCN EXAM HANDBOOK
Progressive Care Nursing Certification - Adult
As healthcare becomes increasingly complex and challenging, certification has emerged as a mark of excellence showing
patients, employers and the public that a nurse possesses a defined body of knowledge and has met the rigorous
requirements to achieve specialty and/or subspecialty certification.
AACN Certification Corporation programs were created to protect healthcare consumers by validating the knowledge of
nurses who care for and/or influence the care delivered to the acutely and critically ill. We are pleased to provide you with
this handbook with information about our programs and how to apply for and take the PCCN certification exam.
Today, more than 115,000 practicing nurses hold one or more of these certifications from AACN Certification Corporation:
Specialty Certifications
CCRN® is for nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
CCRN-K™ is for nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely/critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients,
but do not primarily or exclusively provide direct care.
CCRN-E™ is for nurses working in a tele-ICU monitoring/caring for acutely/critically ill adult patients from a remote
location.
PCCN® is for progressive care nurses providing direct care to acutely ill adult patients.
PCCN-K™ is for nurses who influence the care delivered to acutely ill adult patients, but do not primarily or exclusively
provide direct care.
Subspecialty Certifications
CMC® is for certified nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult cardiac patients.
CSC® is for certified nurses providing direct care to acutely/critically ill adult patients during the first 48 hours after
cardiac surgery.
Advanced Practice Consensus Model-Based Certifications
ACNPC-AG® is for the adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner educated at the graduate level.
The ACCNS credentials are for clinical nurse specialists educated at the graduate level to provide care across the
continuum from wellness through acute care:
ACCNS-AG® is for the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialists educated to care for adult-gerontology
patients. ACCNS-P® is for the pediatric clinical nurse specialists educated to care for pediatric patients.
ACCNS-N® is for the neonatal clinical nurse specialists educated to care for neonatal patients.
Advanced Practice Certifications
With implementation of the Consensus Model in 2015, ACNPC and CCNS are available as renewal options only:
ACNPC® is for acute care nurse practitioners educated to provide care to adult patients.
CCNS® is for acute/critical care clinical care specialists educated to provide care to adult, pediatric or neonatal patients.
We continually seek to provide quality certification programs that meet the changing needs of nurses and patients.
Please visit www.aacn.org/certification, or call 800-899-2226 for more information about the above certifications.
Thank you for your commitment to patients and their families and to becoming certified.
PCCN Exam Handbook │ January 2019 1
about:bl 3/
