After graduating from a nursing program, many nurses go on to seek higher certifications. The National Certification Corporation offers several nursing certifications in many different specialty areas. They oversee and develop the credentialing exams that are available for nurses and other medical practitioners.
RNC Certifications Available to Nurses
The NCC offers certifications to RN’s in the following areas:
Inpatient obstetric nursing (INPT)
Maternal Newborn Nursing (MN)
Low Risk Neonatal Nursing (LRN)
Neonatal Intensive care nursing (NIC)
Eligibility requirements for the above exams include 2 years of practice in the specialty with a minimum of 2,000 practice hours. The nurse must also hold a current, valid license to practice in the United States. The cost of the exam varies between $250 and $300, depending upon whether you choose a computer-based exam or pencil and paper version.
RNC Credentials Available for Nurse Practitioners
Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Qualifications to sit for the above examinations are current licensure in the United States or Canada and must have been awarded a Master’s or Post Master’s degree in either Women’s Healthcare or Neonatal Healthcare as part of completion of a formal nurse practitioner program. Your graduation date must have been after 2005 in order to be eligible. Exam costs range between $250 and $300, depending upon which version of the exam you choose to take.
Subspecialty Credentials available to Nurses
The NCC offers a subspecialty certificate available to nurses, Physician Assistants and Nurse Midwives in Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM). The cost ranges from $100-$135 for a paper and pencil exam to $150-$185 dollars for a computer-based exam.