Certified Nephrology Nurse - Nurse Practitioner™ (CNN-NP™)
Continuing competence is the ongoing ability of a nurse and those working under the nurse's direction to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, judgment, and personal attributes required to practice safely and ethically.
To maintain competence and prevent professional obsolescence, the Board of Commissioners requires that each NNCC certificant participate in continuing education to refresh existing knowledge and skill and to acquire knowledge and proficiency pertaining to new advances as well as state of the art information over the full spectrum of nephrology.
The five-year time period established for recertification is based on both the scope of issues that face nephrology nurse practitioners and the Board’s belief that new practices, research, and information are introduced in the field with enough frequency that professional development activities should be conducted routinely so that certificants remain current with best practices and emerging knowledge.
Notification/Expiration
As a courtesy, the NNCC will send reminders approximately every 30 days starting 120 days prior to certification expiration. Ultimately it is the applicant's responsibility to obtain the necessary application form and submit it to the NNCC before the certification expiration date. The NNCC is not responsible for undelivered mail. A recertification application can be obtained here on the NNCC website or by calling 888.884.6622. Your completed application, appropriate forms, copies of supporting materials, and fee must be submitted at one time. The initial certification is effective for five years from the last day of the month in which the applicant passed the examination. Certification must be renewed every five years.
Continuing Education and Clinical Experience
If you elect the continuing education option, you must submit a recertification application with required documentation and the recertification fee. Applications for renewal of your CNN-NP by continuing education must be postmarked by the last day of the month in which your certification expires.
- Applications for renewal of your CNN-NP by continuing education must be postmarked by the last day of the month in which your certification expires to avoid a late fee.
- Applicant must have 150 hours of continuing education from approved providers during the prior 5-year certification period that meet the following criteria:
- A minimum of 100 hrs must be CME/CNE credits, a minimum of 50 contact hours must be specific to nephrology.
- Programs/presentations
Credit will be given according to the number of contact hours awarded. Certified nurses who present programs that are awarded continuing education credit will receive credit for the number of contact hours awarded for the presentation. - Independent study
These programs include continuing education designed for independent study such as journal articles or website articles. Credit will be given according to the number of contact hours awarded to each offering.
- Programs/presentations
- The additional 50 nephrology hours maybe obtained from any of the following:
- Professional publications
The publication of materials must be relevant to nephrology nursing. The format should be a manuscript, research paper, book, or book chapter and must be published by a recognized publishing house or professional journal. Forty-five (45) contact hours will be assigned for authorship or co-authorship of a book. Fifteen (15) contact hours will be assigned for a book chapter, manuscript, article or paper. - Academic credit
Includes all course work in academic programs leading to a health/science degree. It is not necessary that the course content be nephrology nursing concepts. This option may be used for only one recertification period.
Five contact hours will be assigned for one semester credit.
Five contact hours will be assigned for one semester credit.
Three contact hours will be assigned for one quarter credit. - Multimedia program development
Includes the preparation of program content and script of videotapes, audiotapes, or computer generated discs. The program must be relevant to nephrology and be awarded continuing education credit in nursing. The production of one program equals five (5) contact hours. - Precepting
Five (5) contact hours will be assigned for every forty (40) hours as an official preceptor in nephrology for nurse practitioners.
- Professional publications
- It is acceptable to obtain the entire 150 hours through CME/CNE programs/presentations and independent study.
- Please retain all contact hour certificates in your personal files.
- If using academic credit, please be prepared to provide an official transcript.
- If acting as an official preceptor, please be prepared to submit documentation from the educational institution and program.
- Continuing education must be approved by one of the following:
- Organizations accredited by the American Nurses' Credentialing Center - Commission on Accreditation (ANCC-COA) the credentialing body of the American Nurses Association.
- Organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
- For example, the American Society of Nephrology, and the Office of Continuing Education, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia that sponsors the Annual Dialysis Conference.
- The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
- The Council of Continuing Education.
- California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, or Ohio State Boards of Nursing.
- Continuing education certificates must include the following information:
- Name of attendee
- Date of program
- Name of program
- Number of contact hours awarded
- Accreditation statement
- A minimum of 100 hrs must be CME/CNE credits, a minimum of 50 contact hours must be specific to nephrology.
You must retain all continuing education certificates and/or supporting documentation in your personal files in order to demonstrate that the criteria have been met for recertification. This documentation is required in the event your application is randomly selected in an audit.
Recertification by Examination
When seeking recertification by examination, all requirements for recertifying must be met with the exception of the submission of continuing education. Testing must be completed before the certification expiration date. An examination application and fee must be submitted by the deadline (eight weeks prior to the examination date). Applicants who choose the recertification by examination option will be notified of their scores by C-NET, the testing center, or immediately upon completion of a computer-based exam.
Emeritus Status
Nurses who have maintained an active credential, who are over 50 years of age, and who have retired from active practice may apply for emeritus status. To apply for the retired credential the certificant must complete the application for Emeritus Status (page 17 of this booklet) and submit a one time fee. If approved, the certificant may use the emeritus credential at nephrology functions to acknowledge a previous active credential and the accomplishments it signifies. If the certificant chooses to return to active practice and wishes to again hold the active credential, he/she must meet current eligibility criteria and certify by examination.
All of the following eligibility requirements must be met:
- The certificant must be a registered nurse holding a current, full and unrestricted license in the United States or its territories and hold national certification as a nurse practitioner.
- The certificant must have at least 1,000 hours experience as a nurse practitioner in nephrology during the last five (5) years.
- Unless recertifiying by examination, the certificant must have acquired 150 contact hours of approved continuing education credit in the previous five (5) years that meet the requirements listed under Recertify by Continuing Education/Clinical Experience in Recertification Options.
Recertification application fees are non-refundable. Periodically fees are re-evaluated and adjustments may be made. Only NNCC Commissioners can authorize fee changes.
Standard Fees
| Fee Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Recert By Exam Fee |
$375 |
| Recert By Continuing Education Fee |
$300 |
| Exam Rescheduling |
$85 |
| Exam Application Processing Fee (Non-refundable, included in exam fee) |
$50 |
| Expedited Review |
$50 |
| Late Fee |
$50 |
| Incomplete Application Fee |
$40 |
| Returned Check/Cancelled Payment Fee |
$30 |
| Duplicate Wallet Card or Certificate |
$25 |
| Certification Validation Letter (Except to State Boards of Nursing) |
$20 |
Reduced Fees for Partner* Members
| Fee Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Recert By Exam Fee |
$350 |
| Recert by Continuing Education Fee |
$275 |
| Late Fee |
$50 |
*Current partner organizations include the American Nephrology Nurses Association, the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation, and the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs.
A CNN-NP may request inactive status if he/she is unable to meet the requirements for recertification. To apply for inactive status, the applicant must complete the application for inactive status, available on the NNCC website at www.nncc-exam.org or by calling 888-884-6622, and submit a letter describing the reason. If approved, inactive status will be granted for one 3-year period. During this time, the CNN-NP credential may not be used. In order to recertify after the 3-year inactive period, the criteria for regular recertification must be met and a recertification application must be submitted. Under no circumstance will the inactive period be extended beyond three years.