It is incredible to realize how fast time flies. My 2 years as the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board (PSNCB) President is almost over and as I reflect on the accomplishments of this Board; I would like to offer a couple of challenges to our readers. To those who are not either CPSN or CANS certified, consider becoming certified. The PSNCB believes that the attainment of a common knowledge base, use of the nursing process, and a specialized level of skill in the practice setting are required for the specialty practice of plastic surgical and aesthetic nursing and this accomplishment should receive professional recognition. These certifications represent the highest degree of professional competence in our specialty. Visit the PSNCB website and review the criteria that must be met in order to be considered eligible to sit for one of the certification examinations. Click the tab for the certification of your choice and you will find the specific details for eligibility and what to know when applying to sit for the examination. It is important to note that a recertification must be completed every 3 years for both the CPSN and CANS and you must meet all the eligibility requirements in order to recertify.
To those who are currently certified, I would like to challenge you to start looking at your online recertification packet beginning 1 year prior to your expiration date. Simply visit the PSNCB website and log in. Your certification information will be available to include your expiration date and a tab to begin your recertification online application. You may work on each section on your own time frame. Just use the Save Application tab and your application will be ready for you the next time you log in. Remember that for the CPSN recertification you must have worked 2 out of the last 3 years in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery as well as currently be working in the field. For the CANS recertification you must have been working in one of the core specialties (plastic/aesthetic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, or ENT) for 2 of the last 3 years as well as be currently working in one of these areas.
I encourage you to start uploading your continuing education certificates within the year of your recertification deadline. This is a very easy way to save these documents and will make submitting your packet so much easier when it is due. Remember you will need to submit a minimum of 45 total credits. Of these 45 credits, 30 credits must be specific to plastic surgery for the CPSN recertification and 30 credits must be specific to one of the core specialties for the CANS recertification. The CPSN and CANS are nursing certifications; therefore, only 15 CMEs (medical credits) will be accepted in your packet. The remaining units must be nursing credits. Two safety credits must also be submitted. Safety credits will be accepted if it is an obvious patient safety topic, as noted in the title of the educational event or it must be documented on the continuing education certificate. It is important to remember that if you submit any continuing education from journal articles the article must have been published during your recertification period in order to be accepted.
The final step in recertification is a letter completed by a supervisor or supervising physician confirming that you are working in the field of plastic surgery for the CPSN recertification. For the CANS recertification, this letter must come from your supervising physician and this individual must be board certified in one of the core specialties. A template of this letter is provided in the online recertification packet.
The PSNCB is committed to the advancement of professional nursing through recognition of nurses displaying knowledge and competency in the specialty practice. This commitment is also reflected in a big project that the PSNCB has been working on and hopes to complete this year. This project is to receive recognition by the ABSNC (Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification). The process is quite daunting and has required numerous hours and hard work by both past and current PSNCB members as well as specific members of our management firm PRRI. The mission of the ABSNC is to recognize high-quality specialty nursing and the associated certification programs through accreditation. This will be a huge accomplishment for our specialty and one that we will proudly announce when it is completed.
Respectfully Submitted,
Renee J. Hinojosa, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CPSN, CANS
President, PSNCB