Continuing Education

School Nurse Endorsement | National School Nurse Certification

National School Nurse Certification, Algene Larson RN, FNASN, NCSN, Donnelly, Minnesota
Professional certification as a school nurse assures a national standard of preparation, knowledge and practice.    According to the Professional Testing Corporation, "certification focuses specifically on the individual and is an indication of current competence in a specialized area of nursing practice".   The National Board for Certification of School Nurses offers the only national certification for school nurse practice.   It endorses the concept of voluntary certification by examination. National certification for is a formal recognition of knowledge and promotes continued professional growth in the practice of school nursing.

To be eligible to take the exam, the applicant must currently be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the United States or the equivalent in other countries, attain a bachelor's degree or higher, be currently employed in school health services or school related services and it is recommended, have a minimum of three years of school nursing practice.   There is a standard fee for the examination with a reduced rate for a National Association of School Nurses (NASN) member.   Exams are given at Regional testing centers located across the United States each February and August as well as at the site of the NASN annual conference.   The application due date is two months prior to the actual test day.

For those applicants passing the exam, School Nurse Certification is granted for five years.   After five years rectification requires paying the fee and taking the exam or providing documentation of 75 contact hours within the past five years.   These contact hours must be in subjects related to school nursing practice.

Some may argue that attaining national certification changes nothing in their work place except perhaps personal satisfaction.   However, in some states and school districts school nurses have negotiated benefits for national certification equal to the benefits received by nationally certified teachers in their districts. Hopefully this trend will gain momentum with all national certifications being recognized as experts within our practice areas.