Approved Certifications
The certifications listed below meet the continuing education criteria for license renewal. Any certification accepted for advanced practice licensure also meets the CE requirement for license renewal. Unless appropriately licensed, the Nurse Practice Act of Arkansas restricts the use of certain credentials such as C.R.N.A. or C.N.S.
| Practice Area | Certifying Body | Credentials | RN/LPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | International Nurses Society on Addictions www.intnsa.org | All | RN |
| Addiction | International Nurses Society on Addictions www.intnsa.org | CARN CARN-AP | RN |
| Administration | Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists www.aana.com American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing www.cpancapa.org | CDONA/LTC | RN |
| Anesthesia | Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists www.aana.com American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing www.cpancapa.org | CPAN (post-anesthesia) CAPA (ambulatory perianesthesia) | RN |
| Critical Care | American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation www.aacn.org | PCCN (adult, neonatal, pediatric) | RN |
| Case Management | American Association of Diabetes Educators www.aadenet.org Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education https://www.cbdce.org Arkansas State Board of Nursing – Diabetes Self-Management Educator www.arsbn.org | CCM | RN/LPN |
| Diabetes | American Association of Diabetes Educators www.aadenet.org Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education https://www.cbdce.org Arkansas State Board of Nursing – Diabetes Self-Management Educator www.arsbn.org | BC-ADM CDCES None | RN RN RN |
| Disability | Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association www.ddna.org | CDDN DDC | RN LPN |
| Education | National League for Nursing www.nln.org | CNE | RN |
| Emergency | Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing https://home.pearsonvue.com/bcen | CEN CFRN | RN |
| Forensic | International Association of Forensic Nurses https://www.forensicnurses.org/ | SANE-A SANE-P | RN |
| Gastroenterology | American Board of Certification for Gastro Nurses www.abcgn.org | CGRN CGN | RN LPN |
| Healthcare Quality | National Association for Healthcare Quality www.nahq.org | CPHQ | RN LPN |
| HIV/AIDS | HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board http://www.hancb.org/Index/about_us.php | ACRN | RN |
| Holistic | American Holistic Nurses’ Certification Corporation https://www.ahncc.org/ | HNC | RN |
| Hospice & Palliative | National Board for Certification of Hospice & Palliative Nurses www.hpna.org/ | CHPN | RN/LPN |
| Infection Control | Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology www.cbic.org | CIC | RN |
| Infusion | Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation https://www.Ins1.org | CRNI | RN |
| Legal Nurse Consulting | American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants www.aalnc.org | LNCC | RN |
| Long Term Care | American Board of Managed Care Nursing www.abmcn.org | CLTC CDONA/LTC | LPN RN |
| Managed Care | American Board of Managed Care Nursing www.abmcn.org | CMCN | RN/LPN |
| Medical/Surgical | Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses https://www.amsn.org/ | CMSRN | RN |
| Midwifery | American College of Nurse-Midwives Certification Council www.midwife.org | CNM | RN |
| Nephrology | Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission www.nncc-exam.org | CDN CNN | RN RN(BSN) |
| Neuroscience | Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission www.nncc-exam.org | ABNN, CNRN | RN |
| Nurse Practitioner | American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) www.aanp.org American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AAC) www.aacn.org American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) www.nursingworld.org National Certification Corporation (NCC) www.nccwebsite.org | NP-BC (based on specialty) | RN |
| Occupational Health | National Certifying Board for Ophthalmic Registered Nurses www.asorn.org | COHN COHN-S COHN/CM (case manager) | RN RN(BSN) |
| Oncology Nursing | Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation www.oncc.org | OCN AOCN (advanced) CPON (pediatric) | RN |
| Ophthalmic | National Certifying Board for Ophthalmic Registered Nurses www.asorn.org | CRNO | RN |
| Orthopedic | Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board www.oncb.org | ONC | RN |
| Otorhinolaryngology | Pediatric Nursing Certification Board www.pncb.org Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation www.oncc.org | CORLN | RN |
| Pain Management | American Society for Pain Management Nursing www.aspmn.org | FAAPM | RN |
| Pediatric | National Association for Practical Nurse Education & Service www.napnes.org | CPN CPNP (nurse practitioner) CPON | RN RN |
| Pharmacology | American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses [email protected] | NCP | LPN |
| Plastic Surgery | American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses [email protected] | CPSN | RN |
| Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) Certification | https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/pccn-adult | PCCN | |
| Radiology | Radiologic Nursing Certification Board www.certifiedradiologynurse.org | CRN | RN |
| Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board https://rehabnurse.org/ | CRRN CRRN-A (advanced) | RN (master, doctorate) |
| School Nurses | National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NCSN) www.nbcsn.org | NBCSN | RN |
| Stroke | Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) https://abnncertification.org/ | SCRN | RN |
| Surgery | American Board of Transplant Certification www.abtc.net | CNOR CRNFA CST CFA | RN RN (BSN) RN/LPN |
| Transplant Coordinators | Certification Board for Urologic Nurses & Associates www.suna.org | CCTC, CPTC | RN/LPN |
| Urology | Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board www.wocncb.org American Academy of Wound Management Home – ABWM Certified | CURN CUNP CUCNS CUA | RN RN-NP RN-CNS LPN |
| Wound/Ostomy | Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board www.wocncb.org American Academy of Wound Management www.abwbcertified.org | CCCN COCN CWCN CWOCN CWS | RN RN |
