Cardiovascular Nursing Board Certification Examinations Level I-V Current Cardiology Board Exams Available to Cardiac Nurses 1. CVRN-BC Level I for Telemetry and Emergency Nurses 2. CVRN-BC Level II for CCU/CVICU/Cath Lab and Interventional Lab Nurses 3. CVRN-BC Level III for Cath Lab and Interventional Lab Nurses (Inquire about endorsement). 4. CVNP-BC and the CVPA-BC Level IV for Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants 5. CVNE-BC Level V for Cardiovascular Nursing Educators & Other Cardiology Professional Educators 6. Basic EKG 7. 12-Lead EKG Exams 1-5 above are approved by the ANCC for Magnet Applications and for Maintenance of Magnet Status. Since they have no proficiency in Electrocardiography, we have not sought them out for approval of any of our EKG Certification Exams. Learn How and When you May take this Certification Examination: You may register in one of three ways depending upon our personal circumstance. 1) If you are not attending a Cardiovascular Nursing Prep Course for the Exam, simply Register as a single use Examinee for $295 which includes your Private Proctor. 2) If you are attending a Cardiovascular Nursing Prep Course for the Exam, and you happen to work for the Host Hospital or a Hospital within it s network, you are eligible for the discounted rate of $250, which includes your Proctor. 3) If you are attending a Cardiovascular Nursing Prep Course for the Exam, and you do not work for the Host Hospital or a Hospital within it s network, you are not eligible for the discounted rate and will pay $295, which includes your Proctor. Please direct your questions to needinfo@abcmcertification.com 1
Exam Application Process After you have purchased your exam, fill out the Exam application below and submit your Exam application to us either by e-mail or regular mail. We cannot process your Exam request without the Exam application in hand. Please do not leave any questions un-answered or your Exam application will be delayed. Pre-Requisite for the CVRN I or II Exams: We suggest 2 years experience in your specialty area of cardiology, be it non-acute or acute care practice. If you do not have 2 years of experience, but can show proof of satisfactory completion of a cardiovascular nursing education program offered by your Hospital or an outside Resource, such as a college or online learning, we will admit you to the Exam. On occasion, we do allow those with less experience to sit for the Exam, but at their own risk; if you have been studying, and really applying yourself to learning cardiology, then we would allow you to sit for the exam with less than 2 years of experience. Benefits of Cardiovascular Nursing Certification: Demonstrate accountability to employers or potential employers Career Advancement Potential Income Incentive Exam Preparation: The ABCM provides a list of items to study for the Cardiovascular Nursing Cardiology Board Certification Exam and makes reading recommendations of approved reference texts. To receive your copy of this study list, email us at need info@abcmcertification.com and request the level you are interested in. We recommend that you either use this list and study online with up to date references, or your purchase a comprehensive cardiovascular nursing textbook and look up each item in the study list. You may already feel comfortable with many of the items in the list if you have been studying what you practice. The ABCM provides Practice Exams for the Cardiovascular Nursing Board Certification Exam which can be found in our Online Store under Certification Exams. 2
Exam Results and Awards: After your Exam is completed, the ABCM will grade it and provide your results within two weeks. You will receive a score in each of the categories in the Exam and a letter for your Employer stating that you are CVRN Board Certified at the level of the Exam you successfully passed. This valuable feedback provides you with the information you need to further your study in Cardiology. And, of course, you will be sent a much earned Certification pin when you pass your CVRN Exams. Sample Certificate Certification Pin for CVRNs Sample CVRN Level I Questions Question 1: Which of the following factors represent major risks for the development of coronary artery disease? (Answer found at the bottom of this page.) a. hypertension b. HDL <35 c. diabetes mellitus d. all of the above Questions 2: Hyperkalemia is characterized on the ECG by the presence of: (Answer found at the bottom of this page.) 3
a. reversal of the ST slope b. prolonged QT interval c. peaked T waves in most leads d. prolonged ST segment Exam Locations: The CVRN Board Certification Exams are now available in most US cities by personal Proctor. Travel has become cost prohibitive for many, and time off is often difficult to juggle for many of us. We are therefore making every effort to ensure this vital Board Certification Exam is easily obtainable. Watch the web site frequently to see when you can take the Exams Online. At the moment, they are still pin and paper Exam, but efforts to contract with an online testing company are underway and will hopefully be available to you by late Fall of 2014. CVRN Review Courses Available: Book your Course Today! If you are interested in hosting a CVRN Level I or II Course, we recommend you contact us as soon as possible as our schedule fills up fast. The ABCM can bring both the Course and Exams to your doorstep at no cost to you, except for minimal catering and a suitable classroom with projection equipment and a microphone. To start the process first send an email us at needinfo@abcmcertification.com and request a sample contract and brochure for your Hospital. Please include your name, title, employer, and phone number in the email with a good time to call. Or, if you prefer, call us at (352-293-3131) Why Become CVRN Board Certified: Most importantly is that Cardiac Nurses need to demonstrate professional accountability in their everyday practice which includes the diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. And, in this day of high litigation, employment shifting, and Joint Commission accountability, these Exams are a perfect way to assess the overall competency of Cardiac Nurses working in Cardiology. Prove to yourself and your colleagues that you have achieved competency in Cardiology by taking one of the ABCM's CVRN, CVNP, CVPA, or CVNE Board Certification Exams. The ABCM has the only 100% cardiology focused exams for Cardiac Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in the marketplace today. Do yourself a favor, and look at the exam matrix of each Companies Exams that you are considering, before deciding to sit for any other Exam than the CVRN-BC Exam. Cardiovascular Nursing Award Certificates: 4
The ABCM issues CVRN-BC, CVNP-BC, CVPA-BC, and CVNE-BC Award Certificates to those achieving a 70% or higher score on the various Exams offered. These frameable Awards Certificates are good for a three-year renewable term with proof of 50 continuing education hours in cardiology over the three year term, and by paying the renewal fee of $125 USD. History and the Need: Our Founders, Dr. Henry J. L. Marriott and Jonni Cooper, with the assistance of a team of Nursing Professionals assembled to develop standards of practice for Cardiovascular Nursing in 1998. From these standards, they developed the Nation s first and only 100% Cardiac Exam for Nurses on several levels, as the job delineation role models are different for various areas within Cardiac Nursing Practice. The CVRN-BC Level I Cardiac Exam was specifically developed for Telemetry Cardiac Nurses and Emergency Department Nurses caring for Cardiac Patients in 1999. The CVRN-BC Level II Cardiac Exams were developed for Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurses in 2000. The CVNP-BC and the CVPA-BC Exams were developed for Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in 2009. The CVNE-BC Exams were developed for Masters Prepared Cardiovascular Educators in 2009. Prior to these developments, there were no national standards with which to measure the competency of a Cardiac Nurse, NP, or PA, at any level. These groups of professionals are given a tremendous responsibility for bedside diagnosis and management of Cardiac Patients with a host of Cardiac Diseases and anomalies. This is the essence of our existence, we realized the need long ago to introduce a high standard of practice for all cardiac care givers, from physician to technician. This exam should set any employer at ease and help guide them with future program development for their Cardiac Staff. Several thousand Nurses and Nurse Practitioners on an International scale have demonstrated their proficiency by passing one or more of these Board Certification Exams. Answer to Sample Question 1: d. All of the above. Answer to Sample Question 2: c. Peaked T waves in most leads. 5