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Oncology nursing
Introduction
Certification in the United States
Certification in the United States
The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) offers several different options for board certification in oncology nursing. Certification is a voluntary process and ensures that a nurse has proper qualifications and knowledge of a speciality area and has kept up-to-date in his or her education.
The ONCC offers five options for certification:
- Basic:
- OCN: Oncology Certified Nurse
- CPON: Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse
- Advanced:
- AOCN: Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse
- AOCNP: Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner
- AOCNS: Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist
Certification is granted for four years, after which it must be renewed by taking a recertification test or by earning a certain number of continuing medical education credits.
To become certified, nurses must have an RN license, meet specific eligibility criteria for nursing experience and specialty practice, and must pass a multiple-choice test.
For the advanced AOCNP and AOCNS certifications, a nurse must have a master’s degree or higher in nursing and a minimum of 500 hours of supervised clinical practice of oncology nursing. The AOCNP certification also requires successful completion of an accredited nurse practitioner program.