CNOR Recertification: Why Continuing Education Alone Is No Longer Sufficient

Abstract

Health care certification programs are experiencing a period of great change because of increased public expectations and recent accreditation requirement changes. Nursing certification programs, including the CNOR credential administered by the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI), are not immune to these changes. The CNOR credential is the most common perioperative nursing certification and has more than 40,000 certificants worldwide. In response to updated accreditation standards, CCI recently announced CNOR credential recertification process changes. This article provides perioperative nurses with information on the effectiveness of continuing education for recertification, accreditation processes for certification programs, the nature of the new recertification mechanism and the process by which CCI revised and strengthened it, and specific information for CNOR‐certified nurses on the timeline for recertification changes.

Psychometric evaluation of the United States-adapted perceived perioperative competence scale-revised: A national survey

“…The scale can also be used as an adjunct to transition to perioperative practice and ongoing professional development programs as a diagnostic measure for informing education interventions to enhance practice ( Gillespie et al., 2012b ). Given the obvious importance of assessing competence in such a technical, high-risk specialty, creating opportunities for self-reflection of competence is vital ( Stobinski, 2019 ).…”

Continuous Professional Development in Perioperative Nursing

“…First, except for advanced practice nurses, nursing specialty certification remains largely a voluntary exercise, with few employers requiring certification as a condition of employment. Secondly, recertification requirements have long been heavily dependent on readily accessible CE materials, even though the evidence supporting a correlation between CE and improvements in clinical competency is weak …”

The Meaning and Value of Certification

“…The article “CNOR recertification: why continuing education alone is no longer sufficient” provides a detailed explanation of the impending revised CNOR recertification process, which is based on the accrediting bodies that govern certifying agencies’ practices. The text elaborates on why the completion of continuing education alone is not sufficient to satisfy the need for professional development and ongoing learning.…”