CCNS® — A Registered Service Mark
CCNS is a registered service mark of AACN Certification Corporation and denotes certification as a clinical nurse specialist in acute and critical care nursing as granted by AACN Certification Corporation.
Clinical nurse specialists who have not achieved CCNS certification or whose CCNS has lapsed are not authorized to use the CCNS credential.
CCNS Job Analysis
Each CCNS certification exam was based on a study of practice, also known as a job analysis. The study of practice defined the dimensions of acute/critical care nursing practice and identified the actual tasks, knowledge and experiences required of advanced practice nurses practicing in neonatal, pediatric and adult acute/critical care settings.
In the study, neonatal, pediatric and adult advanced practice acute and critical care nurses across the United States were surveyed to ascertain the significance of the various elements of their practice.
Through an extensive review and evaluation process, the tasks crucial to advanced practice acute and critical care nursing were defined using the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care as an organizing framework. Each CCNS exam was based on these tasks and the knowledge required to perform them.