FAQ

Below are the most frequently asked questions by applicants and NCSNs - and are posted here for your convenience from previous issues of the NCSN Newsletter. Additional questions may be directed to certification@nbcsn.org or to the email address of the President listed on the NBCSN Leadership web page.

I have a BA in Health and Human Services and an AAS in Nursing. Do I qualify to take the exam?
The exam is open to anyone with a baccalaureate degree in nursing or health related field. However, one must be working in school health or school health related services to sit for the exam.

Why must you have a bachelor degree to take the NCSN exam?
Few criteria have generated as much discussion as the eligibility requirement of a baccalaureate degree for the certification exam. For the first few years of the exam, from about 1986-91, all registered nurses, from every educational background, were allowed to take the certification exam. In 1991, when NBCSN separated from NASN, the Board reviewed the Scope and Standards and position statements of both the NASN and the ANA, and established the criteria that the baccalaureate degree would be one of the eligibility requirements for the certification exam.

There was, and continues to be, much thought and discussion about this requirement, as the Board does recognize that there are many great school nurses without degrees who promote the health of students everyday. However, there are three primary reasons for the requirement:

1. Research based evidence demonstrating that the skills needed for broad-based knowledge, autonomous professional practice and leadership performance were more often obtained in bachelors programs and implemented by such graduates.

2. Respect for the long-established community-nursing model that required bachelors-level preparation.

3. Greater equity in negotiating for comparable pay compared to educators. To do so, school nurses must be able to demonstrate equivalent academic preparation.
NBCSN Board (Carol Calarco, President): FAQ 2005

The American Board of Nursing Specialties does report some certificates granted by exam for some nursing specialties - however, the NBCSN Board believes the scope of these hospital-based specialties to be narrow and limited when compared with the breadth of knowledge and practice of the specialty of school nursing.

The NBCSN Board also strongly supports the Scope, Standards and Position Statements of the National Association of School Nurses, Inc., and frequently refers to NASN and its publications to sustain the decisions of the Board and its expert panels on issues of practice, research and standards.

While the statement below is the current position statement of NASN, it has not deviated from earlier versions supporting the baccalaureate degree as the minimum recommendation for the practice of school nursing:

...For nurses, the minimal level of education for preparing for preparation in independent practice, leadership/management, and community health nursing is the baccalaureate degree, and licensure as a registered nurse. In addition, certification at the sate and national levels reflects more than a minimal knowledge base. As a nursing specialty, school nursing requires advanced skills that includes the ability to practice independently, supervise others, and delegate care in a community health setting. (ANA, 2001).

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses that every school-aged child deserves a school nurse who is a graduate of a baccalaureate degree program from an accredited college or university and licensed by that state as a registered nurse. These requirements are the minimal preparation for the skills needed at the entry level of school nursing practice. Additionally, NASN supports state certification, where required, and promotes national certification of school nurses through NBCSN...

NASN Position Statement: Education, Licensure and Certification of School Nurses (2002)

I am interested in taking the examination to become a NCSN. Is there a class available to prepare for the exam?
There are no review classes for the exam that are supported or formally approved by the NBCSN. However, many NASN affiliate organizations have study groups and review courses to assist school nurses prepare for the examination. In addition, some colleges offer online and graduate courses related to school nurse preparation and content. For more information, contact the NBCSN liaison in your state for more information.

The National Association of School Nurse publishes a School Nurse Certification Review manual through its publications. Contact www.nasn.org for ordering information.

There are several issues that I must explain--the first being that board members and our staff at PTC do not discuss individual items. This is to protect the integrity of the exam. So I cannot comment on the questions that you have related to individual questions. I can however, describe the process under which they are developed and tested. Items are solicited from NCSNs and others throughout the year, especially as a part of the application to participate in the Item Writing Workshop held during the NASN Conference. During that Workshop, additional items are developed by participants who represent a diversity of school nurse roles across the United States. The facilitator leads the group in developing items that reflect real life situations, have an answer that can be verified in current school nursing literature, texts and research, and that are developed preferably to utilize the analytical skills of the school nurse rather than rote knowledge. After the items have been reviewed, they are then reviewed by a panel of practicing school nurses--again verifying that the situation is current and real, the answer designated is correct, that the question is as clear and straight-forward as possible (ie no trick questions) and can be categorized into the content outline described in the NBCSN Candidate Handbook. In December, the Board reviews each version of the tests that will be given in the next year. The test items are weighted by psychometric measures to ensure that they are balanced (equal difficulty), that the questions are clear and the answers are validated by current school nursing literature. Following a review of the demographics and the disaggregated data, the Board then applies a psychometric tool called the Angoff method to identify the cut score and the passing score is set. From this description, you can see that the exams differ from year to year, and each version given in one year contains different items. Also, the passing score is set based on the current Board's review of all the data and the exam. So you can see that the passing score can change from year to year, based on our process. Remember too, that the Board represents a diversity of school nursing practice areas from across the United States. Our public member does not participate in the review of the exams nor the activities that set the passing score, as she is not a school nurse.

As a final review, the exams that are taken during any testing window are scored together, to ensure that there is not anything abnormal that is observed in the scoring process (for example, everyone missing a certain question). If so, the item is reviewed again by the testing corporation and referred to the Board to determine if the item should be pulled and all the tests re-scored. This process allows us to provide the greatest flexibility and fairness to our candidates--it is possible, from the time when the Board review the exam in December, that the standards of practice or approach to a school nursing issue may change completely by the testing window in the following summer.

I would like to know the answers from the test in order to learn the missing content. How can I get that information to better prepare for the next exam?
NBCSN policy prohibits the release of the exams or specific items. Just as with RN state-boards, the validity of the test can only be maintained if its confidentiality and security are not breached, which includes not releasing any portion of the examination to individuals outside of the NBCSN Board and the test development company. The Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) does share the statistics related to the five areas of the exam with the individual candidate in order that the individual would be able to note content areas of weakness, so you may study in that area more.

Can you give me contact information for the NBCSN liaisons?
You can find your state liaison on the liaison page of this site. Click here.

I am interested in becoming a liaison, what is the next step?
We allow a maximum of two state liaisons per state. Please fill out an application to become a state liaison from the Forms & Applications page and return to the board office. The Vice President reviews your application. You are required to submit an annual report which can also be downloaded from the Forms & Applications page. For further information please visit the Liaison page.

What type of continuing education credits are acceptable for re-certification?
NCSNs are required to renew their certification in order to demonstrate that they have kept current with new practices, methodologies, equipment, medications, and terminology in the field.

To apply for recertification through continuing education, 75 hours of continuing education (CE) related to school nursing practice must be reported. These hours of CE must be related to the practice of school nursing, sponsored by an approved national accrediting agency, and must have been completed during the five (5) years prior to the expiration date of the candidate's certification. Continuing Education Programs may include workshops, seminars, professional development offerings, home-study courses, and state/national conferences, which are school health related.

1. Continuing Education Programs
   a. All contact hours must be in subjects related to school health practice and be approved by a national accrediting agency, as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), state departments of health and/or education, accredited universities or colleges, or physician continuing education programs. These may include workshops, seminars, professional development offerings, home-study courses, and state/national conferences. Online courses, teleconferences, and "webinaires" are acceptable, provided they are approved by a national or state accrediting agency, as those listed above.
  b. Single-offering courses, seminars, or workshops listed as twenty (20) hours or greater must be accompanied by a course outline or content agenda attached to the recertification application.
   c. Basic computer technology courses (as Windows, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), CPR/First Aid, Blood Bourne Pathogens, and state certification courses in vision, hearing, Acanthoisis nigricans and spinal screening, etc are not acceptable. PASL/ACLS will be accepted only when taken for the first time. Any other course repeated annually will be accepted for credit only one time within the five year recertification period.
   d.   Orientation, district and campus staff development courses and workshops, and department or district committee meetings, unless approved by a national or state accrediting agency, as those listed above, are not acceptable.
   e. Non English language courses, including sign language, are acceptable.

2. Academic Courses
   a. Each individual academic credit, from an accredited institution of higher learning, will be considered as ten (10) CE hours.
   b. Courses may be under-graduate or graduate level and a transcript of successful completion by the candidate may be requested.
   c. On-line academic courses will be accepted.

All courses are subject to review and/or audit and the candidate may be requested to show proof of completed CE experience. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate how the course content promotes expertise in school health or is relevant to the school nursing practice of the certificant.

All CE information must be listed on the Application for Recertification of School Nurses through Continuing Education and must include date, program title, CE provider or sponsor (i.e. approved national accrediting agency), and the number of CE hours awarded.

Do you accept home study course credits from Nursing Education of
America towards re-certification?
The important issue for NBCSN related to any organization providing nursing or continuing education credits is that the agency must be accredited by a national, state or regional accrediting association. For example, units must be approved by organizations as, the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC), Continuing Medical Education (CME), a state health or education agency, or a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting board or listed by the US Department of Education.

We will grandfather and accept most courses/workshop/conferences obtained prior to 2008 that certificants use for recertification credit. All units submitted are reviewed by Board members to ensure that they are school health related and will enhance the knowledge and skills of the school nurse. As the ANCC changed their requirements in 2007, most hospitals and university providers made the changes if they were accredited ANCC providers. Universities which granted CEUs are not affected, as CEUs are academic credits and not nursing credits. I think that as members attend workshops this year (and last), they will note that their certificates have more information on them, listing the provider, the ANCC number if appropriate, date and name of the course.

The Board has been flexible and understanding of the recertification applications, and mindful that our criteria changed only last year to reflect the national standards enacted by the ANCC. The Board's decision was not dependent on our ABNS accreditation, but due to the increased numbers of commercial and online programs documented on recert applications which were sometimes biased and did not go through any review process to ensure timeliness, current research-based information, or quality/expertise of faculty. All of us should be mindful consumers of continuing education and verify that the courses provided meet the standards of continuing education--which only assure that the program is high quality, has faculty who are knowledgeable and expert in their fields, has no bias or commercial interest that is not disclosed, and has learner objectives and content that are reviewed by expert auditors. The Board tried to make the guidelines even more flexible, by allowing that programs developed by the state department of health or education to be accepted.

I recently submitted my recertification documentation, and was told that some of my units were not acceptable, as they were not from an “accredited provider”? What does that mean? My school district accepts all of our staff development hours, why can’t I use these for my recertification credits?
Last June, the Board reviewed the policies and procedures related to recertification. In doing so, they were also mindful of the standards required by the American Board of Nursing Specialties and the need to ensure that the NCSN recertification process reflected that the certified school nurse continued to meet the established standards of maintaining expertise in the specialty field. While most programs offered by districts and campuses provide excellent information, they often do not have the review process and criteria established by accredited providers. In addition, the Board noted that many NCSNs were obtaining credit from online courses and commercial vendors, whose workshops did not have any documentation related to the validity of the information presented or the expertise of the faculty. Programs that are accredited by state health and education departments, or national organizations as those that provide continuing education courses for counselors, psychologists, physicians and nursing, are reviewed to ensure that they meet established criteria related to content, presenters, learners’ objectives, etc. They are standardized in format to ensure that contact hours meet definitions of time spent in “class”, speakers’ objectives, and the evaluation process. Courses taken in an academic setting also must meet the standards established by the college or university accrediting body.

In addition, the Board felt that programs related to orientation, vision/hearing/CPR/BMI measurements and other skills training were basic and not reflective of information that would enhance the certified nurse’s practice and knowledge.

Certified school nurses need to become discriminating consumers and select courses that enhance their specialty practice. Courses submitted for recertification credit must be school health related. This is not to limit any nurse from taking any course for relicensure—but courses submitted for NCSN recertification must be school health related—a wide range when one considers sociology, psychology, education and other topics that fall within the school “health” community. Documentation of attendance at any course should include the number of contact hours and the name of the accredited provider, as the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Committee), CME (Continuing Medical Education organization), university, etc.

I have recently retired, and am upset that my request for retirement status to enable me to keep my title of NCSN has been denied.
In July 2004, the Board discussed retired and inactive status, and at that time voted to eliminate the inactive and retired lifetime status. Certification is recognized as a mark of current and continuing competency, and implies an ongoing effort to maintain proficiency and expertise. The Board observed that economic times had allowed some school nurses to “retire” but to continue to work in school nursing on a part or full time basis—and retain a retired or inactive NCSN status without meeting the requirements for continuing education and maintenance of expertise. In reality, if a nurse was working part time in a school health related occupation, then the nurse would be eligible for - and required to pursue - full active NCSN status. While the Board regretted that school nurses could not continue to use the NCSN credentials after retirement ceasing to work in a school health related field, there are no means available to reliably track retired, inactive or non-renewing certificants.

The Fall 2004 Newsletter notified members of the elimination of the Retired/Inactive NCSN status.

I have lost my certificate and/or card, how do I replace it?
Send a check or money order payable to NBCSN in the amount of $12 to the Board office. Please include a brief note requesting the new certificate along with a current mailing address and contact phone number.

I have a name change, how do I let you know?
You may fax or mail to us a copy of your name change certificate that was issued by the court. If you would like a new certificate with your new name, please send us a check or money order payable to NBCSN in the amount of $12 to the Board office. Please include a brief note requesting the new certificate along with a current mailing address and contact phone number.