CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
§ 21.811. Qualifications for initial certification.
The Board may certify an applicant for initial certification who files an application on a form provided by the Board and pays the application fee in § 21.805 (relating to fees), in accordance with the following:
(1) RN license. The Board may certify an applicant who has a current, unrestricted license to practice professional nursing in this Commonwealth.
(2) Education. The Board may certify an applicant who has a master’s degree, doctoral degree or post-master’s degree or certificate in nursing from an educational program that meets the requirements of section 6.2(c)(1) of the act (63 P.S. § 216.2(c)(1)).
(3) Alternative education. An applicant for initial certification who completed an educational program in a related discipline previously recognized for National certification as a CNS may be granted certification from the Board in the area of the applicant’s current National certification from the American Nurses Association or the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
(4) National certification or equivalence.
(i) The Board may grant initial certification in a Board-designated specialty or other pertinent specialty to an applicant who demonstrates current National certification by examination.
(ii) The Board may grant initial certification without specialty to applicants who demonstrate that their educational program does not make them eligible to take a National certification examination and who demonstrate equivalence. For purposes of this section, the Board will determine equivalence on a case-by-case basis after considering the information submitted by the applicant that may include an official transcript, course descriptions, current curriculum vitae, work history in the CNS role, professional recommendations and additional advanced nursing education and certification examinations.
(5) Mandatory training in child abuse recognition and reporting. An applicant for initial certification shall have completed at least 3 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting in accordance with § 21.508(a) (relating to child abuse recognition and reporting—mandatory training requirement).
Authority The provisions of this § 21.811 amended under section 2.1(k) of The Professional Nursing Law (63 P.S. § 222.1(k)); section 17.6 of the Practical Nurse Law (63 P.S. § 667.6); and 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(2).
Source The provisions of this § 21.811 amended March 25, 2022, effective March 26, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 1916. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (396914) and (385263).
Cross References This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 21.813 (relating to application for certification).
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