ACRN Certification

To promote comprehensive HIV/AIDS nursing care through the certification of qualified nurses by:

1. Encouraging continued personal and professional growth in the practice of HIV/AIDS nursing.
   
2. Establishing and measuring the level of knowledge required for certification in HIV/AIDS nursing.
    
3. Providing a national standard of requisite knowledge for certification; thereby assisting the employer, public, and members of the health professions in the assessment of the HIV/AIDS nursing practice.
    
4. Recognizing formally through certification those individuals who meet the eligibility requirements and standards set by the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board.

Eligibility Requirements: The following requirements must be met by the application deadline:

• Currently licensed as a Registered Nurse in the United States or the international equivalent (A copy of current license must be submitted with the application);
• At least two years of experience in the clinical practice, education, management, or research related to HIV/AIDS nursing are recommended but not required;
• Completion and filing of an Application for the Certification Examination in HIV/AIDS Nursing; and
• Payment of the required fee.

Administration: The Certification Program is sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB). The Certification Examination in HIV/AIDS Nursing is administered by the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC), 1350 Broadway-17 th Floor, New York, NY 10018, (212) 356-0660, www.ptcny.com. Questions concerning the examination should be referred to PTC.

Attainment of Certification and Recertification: Eligible candidates who pass the Certification Examination in HIV/AIDS Nursing are eligible to use the registered designation ACRN after their names and will receive certificates from the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. A registry of nurses certified in HIV/AIDS nursing will be maintained by the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board and may be reported in its or ANAC’s publications.

Certification in HIV/AIDS nursing is recognized for a period of four years at which time the candidate must either retake or pass the current Certification Examination in HIV/AIDS Nursing, or submit continuing education credits. The process for recertification by CEs is:

• A total of 70 CEs are required for recertification.
• Eighty percent (80%) of the CEs must be in HIV/AIDS care. The remaining twenty percent (20%) may be in any other CE. ACRNs have the option of recertifying with 100% of CE in HIV/AIDS.
• A maximum of 35 continuing education credits can be earned in medicine or other allied health professions only if they are directly related to HIV/AIDS care.
• CEs must be approved by any one of the following nursing organizations:
• Any state board of nursing
• American Nurses Credentialing Center
• Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
• The international equivalent of the above organizations
• CEs via home study are acceptable as long as the course is certified by one of the above organizations. ACRNs may acquire all (100%) credit for recertification via home study.
• CE credits earned after the certification exam was taken are applicable towards the subsequent recertification
• Late applications will be accepted within a 30 day grace period with an additional fee of $50.00.

For further information, contact the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board, 3538 Ridgewood Road, Akron, OH 44333 or 1-800-260-6780 or adele@anacnet.org .

Revocation of Certification: Certification will be revoked for any of the following reasons:

• Falsification of an Application;
• Misrepresentation of certification status.

The HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board provides an appeal mechanism for challenging revocation of Board Certification. It is the responsibility of the individual to initiate the process.

Application Procedure: Obtain an application for Admission to the Certification Examination in HIV/AIDS Nursing from the Professional Testing Corporation at 1350 Broadway—17 th Floor, New York, NY 10018, (212) 356-0660 or click here for the Candidate Handbook and ACRN Application.

Deadlines:

Fees: Application fee for the Certification in HIV/AIDS Nursing:

*For information about joining ANAC, please click HERE.

All initial certification payments to take the ACRN should be made payable to the Professional Testing Corporation. (Recertification payments are payable to the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board.

Note: Pay the special testing center fee ONLY if a special testing center is requested.

Refunds: There will be no refund of fees. A candidate who applies to take the examination but then wishes to take it during a different testing period, ma be granted a one-time deferment to the immediate next test period if the candidate requests the deferment in writing and submits the transfer fee of $170. Only one deferment will be permitted. The candidate is responsible for contacting Lasergrade Testing and canceling their examination appointment.

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HIV/AIDS Nursing Review Exam

We have heard from many people that one of the main reasons that they have not yet become certified is uncertainty about what the exam covers and a perceived lack of self- confidence. We think that we may have come up with a solution. The HANCB has made available over 60 questions that were used on previous examinations for use as a practice test. (These questions will no longer appear on any current or future ACRN exams.) By taking the practice exam, you will be able to get a feel for what the questions look and feel like, as well as be able to determine if there are any areas that you may need to brush up on. Once your payment has been made and processed, you will be emailed the link and a username and password. At your convenience, you will log into the webpage and take the practice exam. Once you complete the test, you will be shown the answers you provided and the correct answer if necessary.

To access the practice exam, go to https://www.hancb.org/anacnet/hancb/pretest.html

The cost of the exam is $50.00 for a one-time usage. For groups of 8 or more, who register at the same time, the fee is $35.00 per person. If you are interested in the group rate, click HERE to download the group rate form, or contact Adele at adele@anacnet.org.

When you take the practice test, please feel free to send us feedback so that we can make this better and better as time goes on.

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Fees
Application fee for the certification examination in HIV/AIDS nursing:

All initial certification payments to take the ACRN should be made payable to the Professional Testing Corporation (recertification payments go to the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board).
Note: Pay the special testing center fee only if a special testing center is being requested. See above for special testing center instructions.

Refunds: There will be no refund of fees.  A candidate who applies to take the examination but then wishes to take it during a different testing period, ma be granted a one-time deferment to the immediate next test period if the candidate requests the deferment in writing and submits the transfer fee of $170.  Only one deferment will be permitted.  The candidate is responsible for contacting Lasergrade Testing and canceling their examination appointment. 

Schedule for Examination
With the implementation of computerized testing, approved candidates will indicate with their application the site(s) of preference for taking the exam.  Candidates are encouraged to arrive at the testing center of his/her choice at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the examination.  Latecomers may be admitted to the examination at the discretion of the examiner but will not be permitted to write beyond the time scheduled for completion of the examination.

Admission to Testing
The Professional Testing Corporation will notify candidates approximately three weeks before the testing date of final assignments for testing centers by means of an admission notice showing exact location/address to which candidates should report.

This admission notice plus some other form of positive personal identification (preferably photo I.D.) must be presented in order to gain admission to the testing site. A candidate not receiving an admission notice at least one week before the test date should contact the Professional Testing Corporation by telephone at (212) 356-0660.   Changes in assignments to testing centers cannot be made later than four weeks before the examination date.

Rules for the Examination

1.   Candidates must bring several sharpened number 2 pencils with erasers with them to the testing center.

2.   No signaling devices, including cellular phones, pagers, and alarms, may be operative during the examination.

3.   No books or other reference materials may be taken into the examination room.

4.   No test materials, documents, or memoranda of any sort are to be taken from the examination room.

5.   No questions concerning content of the examination may be asked during the testing period. The candidate should listen carefully to the instructions given by the examiner and should read carefully directions in the test booklet.

Report of Results
Candidates will be notified within six weeks whether they have passed or failed the examination. Scores on the major areas of the examination and on the total examination will be reported. Successful candidates will also receive certificates from the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. Upon written request of a candidate, scores will be manually verified. Failure of the examination is not a circumstance for appeal.

Reexamination
The certification examination in HIV/AIDS nursing may be taken as often as desired upon filing of a new application and fee. There is no limit to the number of times the examination may be repeated.

Confidentiality

1.   Test scores will be released in writing only to the individual candidate.

2.   Any questions concerning test results should be referred to the Professional Testing Corporation.

Content of Examination

1.       The certification examination in HIV/AIDS nursing is a written examination composed of a maximum of 250 multiple choice, objective questions with a total testing time of four (4) hours.

2.       The content for the examination is described in the content outline below.

3.       The questions for the examination are obtained from individuals with expertise in HIV/AIDS nursing and are reviewed for construction, accuracy, and appropriateness by the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board.

4.       The HIV/AIDS Certification Board, with the advice and assistance of the Professional Testing Corporation, prepares the examination.

5.       The certification examination in HIV/AIDS nursing will be weighted in approximately the following manner:

I.                     Epidemiology and Prevention:  10%
II.                   Pathophysiology:  15%
III.                  Clinical Manifestations and Management:  35%
IV.                Psychosocial Issues:  10%
V.                  Specific Populations:  20%
VI.                Ethical and Legal Issues:  5%
VII.               Professional and Institutional Issues:  5%