Certification

CRRN-A

Program Phase-Out

The Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board has announced the ending of the advanced practice rehabilitation nursing certification program. Because of a continued small audience of potential certificants, limited success in securing state recognition of the credential for advanced practice licensure, and ongoing costs involved in keeping the examination at the appropriate quality level, the RNCB decided, with regret, to end the program June 30, 2009. The last examinations were in December 2003 and June 2004.

The CRRN program is not affected by this change to the advanced practice credential. The CRRN credential continues to be a valuable resource for rehabilitation nurses looking to demonstrate their knowledge, skill, and commitment to the profession of rehabilitation nursing.

Definitions and Scope of Practice

Rehabilitation nursing is a specialty practice area within the scope of professional nursing practice. Rehabilitation nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses of individuals and groups to actual or potential health problems stemming from altered functional ability and altered life-style.

Advanced practice rehabilitation nursing has been defined as a specialty in the following way:

Advanced practice nurses in rehabilitation have a graduate degree in nursing. They conduct comprehensive assessments and demonstrate a high level of autonomy and expert skill in diagnosis and treatment. They manage complex responses of individuals, families, groups, and communities to actual or potential health problems stemming from altered functional ability and altered lifestyle (resulting from physical disability or chronic illness). Advanced practice nurses in rehabilitation synthesize complex data to formulate decisions and plans that optimize health, promote wellness, manage illness, prevent complications or secondary disabilities, maximize function, and minimize handicap. Nurses in advanced practice integrate education, research, and consultation into their clinical practice role. They function in collaborative relationships with nursing peers, the interdisciplinary team, and others who influence the healthcare environment.

Advanced practice nurses in rehabilitation work with individuals, families, and communities to assess health needs; develop diagnoses; plan, implement, and manage care; and evaluate outcomes of care. Advance practice nurses in rehabilitation are involved in activities aimed at:

• assisting clients to regain, maintain or improve their functional and self-care abilities
• advocating for care that promotes health and wellness for individuals with chronic illness or disability and for care that prevents additional disabilities
• obtaining appropriate health, legal, social, vocational, and community serviceS
• evaluating programs including those related to environmental monitoring and public policy for individuals, families, and communities at risk, and
• providing leadership and contributing to the advancement of rehabilitation nursing, rehabilitation, and nursinG.

Rehabilitation nurses may function in a variety of settings and roles as advanced practice nurses. Nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, case managers, administrators, educators, researchers, staff nurses, consultants, and others may all practice at advanced levels.

Reprinted with permission, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. (1996.)
Scope and Standards of Advanced Clinical Practice in Rehabilitation Nursing. Glenview, IL: Author.

Renewal

All eligible CRRN-As may renew their certification through June 30, 2009, and will be certified as CRRNs for the balance of their certification period after June 30, 2009.

To renew, all candidates must meet the following criteria:

• current, unrestricted license as a registered nurse
• 1500 hours of practice as an advanced practice rehabilitation nurse within the five years preceding application for renewal
• signatures from two professional colleagues verifying practice (one signature must be from a registered nurse)

CRRN-As may choose to renew their certification through professional portfolio.

Professional portfolio: The CRRN-A must submit an application that meets the criteria with the fee by the last day of the month three months prior to expiration of certification. The portfolio option is based on the CRRN-A obtaining additional education during the certification period (either formal and/or continuing) and participating in an additional three activities that contribute to his or her development as an advanced practice nurse in the specialty of rehabilitation. The following list defines acceptable activities.

• Education - 60 hours are required of all renewal candidates and may be either continuing or academic as outlined below.
• Continuing Education - One 50-minute continuing education contact hour is considered one hour. One-half (50%) of the continuing education contact hours must be approved by national or state nursing organizations and all the contact hours must be related to advanced practice rehabilitation nursing. (Refer to the definition of advanced practice rehabilitation nursing). Continuing education is defined as learning activities intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the professional nurse for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research, or theory development with the goal of improving the health of the public.
• Formal Education - Each semester or quarter credit hour should be multiplied by four to determine the number of hours. For example, a 3-credit course would equate to 12 hours for renewal purposes. Each course must be at the graduate level and must be related to advanced practice rehabilitation nursing. You must receive credit for the course in order to include it.
• Other Advanced Practice Activities - In addition to meeting the educational requirements, CRRN-As must complete three activities from the following areas. It is acceptable to have more than one activity in the same area (e.g., two research projects).
• Research - Each research project may be counted as one activity. Submitting a proposal for funding or completing a research study is acceptable. Your name must be identified as primary investigator, co-primary investigator, or project director. Data collection alone is not acceptable.
• Publication - Publication of an article or research project in a referreed journal, a book, or a chapter in a book for nurses or other healthcare professionals may be counted as one activity. Your name must be published as author to qualify.
• Presentation - Presentation of a paper or other session designed for nurses or other healthcare professionals. The session must be approved for nursing contact hours by a national or state nursing organization. Each presentation may only be counted as one activity even if delivered on multiple occasions.
• Review Board Participation - Serving in a formally appointed capacity to review the original work of others as a content expert such as on an editorial board, research or program grant application review committee, continuing education approval unit review panel, or abstract review committee may be counted as one activity.
• Leadership in a Professional Healthcare Organization - Demonstrated leadership in a volunteer capacity of a local, state, regional, national, or international professional healthcare organization. To qualify, your role must have been as an officer or board member.
• Healthcare Policy and Advocacy - This activity area is intended to recognize significant contributions to policy development or advocacy related to healthcare (client populations or professional issues). Each issue to which you have contributed on a leadership level qualifies as one activity. Advocacy for individual patients is not appropriate for credit in this category, nor is a “one-step” effort such as sending a letter to elected officials. Activities need not have achieved a wholly successful outcome in order to be accepted. Examples of acceptable activities include testifying before governmental bodies and developing or participating in a multi-step advocacy effort such as one to achieve state recognition for advanced practice nurses.

Audit
A random selection of applications will be audited. Applications will be identified for audit as they are received, and the auditee contacted. Auditees will need to submit documentation supporting the activities in their portfolio within a designated time frame. Please save the following documentation in case your application is identified for audit.

• Continuing education - Proof of attendance or completion of continuing education activities. These documents should include the date, year, program title, sponsor, applicant’s name, and number of contact hours awarded. Each document must verify approval by a national or state nursing organization, if relevant.
• Formal Education - Transcript
• Research - Copy of proposal and letter of acceptance or rejection for funding or your final report
• Publication - Copy of title page showing your name published as author or letter of acceptance of manuscript for publication
• Presentation - Evidence of participation in the presentation (e.g., brochure, or announcement). This should include your name, the date and year of the presentation, program title, behavioral objectives, content outline, the number of contact hours awarded, and the name of the national or state nursing organization that approved the program.
• Leadership in a Professional Healthcare Organization - Letter on the organization’s letterhead stating your role
• Healthcare Policy or Advocacy - Outline or description with some component of third-party verification, transcript of testimony, or other materials depending on the nature of your advocacy role. The documentation provided should describe your activities.

CRRN certification
The CRRN-A has the option of renewing the basic CRRN credential rather than the advanced practice CRRN-A. Whichever credential is being renewed, CRRN or CRRN-A, the same application deadlines apply. If neither credential is renewed prior to certification expiration, the nurse is no longer certified as either a CRRN-A or CRRN. He or she may become certified again by taking and passing the CRRN examination.

For more information, complete the on-line information request form or call the ARN office at 800/229-7530 or 847/375-4710.

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
4700 W Lake Ave
Glenview, IL 60025
800/229-7530
info@rehabnurse.org