Achieving a specialty certification demonstrates personal and professional growth. Additionally, it can greatly enhance career advancement opportunities.
To specialize in nursing, one must gain knowledge through clinical experience, formal coursework, self-study, and continuing education. Afterwards, passing a certification examination is typically required.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awards a variety of certifications for nurses and advanced practice nurses.
Additional individual specialty organization certifications:
Critical Care/Emergency
- Adult Acute/Critical Care (CCRN)
- Adult Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K)
- Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN)
- Cardiac Medicine (CMC)
- Cardiac Surgery (CSC)
- Emergency (CEN)
- Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
- Forensic Nursing (SANE-A) (SANE-P)
- Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- Progressive Care Nursing (PCCN)
- Progressive Care Knowledge Professional (PCCN-K)
- Tele-ICU Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN-E)
- Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)
- Trauma Registered Nurse (TCRN)
Gerontology
Leadership
- Care Coordination and Transition Mangement (CCCTM)
- Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
- Executive Nurse Practice (CENP)
- Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)
- Informatics Nursing (NI-BC)
- Legal Nurse Consulting (LNC)
- Managed Care (CMCN)
- Nurse Executive (NE-BC)
- Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC)
- Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML)
- Nursing Case Management (CMGT-BC)
- Nursing Administration Long Term Care (CDON-LTC)
- Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC)
- Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)
Maternal/ Child Health
- Breast Care Nurse (CBCN)
- Breastfeeding Counselors (CBC)
- Care of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants (C-ELBW)
- Childbirth Educators (CCE)
- Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM)
- Inpatient Antepartum Nursing (RNC-IAP)
- Inpatient Obstetric (RNC-OB)
- Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
- Low-Risk Neonatal (RNC-LRN)
- Maternal Newborn (RNC-MNN)
- Neonatal Acute/Critical Care (CCRN)
- Neonatal Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K)
- Neonatal Intensive Care (RNC-NIC)
- Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care (C-NNIC)
- Neonatal Pediatric Transport (C-NPT)
- Pediatric Acute/Critical Care (CCRN)
- Pediatric Acute/Critical Care Knowledge Professional (CCRN-K)
- Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON)
- Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
Medical
- Acute Care Virtual Registered Nurse (CAVRN)
- Advanced HIV/AIDS Registered Nurse (AACRN)
- Blood and Marrow Transplant Nurse (BMTCN)
- Dermatology Nurse (DNC)
- Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)
- Hemodialysis Nurse (CHN)
- HIV/AIDS Registered Nurse (ACRN)
- Holistic Nursing (HN-BC) (AHN-BC)
- Infection Control (CIC)
- Infusion (CRNI)
- Medical-Surgical (CMSRN)
- Medical Surgical Nursing (MEDSURG-BC)
- Nephrology Nurse (CNN)
- Neuroscience (CNRN)
- Oncology (OCN)
- Pain Management Nursing (PMGT-BC)
- Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse (CPDN)
- Radiology Nurse (CRN)
- Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN)
- Stroke Registered Nurse (SCRN)
- Urology (CURN)
Operating Room
Psychiatric/Mental Health
Public Health
- Advanced Forensic Nursing (AFN-BC)
- Ambulatory Nursing (AMB-BC)
- Correctional Health Professional (CCHP-RN)
- Faith Community Nursing (RN-BC)
- Hospice and Palliative (CHPN)
- Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse (CHPPN)
- Occupational Health (COHN) (COHN-S)
- Occupation Health Case Manager (COHN/CM) (COHN-S/CM)
- School Nursing (NCSN)
- Transcultural Nursing (CTN) (CTN-A)
Surgical
- Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS)
- Cardiovascular Nursing (CV-BC)
- Gastroenterology Nurse (CGRN)
- Medical-Surgical (CMSRN)
- Opthalmic (CRNO)
- Orthopedic (ONC)
- Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck (CORLN)
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical (CPSN)
- Transplant (CCTN) (CPTC) (CCTC)
- Wound, Ostomy and Continence (CWCN) (COCN) (CCCN) (CWOCN) (CWON) (CFCN)
Advanced Practice Nurses
- Acute Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-AC)
- Addictions Registered Nurse – Advanced Practice (CARN-AP)
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP-BC)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP-BC)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
- Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC)
- Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (AOCNS)
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP)
- Advanced Oncology Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Wellness through Acute Care Adult/Geriatric (ACCNS-AG)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Wellness through Acute Care Pediatric (CCNS-P)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Wellness through Acute Care Neonatal (CCNS-N)
- Dermatology Nurse Practitioner (DCNP)
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC)
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP-BC)
- Nephrology Nurse Practitioner (CNN-NP)
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Nurse Midwife (CNM) (CM)
- Orthopedic Clinical Nurse Specialist (OSNS-C)
- Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner (ONP-C)
- Primary Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-PC)
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Across the Lifespan (PMHNP-BC)
- Urologic Clinical Nurse Specialist (CUCNS)
- Urologic Nurse Practitioner (CUNP)
- Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC)
“When you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.”
– Unknown