Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) was established for the development, administration, and evaluation of a program for certification in oncology nursing
. Incorporated in 1984 and governed by a board of directors, ONCC is the certifying body for oncology nursing and meets standards established by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
and related specialties.
The vision of ONCC is that oncology care across the continuum will be provided by oncology certified professionals.
Oncology nursing
-Certification in the United States:The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation offers several different options for board certification in oncology nursing...
. Incorporated in 1984 and governed by a board of directors, ONCC is the certifying body for oncology nursing and meets standards established by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Mission and vision
The mission of ONCC is to promote excellence in patient care and professional practice by validating specialized knowledge in oncology nursingOncology nursing
-Certification in the United States:The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation offers several different options for board certification in oncology nursing...
and related specialties.
The vision of ONCC is that oncology care across the continuum will be provided by oncology certified professionals.
Programs
- Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®)—basic level certification focused on adult oncologyOncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
- Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON®)—basic level certification focused on pediatric oncology/hematology
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP®)—role-specific, advanced level certification for the oncology nurse practitionerNurse practitionerA Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
who holds a master’s or higher degree in nursing and has completed a nurse practitioner program - Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (AOCNS®)—role specific, advanced level certification for the oncology clinical nurse specialistClinical nurse specialistA clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice registered nurse, with graduate preparation from a program that prepares CNSs. According to the APRN Consensus Model for Regulation "The CNS serves a unique APRN role in integrating care across the continuum and through three spheres of...
who holds a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing - Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBCN®)—role-specific specialty certification focused on breast care
- Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse (CPON®)—basic level certification focused on pediatric oncology
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse (AOCN®)—advanced level certification focused on adult oncology
Eligibility
All ONCC certification candidates must hold an active, unrestricted RN license to be eligible to take an ONCC examination. In addition, each ONCC certification has specific eligibility criteria for education and experience that must be met before the candidate takes the examination.Testing
All ONCC examinations are offered at more than 230 computer-based testing centers located in North America and at selected international test sites. Certification is granted to candidates who meet the eligibility criteria and successfully complete a comprehensive multiple-choice examination. OCN®, CPHON®, and CBCN® examinations are offered quarterly. AOCNP® and AOCNS® examinations are offered year-round.Renewal
There are three components to certification renewal: practice hours, professional development activities, and successful retesting. Two of the three components must be met in order to renew certification. Three renewal options are available, based on the combinations of these renewal components.- Option 1: practice hours + professional development activities (known as the Oncology Nursing Certification Points Renewal Option, or ONC-PRO)
- Option 2: practice hours + successful testing
- Option 3: professional development activities + successful testing
Number of certified oncology nurses
Currently, 27,527 nurses are certified as OCN®, 1,910 as CPON®, 1,056 as AOCN®, 827 as AOCNP®, 331 as AOCNS®, 615 as CBCN®, and 591 as CPHON®.See also
- Oncology Nursing SocietyOncology Nursing SocietyThe Oncology Nursing Society is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 37,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research, and administration in oncology nursing...
- ONS FoundationONS FoundationThe ONS Foundation is a national nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organization in the United States, established on November 27, 1981, by the Oncology Nursing Society. The Pittsburgh-based organization is dedicated to sustaining and advancing oncology nursing and funded by corporate and private...
- ONSEdgeONSEdgeONSEdge, the for-profit subsidiary of the Oncology Nursing Society , is a healthcare intelligence company. It specializes in a core group of services: healthcare advisory boards, ancillary events at oncology nursing conferences, speaker bureau programs, strategic planning and marketing support,...
- List of nursing organizations
- Oncology nursingOncology nursing-Certification in the United States:The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation offers several different options for board certification in oncology nursing...
- Nursing credentials and certificationsNursing credentials and certificationsA nurse's postnominal credentials usually follow his or her name in this order:* Highest earned academic degree in or related to nursing * Nursing licensure * Nursing certification...