Certification News - Spring 2008 - (Page 1)

certification/news The Newsletter of the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation Vo l u m e X X I I , N o . 1 S p r i n g 2 0 0 8 Inside Editor’s Message . . . 2 Meet Cyndi Miller Murphy . . . 3 Employer Spotlight . . . 4 CPON® Role Delineation . . . 5 Practice Round . . . 9 CBCN Items Field Test . . . 10 Is It Certification, a Certificate Program, or a Certificate of Completion? Be a Savvy Consumer and Know the Difference Cyndi Miller Murphy, RN, MSN, CAE ONCC Executive Director he term “certification” is used a lot these days and doesn’t always mean the same thing to everyone. Programs referred to as certifications by a variety of providers do not always represent the same level of achievement. For example, some providers label attendance at continuing education (CE) programs as “certification” and tell the participants that they may call themselves “certified” in a defined area of practice upon completion of the program. Those who have passed a comprehensive broad-based certification examination, such as the OCN® test, know that attendance at a weekend CE program does not represent the same level of achievement. Nurses, as consumers of these programs, need to understand what each type of program represents in order to make wise decisions about the programs in which they invest. Nurses often spend their own money to become certified or attend CE programs. Employers also invest in these programs. Both nurses and employers need to be able to assess programs so that they fully understand what they are consuming and do not misrepresent themselves or those they employ as “certified” when they are not. This article describes the defining features of three types of programs: quality certification programs, assessmentbased certificate programs, and CE programs that provide certificates of attendance. (See “Certification,” page 6) T Renewing Your Certification in 2008? You Could Do It for Free—for Life! F ive nurses will renew their certification for free this year and every time renewal is due. Certified nurses who are due to renew in 2008 and who renew through the Oncology Nursing Certification Points Renewal Option (ONC-PRO) before June 15 will be entered to win a free certification renewal in 2008 and for the rest of their life. To be eligible to win, candidates must be due to renew their certification in 2008 and submit the completed ONCPRO application, ONC-PRO logs, and renewal fee by June 15. Five lucky winners will receive a refund of their 2008 fee, and the fee will be waived every time their future renewal is due. Those who are not selected to win the free renewal will still save $75 on the fee. Learn more at oncc.org/renewal/ oncpro.shtml. http://oncc.org/renewal/oncpro.shtml http://oncc.org/renewal/oncpro.shtml

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Certification News - Spring 2008 Contents Editor's Message Meet Cyndi Miller Murphy Employer Spotlight CPON® Role Delineation Practice Round CBCN Items Field Test

Certification News - Spring 2008

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