FAQs for the Enhanced CPC Program

• Q When my current Continued Professional Certification (CPC) Program cycle ends, what am I supposed to do? expand / collapse

  CRNAs need to complete their current CPC Program cycle requirements before entering the enhanced CPC Program. The enhanced CPC Program begins August 1, 2024, for the following CRNAS:  

  • CRNAs in their second cycle with a certification renewal deadline of July 31, 2024. 

  • CRNAs in their first cycle who have renewed their certification between January 2024 and July 2024.  

  • CRNAs who have passed the NCE and are newly certified between January 2024 and July 2024.   

  CRNAs that do not fall within those dates will continue in the current program—completing your current continued certification cycle requirements—and will start in the enhanced CPC Program at a later date.  

  NBCRNA will message you individually through your preferred email about requirements and timelines throughout the transition. Learn more about your personalized timing within the NBCRNA Portal and click on CPC Timeline.  

• Q Will I be enrolled in the current CPC Program and the enhanced program at the same time? expand / collapse

  No. CRNAs need to complete the requirements of their current cycle in the CPC Program and renew their certification before they are enrolled in the enhanced program.  

• Q If I am due to renew my credential in 2024/2025, and I am in my second four-year cycle, do I still need to complete the CPCA? expand / collapse

  Yes, the CPCA in its current form (three hours, 150 questions, in-person or online) is a required component of the CPC Program for CRNAs who are currently in their second four-year cycle. The CPCA is due to be completed six months before your credential renewal deadline.  Click here to learn more about the CPCA.  

• Q Can you explain the new fee schedule for the enhanced program? expand / collapse

  As part of the enhancements to the CPC Program, we are simplifying the fee schedule to ensure a consistent cost every four years and provide a streamlined path for maintaining the CRNA credential. 

  CRNAs will pay a one-time, upfront fee of $445 when submitting the renewal application for the four-year certification cycle. This means no unexpected charges and an average yearly cost of $111. Although this is a $28 increase in renewal application and assessment costs over the four-year cycle, CRNAs will save $300 on average with the removal of the Core Modules requirement from the enhanced CPC Program. Click here for more details.  

• Q When will I receive information about enrolling in the enhanced program? expand / collapse

  The NBCRNA will notify you well in advance via email individually about your timeline and requirements.  Click here to log in to the NBCRNA Portal and see your personalized timeline.

• Q Will the quarterly knowledge checks, through the LA approach, in the enhanced program take a long time to complete? expand / collapse

  Each CRNA in the enhanced program will be required to participate in quarterly knowledge checks, which means answering 30-35 questions each quarter. CRNAs complete 30 multi-choice and multi-select questions in the first quarter, and in every subsequent quarter, CRNAs complete 35 questions. After each question, CRNAs receive immediate feedback, including supporting rationale for correct answers. CRNAs also are provided with information on improvement areas to consider as part of continuing education and professional development activities.  

  Being available on mobile devices or personal computers, CRNAs can leave the assessment and come back at any time within a quarter and resume where they left off—as long as the assessment is completed within the designated three-month period. 

• Q Where can I take the quarterly knowledge checks through the LA approach? expand / collapse

  The quarterly knowledge checks are designed with you in mind and prioritize flexibility – there is no need to visit a testing center or proctoring required. CRNAs can use their web browser or mobile device to access questions and track progress.  

• Q What can I do if I don’t have reliable internet access? expand / collapse

  The quarterly knowledge checks can be accessed on your phone and can go wherever you go. Because the knowledge check does not need to be completed in one sitting, you have the ability to answer as many questions as you want throughout the course of each quarter. 

• Q What is Longitudinal Assessment? expand / collapse

  Longitudinal Assessment (LA) is a nationally recognized evaluation modality that has two key purposes in continued certification: 1. to measure knowledge and 2. to solidify knowledge. These are accomplished through multiple, short assessments delivered over an extended period accompanied by ongoing feedback, rationale, and the identification of content areas for improvement.   

• Q What was the purpose of the NBCRNA LA Research Study? expand / collapse

  The purpose of the NBCRNA LA Research Study was to determine if scores on the Continued Professional Certification Assessment (CPCA) are similar or different among CRNA participants who (a) take the CPCA in its current form (150-items taken at a testing center or online via live remote proctoring) versus (b) taking the CPCA in an LA format (i.e., 30-40 items per quarter with immediate feedback and rationales, along with confidence and relevance ratings for each question). NBCRNA also compared differences in CRNAs perceptions about the feasibility and acceptability of the two assessment formats. To learn more about the LA Research Study, click here.

• Q Why is the NBCRNA continued certification program being enhanced to include quarterly knowledge checks through the LA evaluation approach? expand / collapse

  At the NBCRNA, we believe that lifelong learning is a crucial piece to CRNAs commitment in upholding the highest standards in safe, quality patient care. Our mission is to promote patient safety through credentialing programs that support this lifelong learning, and enhancing the current program to include quarterly knowledge checks supports this while aligning with the outcome of the NBCRNA LA research study and adult learning principles.  

• Q Why did NBCRNA remove Core Modules as a requirement for the enhanced program? expand / collapse

  We listened to feedback from the CRNA community. We removed Core Modules as a requirement for the enhanced program so that CRNAs experience a streamlined program for lifelong learning in four key knowledge areas for safe, quality nurse anesthesia care—airway management, applied clinical pharmacology, applied physiology and pathophysiology, and anesthesia equipment, technology, and safety.