The HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB) is the New York-based sponsoring organization for the certification examination. Nurses who receive certification may use the designation ACRN after their names, which stands for AIDS Certified Registered Nurse. HANCB grants certification for five years, upon which re-certification is necessary. The purpose of the board is to create a national standard for education and care for HIV/AIDS patients. Certification also serves to signify to employers that the nurse has met certain education and licensure standards.
To qualify to sit for the certification examination, a nurse must posses a valid and current registered nurse license. This license may only be obtained after completing a bachelor of science in nursing, associate degree in nursing or diploma program, in addition to achieving a satisfactory passing score on the National Council for Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). The registered nurse must also not have any restrictions barring practice from any nursing or health regulatory board. In addition, the nurse must have at least two years of HIV/AIDS-related practice experience in the form of clinical practice, research, education or management.
The nurse must have completed 70 continuing education credits prior to re-certification application. At least 80 percent of the credits (56 credits) must be in the field of HIV/AIDS nursing practice care. The maximum allowable credits in medicine or other allied health professional area of practice is 35, and only if those credits directly relate to HIV/AIDS practice. Continuing education credits must be accredited by a state board of nursing, American Nurses Credentialing Center, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care or the international equivalent of those organizations, in the event that a nurse is foreign-trained. HANCB allows continuing education credits earned through home study as long as the course is accredited by one of the previously mentioned organizations.
The 250 multiple-choice examination spanning four hours covers nine areas of study. The largest portion of the examination (35 percent) covers clinical manifestations and management. Specific populations (20 percent), pathophysiology (15 percent) and psychosocial issues (10 percent) comprise the subsequent three largest areas of concentration. Finally, the ethical and legal issues and professional and institutional issues each comprise 5 percent of the examination.
A practice examination for purchase is available from HANCB.
Exact examination dates vary according to the year. Consult the HANCB site for the latest registration date information.
As of July 2010, the application fees for testing are $260 for Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) members, $400 for non-members and an additional $100 for those requiring a special testing center. The Professional Testing Center is the administrator of the examination.