Eligibility

• The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), has established eligibility criteria for nurses wanting informatics certification. You must have a current registered nurse (RN) license in the United States or one of its territories, or a professional license equivalent from another country. In addition, you must have practiced for at least two years as an RN and have a bachelor's degree in nursing or an informatics-related subject. You also need to complete at least 30 hours of continuing education informatics credits in the past three years, as well as fulfilled the ANCC-required practice/academic hours.
  
  

Application

• The nursing informatics certification application can be downloaded from the ANCC website. The application reviews the eligibility criteria, provides an overview of the exam and lists the application fees. You must provide general information, such as your address and other contact information, details about employers, verify that you meet eligibility requirements, list completed continuing education courses, and provide details regarding your education and RN license. The application also provides a list of review courses and resources to help prepare you for taking the certification exam.
  
  

Review Courses and Resources

• The ANCC has organized numerous review courses and resources, such as review seminars, study groups, online narrated review courses and review and resource manuals, that nurses can use to help prepare for the informatics certification exam. Private nursing schools also provide review courses for nurses seeking informatics certification. For example, Drexel University sponsors a nurse informatics certification review conference that covers exam topics, such as information management and knowledge generation; professional practice, trends and issues; models and theories; and management and leadership.
  
  

Fees

• As of 2010, the fee for ANA members to take the nurse informatics certification exam is $270. Those who are not ANA members but are members of the Alliance of Nursing Informatics pay $340, and all nonmembers are charged $390. International applicants pay $125 in addition to the aforementioned fees. Currently, the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense offer a $100 discount off the nonmember price for their affiliates.
  
  

Renewal

• After passing the initial exam, your nursing informatics certification must be renewed every five years to remain certified. You need to submit the renewal application at least three months before your current certification license expires to ensure plenty of time to prepare and be tested. For certification renewal, you will also need to meet professional development and additional practice hours requirements. If your certification license has expired, the renewal application contains instructions so that you can be recertified promptly.