CRNA ORGS FAQ

The COA is the Council of Accreditation.  It is the accreditation body for Nurse Anesthesia Programs that establishes the standards nurse anesthesia programs must adhere to.  Programs are reviewed every two to ten years to maintain their accreditation status. Does accreditation matter? To be eligible to sit for the NCE (National Certification Exam) the program attended must be accredited by the COA. 

The AANA is the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.  The association was founded in 1931 and is the professional association that represents 53,000 CRNAs across the United States.  The AANA is responsible for the development of practice standards, guidelines and the code of ethics for CRNAs. They also promote advocacy of the profession and supports education through the AANA Foundation, providing research grants to students, faculty and CRNAs.  AANA membership has many benefits from advocacy to continuing education and discounted services. 

Many schools require students to become student members of the association. Advocacy and lobbying are important aspects that enable legislators to become aware of the profession and prevent lawmakers from approving legislation that can restrict or hinder practice. It is encouraged that students and CRNAs join to protect the profession.

The NBCRNA is the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. Certification for the nurse anesthesia profession has been required since 1978 and in 2007, the NBCRNA was incorporated, separate from the AANA through the merger of the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA) and the Council of Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (COR).  Certification provides evidence of professional educational standard compliance. 

SEE

The SEE is the Self Evaluation Examination.  This is an examination that is offered by many CRNA programs. It is not required for board certification, but many programs require students to take this examination once or multiple times throughout their program.  The cost to take this exam is $250. The examination is 240 questions that covers the following topics: 

1. Basic Sciences (25%)

2. Equipment, Instrumentation and Technology (25%)

3. General Principles of Anesthesia (25%)

4. Anesthesia for Surgical Procedures and Special Populations (25%)

Each school determines what is considered a  “passing” score for the SEE exam and may require students to score higher on subsequent examinations. 

NCE

The NCE is the National Certification Examination and is the initial certification for Nurse Anesthetists.  It is a computer adaptive test that measures the knowledge and skills to determine competency for entry level practice.  The fee to take the NCE is $995. Re-takes are also $995. Candidates may receive anywhere from 100 to 170 questions with 30 questions being random, non-graded questions.  A maximum of three hours is provided to take the exam. The NCE covers the following topics: 

1. Basic Sciences (25%)

2. Equipment, Instrumentation and Technology (15%)

3. General Principles of Anesthesia (30%)

4. Anesthesia for Surgical Procedures and Special Populations (30%)

Candidates can take the NCE up to 4 times each year.  The examination must be taken within two years of completion of an accredited Nurse Anesthesia program.  If the examination is not taken and passed within two years, candidates will need to complete another nurse anesthesia program to become eligible again.

CPC

CPC is the Continued Professional Certification Program.  This new program replaces the old recertification to promote “lifelong learning.”  The program is every 8 years, broken down into two 4 year cycles. Every four years, 60 Continuing Education (Class A) and 40 Professional Development (Class B) credits are required.  While currently optional, completion of 4 core modules will be required every 4 year cycle. Every two years, a check-in will be required to verify your licensure, and this includes a $110 credentialing fee.  In addition, at the 8 year mark, a CPC assessment will be required that has no impact on certification status. Continuing education will be required in any area of weakness.