NCSN of the Year Application Now Open

Do you know an exceptional certified school nurse?

We need your help! Each year the National Board of Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) honors a nationally certified school nurse (NCSN) of the Year who has promoted certification as well as worked to enhance general school nursing practice. The NCSN of the Year is selected from of a pool of nominees who have been nominated by their peers. The award is presented at the NASN Annual Conference, this year in Las Vegas. The criteria for the award are:

  • Nominated by a peer by March 31, 2020;
  • Demonstrates achievements at the national, state or local level that (1) enhances the competence of school nurses or (2) effectively promotes national school nurse certification;
  • Is an active NCSN in good standing; and
  • Is employed in school health (can be a school level nurse, an administrator, instructor or other related employment).

And while the NCSN of the Year must be an NCSN, the nominator does not!  An NCSN can be nominated by non-NCSN school nurse, a co-worker, a nursing supervisor or principal. If you know a Nationally Certified School Nurse who you think should be considered for the award, use this link to Nominate an NCSN now!

Exam Application Updates

Exam Application: BSN Now Required

Prior to 2014, the NBCSN board made the decision to update the education requirements for the NCSN exam by requiring candidates to hold the BSN degree to sit for the exam. To allow school nurses time to earn the BSN, it was determined that the requirement would be rolled out over the courses of several years. Starting with the March 2020 exam applications, all NCSN applicants must have a BSN to apply. A copy of the BSN diploma or a copy unofficial transcripts can be submitted as documentation of the BSN.

NCSN Exam Application Fees to Increase

Starting with the application window for the summer 2020 exam, NBCSN will be instituting a new application fee structure. NBCSN has not increased the application fees in over 3 years. In order to keep in line with increasing costs to offer the exam, the NBCSN board has made the decision to make the following changes to the fee structure for the exam application.

Early Bird Fee – $370 (from the opening of the application window to one month prior to the close of the application window).

Regular Fee – $390 (from one month prior to the close of the application window to the close of the application window).

Regular + Late Fee – $490 (from the close of the application window to one week prior to the start of the exam window).

NBCSN encourages applicants to apply for the exam as early as possible. This helps to ensure approved candidates to secure a test date, time, and location that works best for their schedule.

Recertification Updates

Recertification Fees to Increase

In order to keep in line with current expenses, the NBCSN board has approved the following changes to the current recertification fee structure. These fees will go into effect starting with the fall renewal cycle (October/November 2020 NCSN expiration dates).

Early Bird Fee – $255 (to be charged on recertification applications submitted between six months and one month prior to the NCSN’s certification expiration date).

Regular Fee – $265 (to be charged on recertification applications submitted between one month and the NCSN’s certification expiration date).

Regular + Late Fee – $365 (to be charged on applications submitted after the NCSN certification expiration date).

UPDATE YOUR PROFILE

You may have gotten a new job or retired or maybe you moved. Did you remember to update your NBCSN profile? By keeping your profile up to date you will ensure that you will receive notifications from NBCSN regarding your certification. Update your profile today to be sure you don’t miss your recertification date.