CPAN® or CAPA® Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility requirements for the CPAN® or CAPA® exam are:

• A current unrestricted Registered Nurse license in the United States or any of its territories which use the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensing Examination (NCLEX) examination as a basis for determining RN licensure. An unrestricted RN license, issued by a State Board of Nursing, means that an RN license must not have provisions or conditions that woudl limit the RN's practice in any way.

• Candidates applying for initial CPAN® or CAPA® certification must have a minimum of 1,800 hours of direct perianesthesia clinical experience as a Registered Nurse during the two (2) years prior to application. Direct experience is defined as having bedside interaction with the patient and/or family in some capacity and participating actively in the individual patient experience. The candidate does not need to be technically employed in a direct care (staff nurse, for example) position. If the candidate’s role (e.g., educator, manager, Clinical Nurse Specialist) involves bedside interaction with the patient and/or family in some capacity, those hours count towards meeting the experience requirement.

• Submission of a complete, online examination application.

• Successful completion of the CPAN® and/or CAPA® certification examination.

Please note: A BSN degree is NOT required for CPAN® and/or CAPA® certification.

Should you take the CPAN® or CAPA® examination? Click here to read more about the difference between the CPAN® and CAPA® exams and determine which exam is best for you.