CMSRN or RN-BC?

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2013

I'm CMSRN certified and a friend is ANCC. The ANCC is a bit more expensive to maintain (or it was a couple of years ago). When we compared the two, we found the CMSRN cert focused heavily in medical surgical. My friend who is ANCC said she had a lot of legalities and ethic type questions.

I'm curious on what others have to say.

[TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Credential[/TD]

[TD]Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN)[/TD]

[TD]Registered Nurse-Board Certified (RN-BC)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: divider, colspan: 3] [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Certifying Body[/TD]

[TD]Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB)[/TD]

[TD]American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: divider, colspan: 3] [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Endorsement from Specialty Nursing Organization[/TD]

[TD]Yes, by AMSN (Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses)[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=class: divider, colspan: 3] [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Accreditation by ABSNC (Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification)[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Accepted by ANCC for Magnet Recognition Status[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Certification Eligibility Criteria[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Practice as an RN[/TD]

[TD]2 Years[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Type of Practice[/TD]

[TD]Clinical, management, or education[/TD]

[TD]Clinical[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Practice Hours in Past 3 Years[/TD]

[TD]2,000 Hours[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Contact Hours[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]30 CH/3 Years[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Certification Duration[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD]5 Years[/TD]

[TD]5 years[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Certification Exam[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]# of Questions[/TD]

[TD]150 (+25 trial questions on PP)[/TD]

[TD]175[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Testing Options[/TD]

[TD]Paper & Pencil (PP) or Computer-Based Testing (CBT)[/TD]

[TD]Computer-Based Testing only[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Average Pass Rate/Last 3 Years (2010-2012)[/TD]

[TD]78%[/TD]

[TD]Unavailable[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Based on Practice Analysis[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Special Test Site at Your Facility[/TD]

[TD]Yes, $300 per site[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Pricing and Discounts[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Certification[/TD]

[TD]$375[/TD]

[TD]$395[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Certification Discount[/TD]

[TD]$255 AMSN Member*[/TD]

[TD]$270 ANA Member**[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Hospital Registration Program[/TD]

[TD]Yes, FailSafe Certification Program which does not charge hospitals for unsuccessful candidates[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Recertification Options[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]By Contact Hours[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]By Exam[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]By Exam Exemption[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[TD]No [/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Recertification Eligibility Criteria[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Current Certification in Medical-Surgical Nursing [/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Practice Hours in 5 Years[/TD]

[TD]1,000[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Contact Hours in 5 Years[/TD]

[TD]90 CH (including academic courses, presentations, publications, preceptorship, research)[/TD]

[TD]150 CH

or

75 CH + academic courses, presentations, publications, preceptorship, or research[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Recertification Pricing and Discounts[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Recertification[/TD]

[TD]$275[/TD]

[TD]$350[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Membership Discount[/TD]

[TD]$175 AMSN Member*[/TD]

[TD]$200 ANA Member**[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=2]Examination Prep Resources[/h][TABLE=class: tableStyle1, width: 90%]

[TR]

[TH=width: 35%] [/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]CMSRN[/TH]

[TH=width: 30%]RN-BC[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Sample Questions[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Online Practice Exam[/TD]

[TD]Yes, from MSNCB[/TD]

[TD]Yes, through Credentialing Knowledge Center[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Publications/Online[/TD]

[TD]Yes, many through AMSN[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]2 Day Certification Review Course at your Facility[/TD]

[TD]Yes, through AMSN

$5,000 + faculty hotel expenses

Unlimited Participants[/TD]

[TD]Yes

Minimum of 28 participants at $310 = $8,680[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]FREE Contact Hours[/TD]

[TD]Yes, through AMSN membership, CHs specific to medical-surgical nursing[/TD]

[TD]Yes, through ANA membership[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

* AMSN Dues = $84/year

** ANA Dues = $290/year Average