CNOR Requirements

[kristinc312, RN]

This is my first time posting on here, but I have a question for someone who is familiar with requirements to sit for CNOR certification. I have been a CST since 2007, and an RN circulator since May 2013. I want to be able to become certified as soon as possible. I've worked part time since May of 2013, and then PRN since July 2014. Will I be able to sit for exam after my 2 years (May 15') without having worked full time for the first 2 years? Also, should I be keeping track of data, such as the number of cases or weekly hours I worked?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

From CCI, the organization that provides the CNOR certification:

Confirm Your EligibilityAt the time you apply for the exam, you must:

• Have a current unrestricted RN license.
  
• Be currently working full-time or part-time in perioperative nursing in the area of nursing education, administration, research or clinical practice.
  
• Have completed a minimum of 2 years and 2,400 hours of experience in perioperative nursing, with a minimum of 50% (1,200 hours) in the intraoperative setting.
  

More information can be found here: http://www.cc-institute.org/cnor

Whether you are eligible for the exam or not will depend greatly on how much you have been working; also, you will not be eligible until May 2015 if you started OR nursing in May 2013.

[kristinc312, RN]

Thanks for responding. I had read that information on the certification site. I was just wondering how they determine if I have worked enough hours. Didn't know if it's something I should be tracking. I would like to take the exam in May if I'm eligible, so I'm just trying to make sure I have my ducks in a row so that I don't find out at the last minute that I'm not eligible to take it.

[MereSanity]

I think it's 2400 hours in the OR. Yes, you will need to track it. You will be asked to certify you have worked that many hours as an RN in the OR.

MereSanity BSN, RN, CNOR