FAQs - Health Systems

Why This Certification and Why Now?
Nursing, unlike other professions, has existed for more than 60 years with only one licensing examination regardless of the type of program from which the student graduated.
Nursing is one of a few professions that does not also offer a professionalism-specific and focused complementary certification at the time of graduation or during early career.
The Professional Nursing Validation Company (PNVC) has developed a complementary certification available to nursing students, new graduates and early career BSN-prepared nurses to differentiate professional competencies learned in school and practice.

The NCLEX is a valuable licensing examination that ensures that individuals possess the minimum competency to provide safe, effective patient care.
It protects the public by ensuring entry-level nurses are safe and competent to practice.

Will this take place of the NCLEX?
The PNVC examination is not a licensing examination for safety to practice.
It is a certification examination to provide evidence of competency beyond the elements tested in NCLEX.
The areas tested on the PNVC examination are not tested on NCLEX.

Will this differentiate levels of educational preparation?
The PNVC examination will demonstrate competency in areas beyond those tested on NCLEX.

Who should take the certification exam and when?
Students who have graduated from BSN, Master’s, or Doctoral entry to practice programs and have successfully passed the NCLEX examination are eligible to take the examination.
Nurses with their BSN and who are either enrolled in their respective nurse residency program (NRP) or within their first three years of professional practice are also highly recommended to sit for this certification.

What will be on the examination and how will students prepare?
A study guide will be provided to all applicants registering for the examination.
It will provide the weighing of the different elements on the examination, example questions under each domain, and references used to develop the examination items.

What is the certification exam framework?
PNVC has been working with and consulting with a number of professional nursing organizations, educational leaders, and practice-focused subject matter experts (SMEs) in the development of the test.
The impetus for the test was the development of the AACN Essentials for entry-level collegiate nursing education.
PNVC has obtained a licensing agreement to publish the use the essentials as the framework for the test.
The test is also expected to align with the curriculum components of the CCNE accreditation for residency programs for entry to practice nurses.

Is there a timeframe when people should take the test?
Applicants are encouraged to register for the certification exam upon successful completion of the NCLEX.
They may take the examination at any time after passing NCLEX.
Practicing nurses and those in new graduate residency programs are also highly encouraged to take the examination.

Value proposition for Hospitals and Health Systems
Hospitals and health systems with an increasing percentage of nurses certified with the PVN will demonstrate more effective shared and professional governance systems.
As organizations strive to increase the presence of nurse leaders, practicing at the top of their knowledge from a professional standpoint, the PVN offers an early career differentiator which will highlight those future nurse leaders, fully committed to the entire scope of the nursing profession.

PVN certified nurses represent a professional nurse competent in knowledge and practice related to the AACN 10 competencies.
This means a PVN nurse is equipped to lead in shared/professional governance settings from unit practice councils to system-level nurse led councils.

PVN certification offers an access point for the professional nurse into increased leadership responsibilities, professional development, and opportunities to lead innovation projects across a health system.

PVN certified nurses will excel in ambulatory care development, nurse-led care models, and nurse-led revenue generating ambulatory clinics.

PVN certification will complement retention strategies within a health system.

Cost of the examination
The cost of the examination is $450, which includes all study preparation materials.
We are developing partnerships with healthcare entities that may choose to include the test as part of the clinical ladder of their residency programs.

Examination availability
The examination will launch in June 2026.

Who benefits from this certification?
Healthcare organizations will benefit from a mechanism for demonstrating professional knowledge beyond that tested on NCLEX in the early and authentic identification of future nurse leaders.

Has practice agreed to recognize this with a higher salary?
No, but we believe that the PNVC test will provide additional evidence of the knowledge of competencies of collegiate nursing graduates.
The test will provide one more mechanism to justify a salary differentiator for nursing which is solely needed.