Certifications › Critical care and flight
Board exam · AACN Certification Corporation
PCCN — PCCN (Adult) — Progressive Care Nursing
PCCN (Adult) is AACN's specialty certification for RNs and APRNs caring for acutely ill adults in intermediate care, stepdown, telemetry, transitional care or the ED. It runs on a three-year cycle and renews by CERPs plus practice hours or by exam.
Named in 14 of 29,080 postings on this site as of 11 Nov 2026, mostly Registered Nurse (14).
The facts, from the issuer
- What it is
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PCCN is for nurses giving direct care to acutely ill adults in areas such as intermediate care, stepdown, telemetry, transitional care or the ED.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Direct Care Eligibility Pathway · checked ·
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“Nurses interested in this certification pathway may work in areas such as intermediate care, direct observation, stepdown, telemetry, transitional care or emergency departments.”
- Eligibility
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You need a current, unencumbered US RN or APRN licence.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Direct Care Eligibility Pathway · checked ·
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“A current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license is required.”
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Two-year option: 1,750 direct-care hours with acutely ill adults in the past two years, 875 in the most recent year.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Direct Care Eligibility Pathway · checked ·
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“Practice as an RN or APRN for 1,750 hours in direct care of acutely ill adult patients during the previous two years”
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Five-year option: 2,000 direct-care hours with acutely ill adults in the past five years, 144 of them in the most recent year.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) certification · checked ·
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“with a minimum of 2,000 hours in direct care of acutely ill adult patients, with 144 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application”
- Length
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The exam is a 3-hour test of 150 multiple-choice items, 125 of them scored.
AACN — PCCN Exam Handbook · checked ·
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“The PCCN exam is a 3-hour test consisting of 150”
- How long it lasts
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Certification runs three years; renewal requires 432 direct-care hours in that period, 144 in the last 12 months.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Renewal · checked ·
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“Practice as an RN or APRN for 432 hours in direct care of acutely ill adult patients during the three-year certification renewal period”
- Renewal
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Renewal by CERPs needs 100 CERPs (minimum 60 in Category A, 10 each in B and C).
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Renewal · checked ·
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“Completion of 100 CERPs is required, with a minimum of 60 CERPs in Category A and 10 each in Categories B and C”
- Cost
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The exam fee is $260 for AACN members and $375 for non-members.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Direct Care Eligibility Pathway · checked ·
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“refer to the PCCN Exam Handbook - Direct Care Pathway. AACN Members $260 Nonmembers $375”
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Renewal by CERPs costs $150 for AACN members and $230 for non-members.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Renewal · checked ·
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“refer to the PCCN Renewal Handbook - Direct Care Pathway AACN Members $150 Nonmembers $230”
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Renewal by exam costs $185 for AACN members and $290 for non-members.
AACN — PCCN (Adult) Renewal · checked ·
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“refer to the PCCN Renewal Handbook - Direct Care Pathway. AACN Members $185 Nonmembers $290”
- Find a class or test site
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AACN exams are taken by computer at a PSI testing center or by live remote proctoring; the testing information page covers scheduling.
AACN — Testing Information · checked ·
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“AACN Certification Corporation offers two computer-based options for taking your certification exam.”
Where to take it
Start with the issuer’s own test-site search:
- Book the exam at a test site: AACN — Testing information and scheduling (aacn.org)
PCCN is an exam taken at test sites, so there are no classes to list here; use the test-site search above.
Distances are straight-line from the ZIP or city centre (U.S. Census 2024 gazetteer), not drive times. Listings come from state approved-program lists, issuer directories and providers' own pages. A listing is not a partnership; confirm dates, price and seats with the provider.
Related
- Current Registered Nurse jobs
- CCRN — CCRN (Adult) — Acute/Critical Care Nursing
- CFRN — Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
- CTRN — Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)
- FP-C — Certified Flight Paramedic (FP-C)
- CCP-C — Certified Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C)
- CCEMT-P — Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program (CCEMTP)
Every fact above was read on the issuer’s own page on the date shown, with the exact words quoted. Anything the issuer does not publish is left out, so a missing fee means the issuer leaves pricing to the class provider or did not publish one. Employers decide which cards they accept; check the posting.