About the CNC
The Commission on Nurse Certication (CNC) is
the autonomous certifying body of the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The
mission of the CNC is to oversee Clinical Nurse
Leader
SM
(CNL®) certication activities to assure
communities of interest that certicants have
met accepted standards of practice. The CNL
certication process is governed by the CNC Board of
Commissioners (CNCBOC). The CNCBOC and staff are
solely responsible for the policies and administration
of the CNL Certication Program.
Additional Resources
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
AACNNursing.org
Clinical Nurse Leader Association
www.CNLAssociation.org
Accreditation
CNC’s Clinical Nurse Leader
Certication Program is
accredited by the National
Commission for Certifying
Agencies (NCCA).
Certication Renewal
CNL renewal promotes lifelong learning to ensure
continued competency, and to assure the public
that the CNL has maintained current and relevant
knowledge of the CNL skill set. CNL certication is
valid for ve (5) years and must be renewed on or
before the expiration date of the CNL’s certicate.
Although re-examination is not required, CNLs must
submit a Renewal Application along with supporting
documents, and a renewal fee. Candidates for renewal
must also complete at least 50 CEUs and demonstrate
at least 2000 hours of work experience in the nursing
eld.
“
CNL certication validates prociency
in a skill set that includes expertise
in clinical leadership, management of
clinical outcomes, and coordination
of the care environment.
”
Kris L’Ecuyer, PhD, RN, CNL
Coordinator, MSN-CNL and
Accelerated MSN Options
Saint Louis University School of Nursing
Web-Based Resources
Additional resources and information about the CNL
credential and certication process can be obtained
at AACNNursing.org/CNL-Certication. Resources
include:
CNL Certication Guide
CNL Job Analysis Study
Personal Action Plan
Self-Assessment Examination
Multiple Choice Tutorial
AACN’s CNL Certication Exam Review Course
Recommended Reading List
CNL Online Discussion Groups
AACN’s Competencies and Curricular
Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader
Education and Practice
655 K Street, NW
Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202.370.3608
202.785.8320
[email protected]
AACNNursing.org/CNL
DiscoverCNLs.org
facebook.com/CNCsCNL
@CNLatAACN
Youtube.com/user/clinicalnurseleader
Linkedin.com/company/
commission-on-nurse-certication
CERTIFICATION
SM
As a CNL, you bring
priceless value to your
healthcare delivery
system with a
certication that
prepares you
to become a
more engaged
member of your
interdisciplinary
healthcare team.
Your CNL credential enables you to implement
evidence-based practices ensuring that your patients
benet from the latest innovations in care delivery.
Your skill set as a CNL gives you the leadership status
needed to identify improvement opportunities and
improve efciency by targeting goals, performance
measures and nursing sensitive indicators.
“
CNL certication emphasizes
leadership by example and
collaborative/team approaches.
Preparing for certication provides
you with tools for evaluation of clinical
problems.
”
Jean M. Roberts, DNP, RN, CNL, PHN
High-Risk Care Coordinator,
naviHealth
The Application Process
The certication application process includes
completing the online CNL Certication
Application, paying the registration fee, and
submitting the Education Documentation Form.
The CNL Exam
To become CNL Certied, CNL graduates must
successfully complete the CNL Certication
Exam, a computer-based exam administered
by the CNC. The exam, which is based upon
the CNL Job Analysis Study, includes 140
multiple-choice questions. CNL partner schools
serve as exam sites and, thereby, select testing
dates within the testing period. Testing is also
available through CNC’s contracted testing
agencies. To learn more about CNL testing
sites, please visit www.AACNNursing.org/CNL-
Certication.
Certied CNLs Work in Many
Different Settings!
Community Outpatient Centers
Healthcare Systems
Home Health Care
Homeless Shelters
Hospitals
Institutions of Higher Education
Non-Prot Organizations
Private Practice
Rehabilitation Centers and much more!
The Clinical Nurse Leader
SM
(CNL®) is a master’s
educated nurse, prepared for practice across the
continuum of care within any healthcare setting
in today’s changing healthcare environment. The
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
developed the CNL skill set in collaboration with
leaders from academia and the practice arena. This
unique credential recognizes CNL graduates who
have demonstrated accepted standards of practice.
The CNL mark of excellence promotes safe, quality
practice through its ongoing requirements for
professional development.
CNLs are at the front lines of the healthcare delivery
system and are instrumental in providing the best
evidence-based practice quality patient care available.
Certication is based upon a national standard
of requisite knowledge and experiences, thereby
assisting employers, the public, and members of the
health profession in the assessment of a CNL.
The CNL credential brings leadership,
quality, and safety to the point of care!
As our nation’s healthcare system
continues to evolve, there is a growing
need for nurse leaders who focus on the
delivery of safe and quality patient
care. As a result, the CNL has
become a vital function in more
than 190 practice settings and over
130 nursing schools. Nationwide,
more than 5000 nurses
are CNL certied.
You can join this
growing number of highly prepared nurse leaders by
meeting the following eligibility requirements:
Possess Registered Nurse (RN) licensure
(candidates are ineligible if currently being
disciplined by a state nursing board);
Graduate from a CNL master’s or postmaster’s
degree program, accredited by a nursing
accrediting agency recognized by the U.S.
Secretary of Education; and
Successfully complete the CNL Certication
Exam and submission of required application
documents.
Across practice settings, CNLs:
Are leaders in the healthcare delivery system with
implementation roles that vary across settings;
Oversee care coordination of a distinct group of
patients and actively provide
direct patient care in
complex situations;
Evaluate patient outcomes,
assess cohort risk, and
have the decision-making
authority to change care
plans when necessary;
and
Put evidence-based
practice into action
to ensure that
patients benet
from the latest
innovations in
care delivery.