The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS. Nurses who get HIV certified can enhance their careers in settings dealing with HIV testing and treatment. The HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board offers this special nursing certification. The board works in conjunction with the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care to administer the certification exam.
Before qualifying for the HIV/AIDS exam and getting certified, the following must be met:
1. You are a registered nurse or the equivalent of an RN in another country; and
2. Two years of experience in HIV and AIDS research or other settings (but this is actually optional).
After that, you may register for the Certification Exam in HIV/AIDS Nursing. All else that is required for four years of certification is the exam application fee, which is, as of 2011, $260 for ANAC members and $400 for those who are not members. Go to the ACRN Certification page linked to below to see the available upcoming dates for the exam.
After clearing your calendar for the test, you need to then start preparing. Of course, actual work in this field will give you a headstart at getting ready for this HIV/AIDS test. However, that is certainly not required, and even working in this kind of environment will probably not be enough, by itself, to master the exam.
To fully prepare, you need to download and read the Candidate Handbook for this test. It is available online from the link below. In any event, the handbook also has the application for this HIV exam.
As of 2011, the Professional Testing Corporation administers the test and publishes the handbook. You will want to use the content outline in the handbook to see which particular subjects are going to be tested on this certification exam. Now, the outline is only going to tell you what to study, but you will then need the HIV/AIDS reference materials to then prepare for the exam. You may find those references in the handbook.
The book also has certification exam practice questions. There aren’t very many, so it is advisable to study first and then try to answer the questions to gauge your progress after you feel you have adequately prepared for the exam.
When you are ready, make sure you have completed an application on time to sit for the exam. Take the exam and wait about 4 weeks to get the results. You can also follow Professional Testing’s instructions to take another exam if you fail the first time.
Resources:
ACRN Certification Page
HIV/AIDS Certification Exam Handbook
