Eligibility for CNOR Certification

You must have completed a minimum of TWO YEARS and 2400 hours of surgical practice by the application deadline for the testing window selected.

Without exception, you must meet ALL the following requirements by the application deadline:

• You must be currently licensed, without provision or condition, as a registered nurse in the country where you're currently practicing surgical nursing.
• You must have completed a minimum of two years and 2400 hours of surgical practice as a registered nurse in an administrative, teaching, research, or general staff capacity, either full- or part-time. (See eligibility criteria listed below.)
• You must be currently employed in surgical nursing, either full- or part-time, at the time of application.

The following registered nurses are considered ELIGIBLE for CNOR certification:

• Staff nurse
• Surgical services administrative nurse manager
• Surgical services nursing coordinator
• Assistant surgical services supervisor
• Surgical services director
• Surgical services information technology specialist
• Surgical services budget and finance manager
• Surgical services central processing manager
• Surgical services materials manager
• Surgical services quality assurance coordinator/auditor
• Surgical services head nurse
• Surgical services assistant head nurse
• Surgical services team leader
• Surgical services charge nurse
• Perioperative educator or staff development director (whether teaching registered nurses, student nurses, or surgical technologists)
• Private RN scrub nurse
• RN first assistant
• Perioperative administrative supervisor
• Medical-surgical instructor in perioperative nursing
• Perioperative clinical nurse specialist or nurse clinician
• Full-time student who meets applicant status requirements
• Perioperative nurse consultant
• Individual who handles the perioperative role in a noninvasive/invasive procedure setting, such as a radiology suite, a cardiac cath lab, an office surgery setting, or an endoscopy suite
• Clinical education consultant (who provides in-service programs to operating room staff)
• Case manager

The following registered nurses are considered INELIGIBLE for CNOR certification:

• Nurse anesthetist (eligible only if functioning as a perioperative nurse)
• PACU nurse or manager (eligible only if relieving in the operating room as needed or has responsibility for operating room/surgical services)
• Emergency room nurse
• Operating-room labor and delivery nurse (eligible only if surgical procedures such as Caesarean sections are done in delivery room)
• RN sales representative (eligible only if performing the role of perioperative nurse part-time or the role of perioperative educator, i.e., providing in-service programs)
• Director or assistant director of nursing service (eligible only if directly responsible for the operating room)
• RN hospital administrator/assistant administrator (eligible only if directly responsible for operating room/surgical services)
• Nurse in surgical care or surgical rehabilitation units
• ICU or coronary-care-unit nurse
• Infection control nurse/nurse epidemiologist (eligible only if directly responsible for operating room/surgical services)
• Veterinary operating-room nurse
• Cardiopulmonary perfusionist (eligible only if performing the role of perioperative nurse)
• Nurse with inactive licensure and/or graduate nurse status

Graduate nurse operating-room experience cannot be considered equal to professional (RN) operating-room–nurse experience.

Nationality, race, creed, lifestyle, color, sex, and age play no role in determining eligibility for certification or recertification through CCI. If you are deemed ineligible, CCI will return your application and fee along with the explanation for your ineligibility.