Acute Cardiovascular Nurses Board Certification Exam 

Exam Summary:

This is the CVRN Level II Acute Cardiovascular Nursing Board Certification Exam which was developed specifically for nurses working in acute care cardiology arenas such as CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, CV Surgery & CV Recovery.   Pre-requisite:  Must pass the Telemetry Nurse Board Certification Exam in order to be certified at this higher level (may sit for both at the same time).  The CVRN Board Certification Exams are approved by ANCC for Magnet Status.
Pre-requisite: CVRN Level I Board Certification Status

Cost:  $180 or $130 for groups of 5 or more

Price Options

Single Examinees $180.00 Groups of 5 or more $130.00

Benefits of Cardiovascular Nursing  Certification

· Demonstrate accountability to employers or potential employers

· Career Advancement

· Potential Income Incentive

Exam Preparation:

The ABCM provides a list of items to study for the Cardiovascular Critical Care Nursing Cardiology Board Certification Exam and makes reading recommendations of approved reference texts. The ABCM provides practice exams for the Cardiovascular Nursing Cardiology Board Exam which can be found in our Resource Center.  

Exam Results:

After your Exam is completed, the ABCM will process your score and send results to you within three weeks, along with a list of those diagnoses you had trouble with in the exam.  This valuable feedback provides Exam clients with the information they need to further their study in Cardiovascular Critical Care Nursing.

Sample Question:

The EKG below was taken from a patient complaining of chest pain during inspiration and it was determined upon physical exam that the pain worsened when the patient was lying down on his back, and that the pain improved when sitting up and leaning forward.  What can you tell from this history and this EKG?  There is a pattern suggestive of: (Answer found at the bottom of this page.)

a.  inferior-lateral myocardial infarction
b.  inferior-lateral and anterior myocardial infarction
c.  pericarditis
d.  aortic rupture

Exam Locations:

The CVRN Level II Board Certification Exams are now available in your home city or town by proctor.  Travel has become cost prohibitive for many and time off is often difficult for many.  We are therefore making every effort to ensure this vital Board Certification Exam is easily available. 

CVRN Review Workshops Available:

If you are interested in hosting a CVRN Level I or II Workshop, we recommend you contact the Marriott Heart Foundation, Home of the American College of Cardiovascular Nurses, who will help you plan any level of Cardiovascular Nursing course and the ABCM will work with the Foundation to bring the Exams to your doorstep at the conclusion of the prep course.  To start the process call: 
(813)394-4968 or email: info@cvncertify.org 

Why Become CVRN Board Certified:

Most importantly is that Telemetry & Emergency Cardiac Nurses need to demonstrate professional accountability in their everyday practice which includes the diagnosis and management of cardiac patients.   

And in this day of high litigation, employment shifting, and Joint Commission accountability, these Exams are a perfect way to assess the overall competency of Cardiac and Emergency Cardiac Nurses working in Cardiology.

Prove to yourself and your colleagues that you have achieved competency in Cardiology by taking the ABCM's CVRN Level I Board Certification Exam.  The ABCM has the only 100% cardiology focused exam in the marketplace today.  And the ANCC approves the CVRN Board Certification Exams for Magnet Status, should this be a goal your hospital is seeking, or if they are seeking to renew Magnet Status.   Before selecting the best Cardiac Exam for you or your staff, click here to the SEE EXAM MATRIX FOR ALL CARDIAC EXAMS AVAILABLE in the US.    

Cardiovascular Nursing Level II Awards Certificate:  

The ABCM issues CVRN Level II Awards Certificates to those achieving a 70% or higher score on the Exams.  These frameable Awards Certificates are good for a three-year renewable period with proof of 50 continuing education hours in cardiovascular nursing every three years, and by paying the renewal fee of $75 USD.     

History and the Need:

Our Founders, Dr. Henry J. L. Marriott and Jonni Cooper, with the assistance of a team of Nursing Professionals, developed standards of practice for Cardiovascular Nursing in 1998.  From these standards, they developed the Nation’s first and only 100% Cardiac Exam series for Cardiac Nurses on several levels, as the job delineation role models are different for various areas within Cardiac Nursing Practice.   This Level II Cardiac Exam was particularly developed with the Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurse and Cath Lab Nurse in mind.

Prior to these developments, there was no national standard with which to measure the competency of a Cardiac Nurse at any level.   Nurses are given a tremendous responsibility for bedside diagnosis and management as part of the Cardiology team and report their findings to physicians.  It is essential therefore, that this group of Cardiac Nurses be proficient in the Basics of Cardiology.  This exam should set any employer at ease and help guide them with future program development for their Cardiac Nurses.     

Current Cardiology Board  Exams Available for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners

1.  CVRN Level I for Telemetry and Emergency Nurses
2.  CVRN Level II for CCU/CVICU/Cath Lab Nurses
3.  CVRN Level III Cardiac Cath Lab Nurses (inquire about the possibility of endorsement).
4.  CVNP Level IV for Advanced Nurse Practitioners

Several hundred Nurses and Nurse Practitioners on an International scale have demonstrated their proficiency by passing one or more of these CVRN Board Certification Exams.   

Answer to Sample Question: 
c.   Pericarditis (note the upward concavity of most of the ST segments and the PR segment depression in multiple leads).