National Certification Exam Candidates

Hello To Everyone in this Group,

My name is Charlene McCarron, and I have been a school nurse in New Hampshire for almost 20 years. I passed the National Certification Test for School Nurses in the summer of 2023. Personally, I had thought about taking the test for many years, but like many of us, I was afraid of failing. So I got my courage up, visited the NBCSN website, and found a wealth of study materials, links to study books, and an E-course from Nursebuilders to prepare myself for the exam.

I first read the NCSN Candidate Handbook, which contains very helpful information for school nurses interested in taking the certification exam. 

I ordered the School Nursing Certification Review Book in March of 2023 and dedicated at least one to two hours a day to studying and taking the test questions at the end of each chapter. Whichever questions I did not answer correctly or understand, I made my own flash cards to study from. 

I  joined the National Certification Exam Candidates Online Review Sessions on the NASN website. You do not have to be a member to join this group, and I found it very helpful to see how other nurses were preparing for the exam.

https://www.nasn.org/community-home?communitykey=a1d6196f-cc80-4042-bc08-18e408547324 

I also purchased the NBCSN practice exams and completed them many times, which built my confidence and made me feel ready to take the exam.

I did the Challenge the School Nurse questions on the NBCSN website and completed the NCSN Certification Review E-Course through NurseBuilders. 

Please be aware that I did spend some money preparing for the test. Still, I was also not aware that there are scholarship programs available on the NBSCN website, and that one may also be available through your state School Nurse Association. In my state of New Hampshire, the School Nurse Association does have a scholarship to cover the cost of the exam! So please check with your state School Nurse Association.

Passing the National School Nurse Certification Exam helped me to decide to continue my education, and I am almost done with my MSN. 

Take a deep breath and relax the day before your test date. You have got this!

Best of Luck!

Charlene McCarron, RN, BSN, NCSN

------------------------------
Charlene McCarron
Goffstown, NH United States
------------------------------

Charlene,

Thanks for your post and the great tips you offered. I think you noted a really important point. There is a lot of information we may have learned once but have long since forgotten. Taking the practice exams and completing the questions at the end of chapters in the Review Book is a helpful way to identify our knowledge gaps so we can focus in on areas to study. School nurses are expected to have broad knowledge in their roles, so there is a lot of information to cover. Your study plan was a great way to lead you to success. 

Sandi

------------------------------
Sandi Delack MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN-E, FNASN
Executive Director, NBCSN
sdelack@nbcsn.org
------------------------------