About Oncology Nurse Certification

Oncology nurses specialize in caring for patients with cancer.  Many oncology nurses can perform their duties without being certified but it is strongly recommended to protect you and your patients from harm legally and physically.  The most common used oncology nurse certification group is the nonprofit Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. (ONCC).

Certification

The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation is where nurses get their oncology nurse certification.  This group is accredited from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification.  So, when certification is obtained from this organization an oncology nurse will be proving that she has the abilities and knowledge to practice in this field.  More opportunities will be available to anyone that is certified.

Requirements

To be eligible to become certified, one must first meet certain requirements.  A person must have a RN license with 12 months of experience within the last three years.  Proof of 1,000 hours of experience with cancer patients is also required.  After these things are accomplished and proven to the ONCC, the person applying will be given permission to take the exam.  The exam is done on the computer and consists of 165 multiple choice questions in 11 different subjects.  This test will tell if it was passed or failed and will also examine the abilities of the applicant in the different areas tested.  To keep the certification active, a retest is required to be taken every four years.  A log of 100 Oncology Nursing Certification Points is also needed to renew the certification.