Congratulations to all of you who have just become certified and to everyone maintaining their certification over the years. It is hard work and a great achievement to pass the certification exam. We at CBUNA want to give you the following tips to make the recertification process stress-free, so that you will stay certified for the rest of your career.

As soon as you are certified or recertified, you need to plan how you will obtain your recertification in 3 years. First, you must decide if you want to recertify by written re-examination or continuing education (CE).
 

Preparing to Recertify by Exam

It will probably come as no surprise that almost no one opts to retake the exam. If you do opt to rectify by exam, the same requirements apply as if you were certifying the first time.

Preparing for the CBUNA Exams
 

Preparing to Recertify by Continuing Education

The preferred method is to earn continuing education (CE) credits. With this option, you have 3 years to accumulate 36 CE credits. Below are tips to help you recertify by CE.

1. Set up a schedule that will allow you to take 12 CE credits each year. Stick to this schedule, and make sure you do not fall behind. If you do fall behind, you should re-evaluate your schedule and plan ahead on what activities will allow you to fulfill your CE credits.
2. If your schedule allows, attend a SUNA national conference. If you cannot attend a conference and you are a SUNA member, take advantage of SUNA’s monthly, free CE program available in SUNA’s Online Library at www.suna.org/library. There are many additional websites that offer free CE credits, such as: www.medscape.com, www.rn.com, and www.myfreece.com to name a few. CBUNA does not endorse specific courses or commercial CE vendors. Be aware that providers may designate some content as "urologic" but this does not mean the activity automatically qualifies for Category A credit.
3. In addition to conferences and online resources, there are other ways you can choose to accumulate your CE credits. For example, are you an author of a book chapter or a journal article? Are you a textbook editor? Are you taking academic courses? If you are involved in these or other urologic-specific activities you think will make you eligible for CE credit, please do not hesitate to contact us at cbuna@ajj.com. You can inquire if your activities are eligible for CE credit towards recertification.
4. SUNA members will receive the Urologic Nursing journal, which features CE articles for which you can earn contact hours for a fee.
5. Stuck waiting at the airport or in a doctor’s office? Using your mobile device, access your courses online so that you can utilize your downtime and learn on the go!

Many of our certified members have found a way that makes the recertification process easy for them. However, we also see members who wait until the last minute to fulfill their requirements. This can cause anxiety and additional stress, which we would like to eliminate for all of our members. So, in summary, start planning your recertification as soon as you become certified or recertified. Discover which certification options work best for you. Create your 3-year schedule in advance, and stick to the plan.

If you have concerns regarding the eligibility of activities for credit or any other questions, please contact CBUNA at cbuna@ajj.com or 856-256-2351.