Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
TCRN® Certification Requirements
Jan 29, 2019
With excerpts from Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) Examination Review, by Kendra Menzies Kent MS, RN-BC, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN
Get moving toward the next chapter in your career by taking the following steps to getting your Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) certification.
Make Sure You Qualify for Your Exam!
According to the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the following criteria must be met as TCRN certification review requirements.
TCRN Certification Requirements:
- A current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in any state or territory of the United States OR a nursing certificate that is equivalent to a Registered Nurse in the United States.
Recommended:
- Two years working as a certified emergency nurse, flight nurse, or ground transportation nurse
- Two years of practice, at an average of 1,000 practice hours per year, across the trauma continuum (“Trauma Practice” is defined as providing direct patient care, supervision, education, and advocacy for patients and their families)
- A total of 20 to 30 hours of trauma-specific coursework across the trauma continuum
Apply for the Exam
The TCRN® exam incorporates care of a trauma patient from prevention and injury to rehabilitation. It covers pediatrics through geriatrics.
Applying for the exam is simple! To begin, create a profile and account on the BCEN website here. If you already have a BCEN account, log in with your username and password.
Once logged in, click the “Applications” link, select the TCRN® exam application, and answer all questions. You’ll then be asked to submit your payment, which can be made by check or credit card.
BCEN will send you an exam eligibility email after they’ve processed your application and received your payment. This email will have important information about the 90-day test window, how to schedule your exam appointment, where to access the candidate handbook, and how to prepare for exam day.
Schedule Your Exam
Pearson VUE is the BCEN’s test delivery provider. To schedule your exam date and location, head over to the Pearson VUE website, select the “for test takers” drop-down in the top menu bar, and click “schedule an exam.” Follow the prompts to begin the scheduling process. And remember, you must schedule your exam to fall within your designated 90-day testing window!
Start Studying (if you haven’t already!)
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the TCRN exam — most people take at least 2 or 3 months, given the amount of content you need to know. You’ll probably need a few TCRN exam preparation products to help you study in more depth. You can check out our TCRN examination review book.
Resources
BCEN Login. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://i7lp.integral7.com/durango/do/login?ownername=bcen
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://home.pearsonvue.com/bcen
Candidate Handbook. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://bcen.org/candidate-handbook/
Menzies Kent, K. (2017). Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) Examination Review (1st ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.