Timeline for Earning CE for Recertification
With your initial certification, you may accrue contact hours from the day of testing. Accrual of continuing education credit for the next 5-year recertification cycle begins after January 1, with certification expiring on June 30.
If the ONP-C® or OCNS-C® has more than the required 100 contact hours for recertification, the credits obtained earlier in the 5-year period should be used for recertification and hours received after January 1 saved for the next recertification cycle. If a nurse who uses the paper recertification application process plans to do this, however, he or she must also provide a copy of Forms A and B recorded for the prior recertification cycle so ONCB can verify that those credits were not used for earlier recertification. A nurse who uses LearningBuilder for recertification will have previously used continuing education stored in the system.
Forms A and B (available on “Forms” page of this web site) must be completed and submitted with all paper recertification applications. CE records maintained on LearningBuilder will be entered by Category A or B. All offerings must be transcribed from personal or hospital CE records to paper forms or LearningBuilder, and submitted with CE certificates as part of the audit process; portfolio listings are not accepted.
Applications Selected for Audit
Every tenth application for recertification (10%) will be audited. Audited applicants will be asked to provide CE certificates in support of all listed activities. Employer transcripts will not be accepted as proof of activity completion. Incomplete and/or inaccurate paper applications are also subject to audit.
Applicants using the LearningBuilder online recertification system must upload their supporting documentation to the system; unless you are specifically asked to fax supporting documents (e.g., RN license), sending documents by mail or fax will result in forfeiture of the $50 discount for using LearningBuilder. Certificants using the paper application should mail their documentation to ONCB as directed. Supporting documentation will be reviewed by a member of the ONCB Recertification Committee. The certificant will be given a deadline to provide additional information to correct any deficits identified during audit, and the application will be re-evaluated.
Incomplete or inaccurate applications may be subject to audit.