Ig Certification

About Ig Certification (IgCN®/IgCP®) Credentialing

Immunoglobulin therapy is one of the most complex fields of clinical practice, requiring clinicians to possess highly-specialized expertise and skills. As such, IgNS is committed to the IgCN® and IgCP® credentialing, which provides assessment, validation and documentation of the knowledge, skills, and overall clinical competence of nurses and pharmacists managing and administering Ig therapy.

The Ig Credentialing is the only nationally recognized certification for Ig nurses and Ig pharmacists. It meets nationally recognized standards that are reliable and legally defensible measurements of Ig nurses™ and pharmacists™ knowledge and skills.

The IgCN® and IgCP® credential validates that nurses and pharmacists have met stringent requirements for knowledge and experience, and are qualified to provide competent Ig care.

As part of our commitment to providing uninterrupted access to certification, the IgCN®/IgCP® examination is now available via several convenient options:

  • Computerized testing locations across the US and Canada
  • Live remote-proctored (LRP) from home or office
  • Live at the IgNS National Conferences
  • On-demand for teams of 15 or more.

Eligibility

Registered nurses (RN) and registered pharmacists (RPh) whose practice includes immunoglobulin therapy, and who wish to gain the prestigious IgCN®/IgCP® credentials and the professional recognition of their specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise as an Ig-certified clinician, should register to take the Ig credentialing examination.

Eligibility criteria include:

  • Registered nurse (RN) or registered pharmacist (RPh) with a current license in the US or Canada
  • A minimum of 1,500 hours of experience in Ig therapy within the past two years in the following areas of practice:
    • Nursing practice/pharmacy practice
    • Managed care
    • Research
    • Education
    • Pharmaceutical/device industry

Becoming certified

Eligible candidates are required to take the two-hour LRP-based Ig Credentialing exam, offered at specific times throughout the year. The Ig credentialing examination is a 2-hour, 110-question test.  The exam™s content is based on the core content areas of immunoglobulin nursing (for IgCN®) and pharmacy (for IgCP®), derived from the results of formal Practice Analysis Studies that ensure that the exam accurately reflects the practice of the average Ig nurse and pharmacist.

Ig Credentialing Examination Cost:

  • IgNS Member: $550
  • Non-Member: $650

Recertification:

Recertification by continuing education is $275 for a three-year period.

Benefits to clinicians

Becoming an IgCN®/IgCP® is the only method of validation and recognition of the specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise of an Ig Nurse or Pharmacist.

The IgCN® and IgCP® Credential:

  • Is the only tangible metric of expertise in Ig therapy
  • Empowers clinicians as confident and highly-competent clinical decision-makers.
  • Improves patient outcomes and satisfaction
  • Protects and informs the public of clinicians™ competence
  • Improves professional satisfaction
  • Reduces work-related errors
  • Protects individual clinicians and employers
  • Improves employee retention
  • Helps assure compliance with national standards and guidelines

Achieving this credential, and wearing my IgCN® pin gives me an immense sense of pride.  It shows my clinical expertise, and sets me apart as a professional  “ KG, RN, IgCN®

Benefits to employers

Supporting employees in achieving the IgCN® and IgCP® credential has far-reaching benefits for employees:

  • IgCN®/IgCP® credentialing results in standardization of Ig practice within organizations.
  • Ig-certified staff is the only defined differentiation factor for clinical service providers
    • Establishes your organization as a leader in Ig practice
    • Standardizes the quality of your Ig practice
    • Improves patient care, outcomes and satisfaction
    • Reduces in-house training and competencies burden
    • Improved trust and confidence from patients and prescribers

Employers who support their clinicians™ certification significantly improve retention rates and develop stable and highly skilled Ig clinical teams.

Achieving this credential gives me a sense of professional confidence I never had before. It shows my clinical expertise, and sets me apart as a professional.  “ TR, PharmD, IgCP®

Benefits to patients

Supporting employees in achieving the IgCN® and IgCP® credential has far-reaching benefits for employees:

  • IgCN®/IgCP® credentialing results in standardization of Ig practice within organizations.
  • Ig-certified staff is the only defined differentiation factor for clinical service providers
    • Establishes your organization as a leader in Ig practice
    • Standardizes the quality of your Ig practice
    • Improves patient care, outcomes and satisfaction
    • Reduces in-house training and competencies burden
    • Improved trust and confidence from patients and prescribers

Employers who support their clinicians™ certification significantly improve retention rates and develop stable and highly skilled Ig clinical teams. 

IgNS mandates a three-year recertification period to ensure that the IgCN® and IgCP® are exposed to developments within the field. This assures the public that the IgCN® and IgCP® provides the best possible infusion therapy because they have kept abreast of technological and clinical advances.

IgCN® and IgCP® policies and procedures for recertification are strictly enforced. It is recommended that IgCNs® and IgCPs® begin accumulating recertification units before the final year of the certification period.

TERM OF CERTIFICATION

The IgCN® and IgCP® credential becomes effective on the date of successfully passing the exam and remains current until three years thereafter.  If the date of IgCN® and IgCP® examination is between January and June, the certification will expire on June 30, 3 years from that date.  If the date of IgCN® and IgCP® examination is between July and December, the certification will expire on December 31, 3 years from that date.  Recertification units must be earned within each recertification period. Units cannot be carried over.

It is the professional responsibility of the IgCN® and IgCP® to meet recertification requirements within published deadlines.

RECERTIFICATION  ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All recertification applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Registered nurse (RN) with a current license in the US or Canada
  • A minimum of 1,000 hours of experience in Ig therapy within the past two years in the following areas of practice:
    • Nursing / Pharmacy practice
    • Managed care
    • Research
    • Education
    • Pharmaceutical/device industry
  • A minimum of one IgNS National Conference attended in a three-year recertification period, earning 20 IgNS recertification units.
  • Documentation supporting completed continuing education requirements (up to 20 recertification units – RUs).

OPTIONS FOR RECERTIFICATION

  1. Recertification by Examination: Take the exam during your final year of certification.
  2. Recertification by earning RUs.

EARNING YOUR RECERTIFICATION UNITS (RU)

You must earn a total of 40 recertification units, with at least 20 recertification units from IgNS National Conferences.

Attendance of at least one IgNS National Conference per recertification period is required.

  • Attending one IgNS National Conference earns 20 recertification units
  • Attendance of two IgNS National Conferences per certification period completes the 40 RU recertification requirement.

In addition to a minimum of one IgNS National Conference attendance per recertification period (20 RU), you must earn additional RUs through a combination of the following options for the additional 20 RU required:

*Publish a manuscript on Ig therapy in a peer-reviewed journal (10 RU maximum)

  • For each manuscript published on the topic of Ig therapy in a peer-reviewed journal, the author is eligible for 5 RU.
  • A maximum of 10 RU can be applied to a recertification period.

Develop and present a scientific session at an IgNS National Conference (8 RU maximum)

  • An IgCN® and IgCP® is eligible for 4 RU for each contact hour presented.
  • A maximum of 8 RU can be applied to a recertification period.

Complete Continuing Education (CE) course(s) from the IgNS Educational Resources Center (20 RU maximum)

  • An IgCN® and IgCP® is eligible for one RU for each contact hour earned.
  • A maximum of twenty recert units can be applied to a recertification period.

*Complete Continuing Education (CE) course(s) pertaining to Ig therapy from sources other than IgNS (5 RU maximum)

  • An IgCN® and IgCP® is eligible for one RU for each contact hour earned.
  • A maximum of 5 RU can be applied to a recertification period.

*Deliver immunoglobulin therapy-related education programs (5 RU maximum)

  • Educators in immunoglobulin therapy-related programs are eligible for one RU per contact hour delivered.
  • CE credit must be awarded for the program.
  • The program must be related to one of IgCN® and IgCP®  clinical content areas.
  • Repeated presentations of the same program will not be awarded multiple credits.
  • Program outlines and objectives, date, and CE credit provider™s name must be submitted with the recertification application.
  • A maximum of 5 RU can be applied to a recertification period.

*Publish a chapter or edit an immunoglobulin therapy-related book (6 RU maximum)

  • The book™s reference information, including author, year, title, and publisher information must be submitted with the recertification application.
  • A maximum of six recert units can be applied to a certification period.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: A maximum of 10 recert units from sources other than IgNS can be applied to a recertification period. Multiple submissions of the same offering are not accepted.

Jump Start Your Career Today

Let’s help you start IgCN® and IgCP® preparation and planning!

Access the IgCN® Candidate Handbook. Your FREE resource that provides in-depth information about scheduling and taking the IgCN® exam.
Access the IgCP® Candidate Handbook. Your FREE resource that provides in-depth information about scheduling and taking the IgCP® exam.

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