The Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) exam can be taken by registered nurses that have achieved certification in another specialty and who have extensive experience in the care of critically ill cardiac patients. Nurses must first apply for and be granted an authorization to test from the organization that offers the CMC exam, the American Academy of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Testing is usually done via computer format at a local testing center after the nurse has successfully qualified and has paid the examination fee. Upon completion and passing of the exam, the nurse may be granted the right to use the designation of CMC, which is hyphenated after the initial certification title.
After applying the authorization to take the CMC test and paying a fee to the AACN, nurses can schedule their exam through a local testing center. The fee for the test varies and the current fees are shown on the application from the AACN. Candidates for the CMC exam must also provide proof of their eligibility to take the certification exam, which includes a declaration of the hours worked and also requires a copy of a current certification in a general field of nursing. All proof of eligibility must be included with the application. Candidates may be selected for an auditing process in which the AACN will manually verify the eligibility requirements. If a candidate is selected for audit, she will need to respond within sixty days or she will not be authorized to test or her credential may be voided.
After receiving the authorization to test, candidates for the CMC may make arrangements online to take the Cardiac Medicine Certification exam at a testing center. The AACN provides the information about which testing centers it is currently contracted with for testing purposes. Candidates need to bring two forms of identification and their authorization to test to the testing center on the date of their exam.
The examination is given in multiple choice, computer format unless other arrangements have been made. Testing proceeds in a timed format with one question given at a time. Scratch paper is provided during the exam, but must be returned to the proctor in order for the exam to be scored. There may be some questions on the exam that are not scored and are used for informational purposes by the AACN for future test questions. These questions are not identifiable to the candidate, and the candidate should assume that all questions given are going to be scored.
Upon completion of the CMC exam, the candidate is given their results. If the candidate is successful, they will receive a congratulatory letter and a packet with their certification materials will be mailed to them within six weeks. If the candidate has not been successful, they will receive a breakdown of their scores with the opportunities for improvement. Exams can be retaken by unsuccessful candidates within twelve months of the initial application and can be retaken up to four times in one twelve month period. Another exam fee is required before the candidate is allowed to retake the exam.
The CMC examination is a subspecialty test that is taken by nurses that have already achieved certification in a general field of nursing. Candidates for the CMC need to demonstrate their eligibility to the American Academy of Critical Care Nurses and pay a fee before being eligible to take the exam. Nurses may then take the CMC test and will be given the results immediately after the computer based test. Successful completion allows the nurse to use the designation of CMC, which is attached to the original specialty credential.
Requirements for Taking the CMC Exam
The Cardiac Medicine Certified (CMC) registered nurse has been certified in the subspecialty of nursing dealing with critically and acutely ill heart patients. Before being eligible to obtain certification, the registered nurse must first obtain extensive experience and knowledge. They must also be certified in another field of nursing, and the CMC designation is attached to the initial certification. These nurses have demonstrated direct experience in the field of critical care with cardiac patients and have learned a great deal of didactic knowledge pertaining to the field of cardiac medicine.
As the Cardiac Medicine certification is a subspecialty of nursing, certification must first be obtained in a more general field of nursing. Many Cardiac Medicine certified nurses first obtain certification in critical care before choosing to sub specialize in the field of cardiac medicine. Other nurses choose to obtain certification in a related field where they also take care of critically ill cardiac patients, such as the Certified Nurse – Operating Room (CNOR). Others may choose a more general specialty, but all are required to first have an accredited certification before pursuing the CMC exam.
Nurses must have extensive experience with critically ill cardiac patients to become eligible for certification in cardiac medicine. They must have a minimum of 1,750 hours of work experience in the past two years, and 875 of these hours must be in the past year alone. Additionally, 875 hours in the past two years must have been working directly with acutely or critically ill cardiac patients. Nurses interested in this subspecialty may find that they need to work in a critical care unit or in some form of cardiac surgery to become eligible for this certification.
Nurses that have earned the designation CMC have met all of the requirements of the organization that offers the examination, the American Academy of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) and have passed a difficult multiple-choice examination. Anyone seeking certification as a CMC must first be a registered nurse (RN), licensed in the United States. The RN must then qualify and pass certification for a main specialty and will have worked the minimum number of hours, including the hours required in direct care of the cardiac patient. Nurses must then pay a fee to take the CMC examination and provide the name of a colleague or supervisor for confirmation that the employment requirements have been met. Nurses are then sent an authorization to test and may schedule their examination.
Ongoing requirements for maintaining the CMC certification include ongoing employment in the field of cardiac medicine, with direct patient care provided to critically ill cardiac patients. Continuing education is also required of all CMC certified nurses to maintain their credential.
The Cardiac Medicine certification is a subspecialty of registered nursing. All CMC certified nurses hold certification in another accredited certification for registered nurses. The requirements for obtaining CMC certification include a minimum number of hours worked in the care of the acutely or critically ill cardiac patient, certification in a main specialty of registered nursing and passing of the CMC examination. Cardiac Medicine certified nurses have a great deal of knowledge of and experience with the most critically ill of cardiac patients.
Studying for the CMC Exam
The Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) examination is a multiple choice test given by the American Academy of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) to those nurses who have already obtained certification in another field of nursing. Upon passing the CMC test, nurses receive the credential of CMC which may be added to their current specialty designation. The examination covers many topics related to the critically ill cardiac patient including the cardiovascular system. Other body systems and how they may affect the cardiac patient are also covered. The examination is usually given via computer at a testing center in a timed format.
The most extensive portion of the CMC exam covers cardiology patient problems, with over forty percent of the test devoted to this topic. Cardiology patient problems include a broad range of cardiac related illness and care of the critically ill cardiac patient. Topics that fall under this heading will include acute coronary syndrome with a focus on unstable angina, ST elevated and non-ST elevated heart attacks. Other topics for this section of knowledge include dysrhythmias of all types, heart failure of all types, pulmonary edema, cardiomyopathy and trauma. Acute diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis and occlusions are also covered.
Nursing interventions make up about twenty-one per cent of the CMC examination. The nurse must have extensive knowledge of appropriate nursing interventions for the cardiac patient. Examples may include percutaneous interventions such as stents and lasers, the process of cardiac surgeries, including the CABG procedure and valve replacements, pharmacology for the cardiac patient knowledge of assist devices and the nursing interventions related to each, such as care for the patient with an intraaortic balloon pump. Nurses must also understand the reasoning behind the use of dysrhythmia interventions such as pacemakers and internal defibrillators.
Monitoring of the cardiac patient is approximately twenty per cent of the CMC test. Nurses need to have knowledge of monitoring equipment and its use. Topics may include ECG monitoring and interpretation, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, such as that used with pulmonary artery catheterization and cardiac blood studies and chemistries. The CMC candidate should be able to interpret these blood studies as well.
The remaining sixteen per cent of the exam covers all other body systems as they relate to the acutely or critically ill cardiac patient. Topics may include the renal system including acute renal failure and electrolyte imbalances, the pulmonary system including pulmonary emboli, lung injuries, pulmonary failure and cor pulmonale, the endocrine system with a particular focus on diabetes, the neurological system including both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes and the hematological system with a particular focus on coagulopathies.
Nurses that have successfully acquired the experience and certification required may qualify to take the Cardiac Medicine Certification exam. The CMC candidate should have extensive knowledge of the heart including the entire cardiovascular system. She must also understand how other body systems may affect the care of the critically ill cardiac patient. A great deal of study and knowledge of nursing interventions and cardiac patient care must be completed before attempting the exam.