The Professional Validated Nurse (PVN) certification provides college educated nurses with a clear professional credential that validates readiness to practice across the full scope of modern nursing practice.

Going beyond licensure, PVN bridges the gap between academic preparation and professional expectations by validating the broad knowledge, skills, and judgement required of today’s nurses.

The PVN Certification

Professional Validated Nurse (PVN)

The Essential Certification for Today’s Professional Nurse

What the PVN Certification Validates

PVN is a post-licensure professional certification designed to validate competencies that extend beyond entry-level clinical safety.

While licensure exams confirm minimum competencies to begin practice, the PVN certification validates professional nursing competencies.

The certification was developed with input from:

  • Nursing education leaders

  • Health systems

  • Professional nursing organizations

CORE COMPETENCIES INCLUDE:

  • Knowledge for Nursing Practice

  • Population Health

  • Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline

  • Quality and Safety

  • Interprofessional Relationships

  • Systems-based Practice

  • Informatics and Healthcare Technologies

  • Professionalism

  • Personal, Professional and Leadership Development


OUR PROCESS

See How It Works

ELIGIBILITY

Nurses must have graduated from a BSN or Master’s entry program and successfully completed NCLEX.

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REGISTRATION

Contact us to be the first to know when registration opens in 2026.

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EXAM

The exam is administered online and can be taken on demand.

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CERTIFICATE

You will receive your exam scores and then can begin using your PVN designation.