Nephrology nursing certification covering renal disease management and dialysis care.
Who it's for
Registered nurses with clinical experience in nephrology, dialysis, or transplant nursing — NNCC designed the credential to formally recognize nurses who've moved beyond general med-surg competency into the specialized physiology and technology of kidney disease management.
What's covered
- Concepts of kidney disease across the life span — 30%
- Acute inpatient therapies — 25%
- Peritoneal dialysis — 20%
- Home hemodialysis — 15%
- Transplant — 10%
What to expect
Questions lean heavily on applied clinical judgment — interpreting lab trends, recognizing dialysis complications, prioritizing nursing actions — rather than isolated definitions, consistent with NNCC's blueprint weighting toward the highest-volume clinical domains.
How to prepare
ANNA (the American Nephrology Nurses Association) is the field's primary review-course and study-guide source; NNCC itself publishes the exam blueprint and eligibility criteria but leaves prep materials to ANNA and other third parties, so plan to study nephrology physiology and dialysis modality specifics over several weeks.
Certification details
- Certifying body: Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC).
- Eligibility: Unrestricted RN license, minimum 2,500 hours of nephrology nursing experience within the prior 2 years, and 30 contact hours of nephrology-specific continuing education within 2 years prior to application.
- Exam format: 150 questions, 3-hour time limit, computer-based testing. Passing score is 95 (70% correct).
- Content outline: Concepts of Kidney Disease Across the Life Span (30%), Acute Inpatient Therapies (25%), Peritoneal Dialysis (20%), Home Hemodialysis (15%), Transplant (10%).
- Fee: $350 standard / $300 partner (member) rate.
- Recertification: Every 3 years; 45 continuing education hours required, at least 15 nephrology-specific.