CPPN Is Coming: What to Know About ABPANC’s New Certification Built for Pediatric Perianesthesia Practice

The American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification (ABPANC) is currently developing the Certified Pediatric Perianesthesia Nurse (CPPN) examination, anticipated to launch in early 2027. Created to address a longstanding gap in specialty certification, CPPN will provide pediatric perianesthesia nurses with a credential that reflects the specialized expertise, clinical judgment, and care their practice requires.

 The certification is intended for nurses who provide direct care to pediatric patients undergoing anesthesia and procedural sedation, with an exam focused on caring for pediatric patients throughout the perianesthesia continuum. For nurses who have long relied on broader certifications that only partially reflect their work, CPPN offers an opportunity for recognition built around the realities of their daily practice.

Current eligibility requirements under consideration include:

• A current, unrestricted RN license in the United States or its territories
• At least 1,200 hours of direct clinical experience caring for pediatric patients (from birth through age 18) in a pediatric-specific setting or as part of a mixed patient population within the two years prior to application.

The exam is expected to include 185 questions, including 140 scored questions and 45 pretest questions, with three hours of testing time. ABPANC has also released the CPPN Content Outline, which provides an early look at the content areas that will be assessed on the exam.

As CPPN moves toward launch, ABPANC will continue to share details about eligibility, applications, testing windows, fees, exam preparation resources, and more. If pediatric perianesthesia is part of your practice, or you know a nurse whose expertise deserves this kind of recognition, share the news and sign up for the free ABPANC CPPN Newsletter to stay informed and be among the first to receive the latest updates.