Community Health Nursing Certification
Member Benefits!
- Please note, the Canadian Nurses Association has discontinued the discount voucher coupon for certification exams.
- Looking for the Certification Guidebook? As a CHNC member, you can log in to access this resource for free.
- Want access to these, and additional, member benefits? Join CHNC now!
The Canadian Nurses Association offers certification in 20 specialty areas. The certification credential is part of a respected national certification program. Certification became available to Canadian community health nurses in 2006. It provides official recognition by nursing colleagues and health system stakeholders of the unique community practice focus and that certified nurses are qualified, competent, and current in the practice of community health nursing. The official designation letters, CCHN(C), are engraved on the pin provided to candidates who have successfully passed the rigorous national practice and knowledge requirements of the certification exam. CHNC encourages you to wear your pin with pride.
Certification exams are administered by the Canadian Nurses Association; for more information on certification, please visit the CNA Certification Program webpage.
Once you have decided to apply for Certification in Community Health Nursing, or are renewing your CHNC(C) certification, you may find it helpful to belong to CHNC if you are not already a member. Click here for more information.
Resources for CHNC Members
Interested in joining CHNC? Join today!
CHNC members may log in to subscribe to and participate in a Certification Forum to pose questions, offer resources and share thoughts while preparing for their certification exam. Those with experience writing this exam are invited to share tips and offer mentorship.
Revised 2017 Community Health Nursing Certification Guidebook
The Community Health Nursing Certification Guidebook was first developed in 2007 by the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) in London, Ontario, and ParaMed Home Health. It was created as an additional resource to help candidates prepare for the Canadian Nurses Association Community Health Nursing Certification exam. With the development of a new certification exam in 2012, CHNC secured a grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada to complete a major revision of the guidebook to align with the revised exam and the 2011 Canadian Community Health Nursing Professional Practice Model and Standards of Practice. This work was undertaken by MLHU and ParaMed in collaboration with CHNC. Hundreds of CHNs across Canada have benefited from this resource that is available to CHNC members through its website.
In 2012, CHNC assumed the copyright and its Certification Committee took on the responsibility for reviewing and updating the Guidebook. On an annual basis, a work group composed of Canadian community health nursing experts representing diverse practice domains that reflect the depth and diversity of CHN practice, reviews the content of the Guidebook and makes appropriate revisions. The 2017 edition features updated links to both text-based and multimedia resources.
As a CHNC member, you can log in to access this resource for free.
Want the guidebook but are not a member? The Community Health Nursing Certification Guidebook is also available for purchase.
Barbara Mildon Community Health Nursing Certification Bursary
The bursary was inaugurated in 2004 to recognize Barb's leadership in the development of national standards of practice for community health nursing. The purpose of the $500.00 bursary is to provide encouragement and support to an individual(s) pursuing certification and to offset the cost of the initial certification examination. Click here for more details.