CSSM - Certified Surgical Services Manager

The Certified Surgical Services Manager certification (CSSM) establishes a benchmark of excellence for perioperative managers and recognizes their importance in the delivery of safe patient care. CSSM certification validates the baccalaureate-prepared nurse's achievement, demonstrating that they can adapt and lead in constantly evolving roles of perioperative leadership and surgical services management. The Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) administers the CSSM certification examination.

Eligibility

Candidates must meet all the following requirements to be eligible for the CSSM exam:

• Hold a current, unrestricted RN License in the country where they’re currently practicing

• Have a full-time or part-time perioperative manager role

• Earn a minimum of a bachelor's degree in Science or Arts

• Fulfill CNOR-Certified or Non-CNOR-Certified RNs requirements

Certified Nurse Perioperative (CNOR) certification isn’t necessary to take the exam, but eligibility requirements differ based on this distinction.

CNOR-certified applicants must have:

• At least two years of experience in surgical services management

• At least 2,400 service hours of surgical services management

• 30 hours of domain-specific contact hours or 60 Professional Activity points in one or more CSSM exam subject areas or 6 hours of academic coursework within one of the CSSM subject areas in the last two years

• CNOR certification status within the last two years

Non-CNOR-certified applicants must have:

• At least 4 years of experience in surgical services management

• At least 4,800 service hours in surgical services management

• 50 hours of domain-specific contact hours or 100 Professional Activity points in one or more CSSM exam subject areas or 12 hours of academic coursework within one of the CSSM subject areas

Completion Time: Candidates have 3.5 hours to complete the CSSM exam

Cost:

• CNOR Applicants: $360

• Non-CNOR Applicants: $400

Exam Format

The CSSM exam includes 180 multiple-choice questions, including 150 scored questions and 30 unscored, pretest questions. Pretest questions are unidentifiable and distributed throughout the exam. Candidates must complete the CSSM exam within 3.5 hours. The computer keeps track of the official exam time.

CSSM content areas include:

• Strategic Management (13%)

• Operational Management (19%)

• Financial Management (17%)

• Leadership (14%)

• Professionalism (9%)

• Communication & Relationship Management (15%)

• Human Resource Management (13%)

Test Dates

Directors, perioperative nurses, and managers who manage personnel, budgets, business units, or service lines may apply to take the Certified Surgical Services Manager certification exam year-round. Applicants have a 90-day window to schedule their test after CCI accepts their applications. They may only test once in any testing window.

Candidates may take the CSSM exam at any PSI testing center, Monday through Saturday (excluding holidays). They may also take the CSSM certification exam remotely via Remote Secure Proctored Examination (RSPE) at an appropriate testing location using their personal computer. RSPE offers more flexibility to test takers, allowing them to schedule appointments beyond regular business hours.

Create a CCI account or log into an existing account. To complete an online application, applicants must provide the following information:

• Personal contact information, including address, email, home and workplace phone numbers

• RN License Information, including RN license number and expiration date, state(s) licensed to practice

• Perioperative work history for the past two years, including date began working in the OR, current job, and area of practice

• Contact information for employer, including facility name, address and phone number and supervisor’s name, address, phone number and email address

• Payment information

CSSM certification is valid for three years. Applicants must meet the following requirements for renewal:

• Have an active CSSM credential

• Have a current, unrestricted RN license

• Be employed as a perioperative nurse in the field of surgical services management

• Obtain at least 1,500 hours of surgical services management experience within the three-year recertification cycle

• Complete the self-reflection learning task within 30 days of passing the exam for the first year of initial recertification or review prior self-reflection for subsequent years of certification and complete a reflection form

• Earn 200 Professional Development Points during a three-year accrual period

• Log all points activities into CCI account

  • CCI reviews all logs before approving applications

• Download and complete the CCI recertification application during the recertification period

• Pay application fees

Recertification for CSSMs includes annual due dates for reports and other components. Requirements for renewal differ in the first year of recertification compared to subsequent years. Requirements can also differ based on policy changes, so periodically check for updates.

Renewal Fees: Standard $300

CSSM with a CNOR credential receives a $55 discount on recertification, automatically applied at checkout.

CSSM Extension Year: $247. This grants applicants an extra year to complete all required continuing education. Candidates must still pay the standard fee when ready to renew.

The following is a list of eligible activities applicants may use to meet the CSSM renewal requirements:

• Continuing Education through contact hours

• Academic study

• Teaching in an academic setting

• Publishing

• Presentations

• Service on a Board or Committee

• Precepting/Mentoring

• Volunteer on a CCI Test Development Committee

• Earning another accredited perioperative certification

• Clinical Inquiry (Research, Evidence-based Practice, Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement)

• Professional perioperative-related volunteer service

• Professional organization activities

• Training certificates

• Reflection

• Games

• Case studies

• Additional points activities

Contact hours approved by any of the following groups are acceptable:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center

• Any agency, organization, or educational institution accredited by the ANCC

• Any State Board of Nursing

• Any state nurses' association

• Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

• American Association of Neuroscience Nurses

• American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses

• American Academy of Family Practitioners 

• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

• American Academy of Physicians Assistants

• American College of Nurse-Midwives

• National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health

• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners

• Certificates from other groups deemed equivalent to those listed above may be accepted

CCI doesn’t require any specific preparation books or courses. However, they do offer exam preparation courses, sample questions, and a study plan. The following are recommended references for the CSSM certification examination:

• Guidelines for Perioperative Practice. Denver, CO: AORN, Inc; current edition

• Phillips N. & Hornacky, A. Berry and Kohn's Operating Room Technique 14th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2021

• Rothrock JC, ed. Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery. 16th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2019

• Penner SJ. Economics and Financial Management for Nurses and Nurse Leaders. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 2017

• Kaye AD, Fox CJ III, Urman RD, eds. Operating Room Leadership and Management. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press; 2019

The CCI also offers the following certifications:

• Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)

• Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN)

• Clinical Nurse Specialist Perioperative Certification (CNS-CP)

• Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (CNAMB)

• Nursing Professional Development Advanced – Board Certified (NPDA-BC)