NE-BC - Nurse Executive Certification

Nurse Executive Board Certification (NE-BC) validates the knowledge and skills of the registered nurse with experience in leadership, management or administration at the unit level or higher. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers the NE-BC exam, accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certifications (ABSNC).

Eligibility Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing

• Current RN license

• Two years or equivalent of full time practice as a registered nurse

• 2,000 hours of experience in a leadership, management or administrative roles with primary responsibility for the daily operations and outcomes within the last 3 years

• 30 continuing education hours in leadership, management or administration within the last three years

Completion Time: Candidates have 3 hours to complete the NE-BC exam

Cost:

• American Nursing Association Members: $295

• Non-members: $395

Exam Format

The NE-BC certification exam consists of 150 questions, including 125 scored and 25 pretest questions. Candidates have 3 hours to complete the exam and receive their results immediately after completion. NE-BC exam topics include: 

• Health Care Delivery (33%)

• Human Resource Management (31%)

• Quality and Safety (21%)

• Business Management (14%)

Candidates may take the NE-BC exam in person at Prometric testing centers or at home through remote proctoring.

NE-BC credentials are valid for 5 years. To be eligible for renewal, applicants must:

• Go to the ANCC’s NE-BC  page

• Click on Apply Online

• Sign in or create a new account

• Complete the application

• List RN licenses held in all states

• Upload unofficial transcripts if applicable

• Input credit card information

Documents not available during the application process may be submitted later by:

• Email: [email protected]

• Mail: ANCC Certification
  8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400
  Silver Spring, MD  20910

NE-BC credentials are valid for 5 years. Board-certified NEs can submit an online renewal application up to one year before expiration of their current certification. To be eligible for renewal, applicants must:

• Hold a current, active RN license in a U.S. state or territory or the legally recognized professional equivalent in another country

• Have current NE-BC board certification

• Complete 75 contact hours of continuing education

• Complete one professional development component

The professional development component includes completion of at least one of the following 8 categories:

1. 75 contact hours of CE in addition to the mandatory 75 CE hours

2. 5 semester credits or 6 quarter credits in leadership, management or administration

3. One or more presentations totaling 5 clock hours in leadership, management or administration

4. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), Quality Improvement Project (QI), Publication or Research 

5. At least 120 hours as a preceptor for students in an academic program related to leadership, management or administration

6. Two or more consecutive years of volunteer service with international, national, state or local healthcare-related organizations

7. At least 1,000 practice hours in leadership, management or administration

8. Pass the current NE-BC test

Cost

• American Nursing Association Members: $250

• Non-members: $350

Part of the renewal process requires 75 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). All CEUs must be directly related to the NE-BC’s certification role and specialty. At least 60 CEUs must be formally approved CE hours, meaning they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Continuing nursing education (CNE) approved for nursing contact hours by an accredited provider or approver of CNE

• Continuing medical education (CME) approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits

• Continuing education hours approved through the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education

• Sponsored by organizations, agencies or educational institutions accredited or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or Commission on Dietetic Registration

• Provided by one of these accepted agencies:

  • American Nurses Association

  • American Academy of Family Physicians

  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

  • American Academy of Physician Assistants

  • American College of Nurse Midwives

  • American Psychiatric Association

  • American Psychological Association

  • American Psychiatric Nurses Association

  • Emergency Nurses Association

  • National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health

  • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners

For a full list of ANCC accredited organizations go to the Accredited Organizations page.

NE-BC holders should Track Professional Development on the ANCC website as they complete each activity. Renewal applicants must use their account and complete the CE section of the Professional Development Record to document their CEUs. ANCC doesn’t accept certificates of completion in place of completing Professional Development entries.

The ANA has several resources available to help candidates prepare for the NE-BC exam, including: 

• Exam Blueprint 

• Sample Test Questions

• Online Review Course (Cost: $269 for members and $359 for non-members)

• Nurse Executive Review and Resource Manual 3rd Edition (Cost: $91 for members and $114 for non-members)

• Test Prep Essential Bundle (Cost: $299 for members and $399 for non-members)

• Test Taking Strategies Online Course (Cost: $40 for members and $50 for non-members)

Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) is ideal for nurse executives with 2,000 hours of experience in organization-wide or system-wide operations and outcome within the last 3 years.