ONCB Connection
Exam Prep Products Scholarship
NAON and ONCB jointly sponsor a scholarship specifically for orthopaedic nursing certification preperation materials. The ONC scholarship award includes one copy of the current Core Curriculum for Orthopaedic Nursing, courtest of NAON, and a bundle of five online ONC practice exampinations provided by ONCB. The ONP-C scholarship award comprises the AAOS Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care, Enhanced Fifth Edition textbook with interactive eBook courtesy of NAON, and a bundle of five online ONP-C practice exams provided by ONCB. To promote the value of certification and NAON membership, awards are available only to non-certified NAON members. Application deadline for this scholarship is May 1, 2023.
Click here to access the application. Make orthopaedic nursing certification part of your professional development plan.
Need Categorization for a Local Workshop?
If your hospital or NAON chapter is planning a workshop, make ONCB part of the event. ONCB can review the content outline for your educational program and provide a categorization statement (hours in Category A or B) for your publicity and CE certificate. Your attendees will never need to provide additional documentation for the event as they recertify. For activities with less than five contact hours, the evaluation fee is $30. For activities with five or more contact hours, the evaluation fee is $60. Contact ONCB by email or phone (888-561-6622) with any questions about this process. Please note ONCB is not an approver of continuing nursing education.
Retest for Success Program
ONCB offers Retest for Success…a unique program to help RNs earn the only credential that recognizes their commitment to lifelong learning and the high level of knowledge that contributes to effective orthopaedic patient care.
How it works
With Retest for Success, participating health care facilities can sponsor a minimum of three RNs or NPs to take the ONC® (basic credential) or ONP-C® (nurse practitioner credential) examination. Health care facilities do not have to pay for their candidates; nurses can self-pay and still benefit from the program by being part of a Retest for Success facility. Candidates also do not need to test together; they can develop their own exam preparation plans and schedule their test dates any time within 90 days after application approval. As a participant in Retest for Success, any nurse who is not successful on the first attempt can retest without paying additional exam fees but must wait a minimum of 90 days to retake the examination.
Reduced test anxiety for you…less fear of failure because you can retest for success!
More help for exam candidates
To help jump-start candidates’ exam preparation, ONCB offers a free online practice examination to each Retest for Success applicant to help identify areas of strength as well as areas for additional study. This 50-question general practice exam covers all content areas on the ONC certification exam (e.g., degenerative disease, metabolic and inflammatory disorders).
How to begin
Discuss Retest for Success with your nurse leaders and ask them to review the program contract. More information can be found on our website here.
Remember…there are now more options in continuing education
ONCB accepts limited amounts of continuing medical education (CME) credit, as well as credit from approved providers of pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social work continuing education. A detailed table is available on the ONCB web site https://www.oncb.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ONCB-Summary-Recertification-by-Continuing-Education-071220.pdf. Use it for your own reference, or post it in your workplace to help other certified orthopaedic nurses answer questions about appropriate activities for recertification.
Are you are missing a pin?
Lost your certification pin or certificate? ONCB has replacement pins available for all credentials...ONC, ONP-C, and OCNS-C...at the e-store (https://www.oncb.org/promoproducts/). Replacement certificates are also available for sale to help you promote yourself as a board-certified orthopaedic nurse.
USBJI’s Young Investigator Initiative Grant Mentoring and Career Development Program
The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) will be hosting its Spring 2023 Young Investigators Initiative Workshop on April 14-16, 2023 in Rosemont, IL (near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport).
The Young Investigator Initiative (YII) is a grant mentoring program that provides early-career investigators with an opportunity to work with experienced and supportive mentors on how to construct a well-founded research proposal and secure funding for basic, translational or clinical research. Learn more and apply!