If you’ve spent a year or two at the bedside in a pediatric ICU, you’ve probably noticed that many of the nurses you look up to have “CCRN” after their names. The CCRN® (Pediatric) certification from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the national specialty credential for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill children. It signals to employers, colleagues, and families that your knowledge meets a national standard.

In this guide, we’ll cover who the exam is for, the official eligibility requirements, how long to study, where the credential can take your career, and what comes next.

Who Should Take the CCRN (Pediatric) Exam?

The CCRN (Pediatric) is a strong fit if you provide direct care to acutely or critically ill children and want to validate that expertise. Typical candidates include:

  • PICU staff nurses in general, medical, surgical, or trauma pediatric intensive care units.
  • Pediatric cardiac ICU nurses caring for children before and after congenital heart surgery.
  • Pediatric transport and flight nurses and nurses in pediatric intermediate or step-down units, as long as their hours involve acutely or critically ill patients.
  • Charge nurses, preceptors, and unit educators who want a credential that supports clinical ladder advancement.
  • Nurses planning graduate school, especially those headed toward an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner program.

It may be worth waiting if you’re a new graduate still in orientation, if most of your hours are with adult or neonatal patients (AACN offers separate Adult and Neonatal CCRN exams), or if you haven’t yet reached the required practice hours.

What Are the CCRN (Pediatric) Eligibility Requirements?

Here are the requirements for the Direct Care pathway, as published on AACN’s CCRN (Pediatric) Direct Care page and in the CCRN Exam Handbook – Direct Care.

Licensure

You need a current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license. “Unencumbered” means your license is not under formal discipline and has no conditions limiting your practice. A bachelor’s degree is not required.

Clinical Practice Hours

You must meet one of two options, with hours spent in direct care of acutely or critically ill pediatric patients:

  • Two-year option: 1,750 hours in the previous two years, with 875 of those hours in the most recent year before you apply.
  • Five-year option: at least 2,000 hours in the previous five years, with 144 of those hours in the most recent year before you apply.

Hours must be completed in a U.S.- or Canada-based facility (or one with Magnet or Joint Commission International accreditation), must be verifiable by a clinical supervisor or professional colleague, and the majority must be spent caring for critically ill patients. The five-year option is helpful if you work part time or recently changed roles.

Knowledge Professional Pathway

If you’ve moved away from the bedside into a role such as educator, manager, or case manager, AACN’s separate CCRN-K (Pediatric) pathway requires 1,040 hours in the previous two years, with 260 in the most recent year, in a role that influences the care of acutely or critically ill pediatric patients.

Fees and Application Steps

The initial exam fee is $260 for AACN members and $375 for nonmembers. Retests cost $185 for members and $290 for nonmembers. To apply:

  1. Confirm your hours and gather contact information for a supervisor or colleague who can verify them.
  2. Apply online through AACN and pay the fee.
  3. Watch for AACN’s confirmation email, which includes your eligibility period and instructions for scheduling with PSI.
  4. Schedule at a PSI testing center or by live remote proctoring.

Policies can change, so review the AACN Certification Exam Policy Handbook before you apply. AACN may audit your practice hours after certification.

How Long Should You Study for the CCRN (Pediatric) Exam?

Most candidates do well with 8 to 12 weeks of consistent study, about 5 to 8 hours a week. Plan closer to 12 weeks, or even 16, if you work in a specialized unit (such as a cardiac ICU) and haven’t seen much trauma, burns, or oncology recently. Experienced nurses with strong baseline scores may need 6 to 8 weeks.

Here’s a sample 12-week plan built around the test plan’s weights:

  • Week 1: Read the test plan, take a mixed baseline quiz, and rank the six content areas by weakness.
  • Weeks 2 and 3: Cardiovascular (11%) and Respiratory (13%): congenital heart defects, post-op cardiac care, dysrhythmias, respiratory failure, ARDS, and status asthmaticus.
  • Weeks 4 to 6: Endocrine, Hematology/Immunology, GI, Renal/GU, and Integumentary (25%): DKA, sodium disorders, coagulopathies, oncologic emergencies, transfusion reactions, AKI, and HUS.
  • Week 7: Musculoskeletal, Neurological, and Behavioral/Psychosocial (15%): TBI, seizures, increased intracranial pressure, abuse and neglect, and suicidal ideation.
  • Weeks 8 and 9: Multisystem (17%): sepsis, shock states, acid-base analysis, burns, toxic ingestions, pain, and organ donation.
  • Week 10: Professional Caring and Ethical Practice (20%): the Synergy Model, family-centered care, ethics, and collaboration.
  • Weeks 11 and 12: Take a full-length timed practice exam, review every miss, and focus on your two weakest areas.

Short daily sessions of 10 to 20 questions often work better for shift workers than long weekend cram sessions.

What Careers Can the CCRN (Pediatric) Support?

CCRN (Pediatric) holders work in PICUs, pediatric cardiac ICUs, pediatric transport teams, children’s hospital rapid response teams, and pediatric intermediate care units. Many hospitals recognize the credential on their clinical ladders, and it’s often preferred for charge nurse, transport, and educator roles. Hospitals pursuing or maintaining Magnet recognition also track nurse specialty certification.

The credential doesn’t guarantee a raise or promotion, but it can strengthen your application for competitive positions and graduate programs.

What Is the Salary for a CCRN (Pediatric) Nurse?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median annual wage of $97,550 for registered nurses as of May 2025. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 180,800 openings each year. See the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for registered nurses.

BLS doesn’t report pay separately for certified pediatric critical care nurses. Actual pay depends on your region, experience, shift differentials, and employer; some hospitals also offer certification bonuses or hourly differentials.

How Do You Maintain the CCRN (Pediatric)?

CCRN is granted for three years. According to AACN’s CCRN (Pediatric) renewal page, renewal requires:

  • A current, unencumbered RN or APRN license.
  • 432 hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill pediatric patients during the three-year period, with 144 of those hours in the 12 months before your renewal date.
  • Either 100 Synergy CERPs (at least 60 in Category A, 10 in Category B, 10 in Category C, and 20 in any category) or passing the CCRN (Pediatric) exam again.

Renewal by CERPs costs $150 for members and $230 for nonmembers. Renewal by exam costs $185 for members and $290 for nonmembers.

What Certifications Stack Well With the CCRN (Pediatric)?

  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS): usually required by PICU employers and a natural companion to CCRN study.
  • Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN): from BCEN, useful if you float to the pediatric emergency department or work transport.
  • Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (CPNP-AC): from PNCB, the logical next step if you pursue an acute care pediatric NP degree.
  • CCRN-K (Pediatric): if you move into education or leadership and your direct care hours drop.
  • Pediatric clinical nurse specialist (ACCNS-P): AACN’s credential for pediatric CNS graduates.

Start Preparing for the CCRN (Pediatric) Exam With Pocket Prep

Pocket Prep’s AACN CCRN (Pediatric) exam prep gives you 400 practice questions with detailed explanations and a full-length mock exam that mirrors the real 150-question test. Quick 10 sessions fit into a break between patients, and study reminders help you keep your streak going on busy weeks. You care for the sickest kids in the hospital, and you’re ready to show what you know.