Certified or Looking to Become Certified? ONS Congress® Is the Place for You
ONCC Marketing Coordinator
ONS Congress® can be extremely valuable to certified nurses and those looking to become certified. It is an opportunity to network with peers, pursue professional development, gain contact hours, and complete continuing education to fulfill your certification needs.
If you already hold a certification from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC), you can do a few things before arriving to get the most out of your time at ONS Congress.
Once you have decided on attending, take your assessment if you plan on renewing your certification via professional development points. If this is your first time renewing, you do not need to take an assessment, as your test results report has been used to create your learning plan. Likewise, if you are AOCN®, AOCNS®, or CPON® certified, you are not required to take an assessment for renewal, and you will enter your points earned in LearningBuilder. After completing your assessment, you will receive an assessment results report that identifies the number of points and subject areas you need for renewal. Remember, nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) is only accepted for renewal once you have completed the assessment. If you are eligible for assessment, take your assessment before ONS Congress begins so you can use the NCPD you earn for renewal points.
After you have received your assessment results report, or test results report if this is your first time renewing, review the ONS Congress schedule to find sessions that align with the points you need to earn. You can sort the sessions by Individual Learning Needs Assessment (ILNA) Category to make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. This can help you plan to attend the sessions that will fulfill your learning plan requirements.
If you are not certified but interested in earning certification, ONS Congress can be just as valuable to you. To make the most of your time, review the ONCC Certification Test Registration Manual prior to arriving. The manual details all certifications offered by ONCC, including eligibility criteria, test references, and test content outlines. This can be an invaluable tool for determining which certification you want to pursue.
Bring your questions! After reviewing the Certification Test Registration Manual, write down any questions you still have and bring them to ONCC Certification Central at ONS Congress. ONCC staff will be there to answer any questions you may have.
Lastly, don’t forget the value of participating in networking events. Networking events are great places to meet and mingle with other certified nurses. Making one-on-one connections with your peers can be crucial to advancing in your practice.
If you have any questions about certification, contact oncc@oncc.org or visit ONCC Certification Central at ONS Congress. If you are not yet registered, do so by March 7 to save with early-bird pricing. We can’t wait to see you there!