What Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board does

The Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB) is a private non-profit nursing certification board headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that develops and administers two primary credential programs: the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) credential for bedside med-surg nurses, and the more recently introduced Certified Acute-Care Virtual Registered Nurse (CAVRN) credential for nurses delivering virtual acute-care services. Exams are psychometrically validated through job task analyses conducted at least every five years, and administered via Pearson VUE test centers and online proctoring (OnVUE). The organization maintains an affiliated relationship with the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN), which shares media properties (Med-Surg Moments podcast, Certification Central newsletter) and offers membership discounts on MSNCB exams and review products.

MSNCB generates revenue from certification examination fees (CMSRN and CAVRN, with members receiving ~30-45% discounts versus standard pricing), recurring recertification fees every five years (available by contact hours or exam, $195-$394), the FailSafe organizational sponsorship program (voucher bundles of 3, 5, or 10 exams at $394 per voucher), the CertAssure individual risk-mitigation add-on ($100-$200), and a $25-per-verification credential verification service for employers. The FailSafe program targets enterprise healthcare systems, with named participants including Cleveland Clinic, MedStar Health, UPMC, HCA Healthcare, and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Supporting product lines include live and online certification review courses, practice exams, digital badges via BadgeCert, and a branded merchandise storefront. The customer base spans individual nurses (self-serve exam registration) and enterprise healthcare organizations (sponsored certification via FailSafe), with global reach through Pearson VUE's testing network.

Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve certification portal for individual nurses, Pearson VUE for exam delivery globally, and a direct enterprise sales motion for FailSafe voucher sponsorship. Marketing is concentrated in nursing professional communities via AMSN's content channels, promotional toolkits for certificants, and digital badging that extends credential visibility to current and prospective employers. A new 30-day recertification grace period is effective January 1, 2027, and a CAVRN exam content blueprint update with beta testing is planned for the same window.

Name

Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board

Legal name

Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board

Website

https://msncb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MSNCB is a Chicago-based non-profit nursing certification board that issues the CMSRN credential for medical-surgical nurses and the CAVRN credential for virtual acute-care nurses, generating revenue from exam fees, recertifications, enterprise sponsorship (FailSafe), and credential verification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB)

Keywords

• Nursing certification services
• Medical-surgical credentials
• Registered nurse certification
• Virtual nursing certification
• Nursing recertification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Certification Examination Fees: Revenue from initial and retake exam fees for CMSRN and CAVRN certifications. Fees vary between AMSN members and non-members, with members receiving significant discounts.
2. Recertification Fees: Recertification every five years for both CMSRN and CAVRN credentials, available by contact hours or exam. Fees range from $225-$394 depending on method and membership status.
3. FailSafe Voucher Program: Organizations purchase exam voucher bundles (3, 5, or 10 vouchers) to sponsor nursing staff certification, with vouchers covering exam attempts.
4. CertAssure Add-on: Optional $100-$200 add-on at exam application that covers second attempt if needed, providing financial protection for test-takers.
5. Credential Verification Fees: $25 fee per certificant for employers or third parties to request independent credential verification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MSNCB develops and administers nursing certification exams, primarily the CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse) credential and the CAVRN (Certified Acute-Care Virtual Registered Nurse) credential. The organization also operates workforce development and risk-mitigation programs (FailSafe for healthcare organizations, CertAssure for individual nurses), along with credential verification, review courses, and practice exams.

Product overview

MSNCB offers a portfolio of nursing certification products centered around two primary credential programs: CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse) for bedside medical-surgical nurses, and CAVRN (Certified Acute-Care Virtual Registered Nurse) for virtual acute-care nurses. Supporting these core certifications are risk-mitigation programs (FailSafe and CertAssure) that provide free or subsidized second exam attempts, along with digital badge delivery via BadgeCert and a merchandise storefront. Preparation resources include live and online certification review courses and practice exams offered through the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMSRN: Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse credential - the flagship certification for medical-surgical nurses
• CAVRN
• FailSafe
• CertAssure

Products and services

• CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse) Certification

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% of hospital leaders believe virtual nursing will become integral to care delivery models in acute inpatient care

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Academy of Medical-Surgical Nursing (AMSN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMSN is the parent/sister organization for MSNCB. MSNCB certification exams are developed in collaboration with AMSN, and the organizations share resources including the Med-Surg Moments podcast, Certification Central newsletter, and certification review courses. AMSN membership provides discounted pricing on MSNCB exams.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson VUE serves as the exclusive testing delivery partner for MSNCB certification exams, providing both test center and online proctored (OnVUE) exam delivery. MSNCB maintains a dedicated landing page on the Pearson VUE platform.
• Virtual Nursing AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMSN and MSNCB partnered with the Virtual Nursing Academy (VNA) to transform medical-surgical nursing through leadership development and cutting-edge resources for virtual nursing, supporting the CAVRN certification program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN): BCEN offers CEN, CFRN, and other emergency/trauma nursing credentials through the same psychometric exam + contact-hour recertification model. Direct structural competitor in specialty nursing certification.
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN Certification Corporation): AACN administers CCRN and other acute/critical-care nursing certifications, overlapping with MSNCB's acute-care hospital nurse target audience. Operates a similar exam-based certification business model with comparable recertification cycles.
• National Certification Corporation (NCC): NCC certifies women's health, obstetric, neonatal, and core nursing specialties via exam-based credentialing with multi-year recertification. Operates a very similar certification board business to MSNCB.
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB): PNCB certifies pediatric nurses (CPN, CPNP) using a near-identical exam, eligibility hours, and 5-year recertification framework as MSNCB. Closest structural analog among other specialty nursing certification boards.
• National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA): NBCRNA administers the CRNA credential with exam + CPC recertification requirements. Scaled specialty nursing certification body sharing MSNCB's exam-and-recertification revenue mechanics.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): The ANCC is the largest U.S. nursing certification body, offering board credentials across multiple specialties. It directly competes with MSNCB in the broader nursing certification market and represents the most natural direct competitor to CMSRN-style specialty credentials.
• Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC): ONCC issues oncology nursing certifications (OCN, CBCN, etc.) using an exam + practice-hours + recertification model that mirrors MSNCB's CMSRN structure. Specialty nursing certification body with comparable operating mechanics.
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB): AANPCB certifies nurse practitioners across family and adult-gerontology specialties using computer-based testing and periodic recertification. Peer credentialing body for advanced-practice nurses.

Others

• American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS): ABNS is the membership and accreditation organization for nursing certification bodies, of which MSNCB is a member. Provides industry accreditation and standards that govern MSNCB's certification programs.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): NCSBN develops and administers the NCLEX, the foundational U.S. nursing licensure exam, through Pearson VUE. While a licensure rather than specialty certification body, it is the upstream credential that MSNCB builds on and shares the same exam delivery partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medical-surgical-nursing-certification-board

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board