Local pediatric nurses will now be able to take the exam for Certified Pediatric Nurse designation right here in Augusta, with a discounted fee and rapid turnaround on test scores.

The MCG Children's Medical Center has been named an exam site for the designation, given by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. "We are proud to offer this as a resource to our own registered nursing staff as well as registered nurses working in community practices," said Barbara Meeks, Vice President of Pediatric Patient Services at the MCG Children's Medical Center. By completing the exam locally, the exam fee will be discounted to $250 and nurses will receive scores within three weeks of testing.

Interested pediatric nurses must complete an application online at www.pncb.org and show documentation of 3,600 hours of pediatric nursing practice. The test date for the 75-question written exam, proctored by nursing leaders at the MCG Children's Medical Center, is October 28, 2006.

Established in 1975, the PNCB is the leading certification organization for pediatric nursing. The CPN exam is recognized and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, the Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.