CERTIFICATION PROCESS

CVAA Members:
Register to write the CVAA Certification exam

Register Here

Email cvaa@cvaa.info for more information
 

The Canadian Vascular Access Association (CVAA) is an organization dedicated to promoting safe, quality vascular access and infusion therapy care across the healthcare continuum.  To keep pace with the rapid changes and increasing complexity of vascular access and infusion therapy care, it demands a specialized knowledge base and CVAA encourages all healthcare professionals working with patients requiring vascular access and infusion therapy care to be CVAA(c) Certified.

CVAA offers a voluntary certification program that allows healthcare professionals working in the area of vascular access and infusion therapy to build on the foundation of their professional education and clinical experience gained in their practice. The purpose of CVAA(c) Certification is to promote excellence in vascular access care for the people of Canada through the establishment of national benchmarks for a knowledge base in vascular access.

Certification is a commitment to staying current with evidence based, best practice vascular access and infusion therapy. With CVAA(c) Certification, everybody benefits – the employer, the healthcare professional, and the patient.

Purpose of Certification

  • Establish a standard of knowledge required for certification thereby assisting employers, physicians, members of the health professions and the public

  • Measure the level of knowledge required for certifying clinicans

  • Encourage professional growth of infusion therapy

  • Formally recognize those individuals who meet all the requirements of the examination regulations of the CVAA(c)

CVAA certification helps healthcare professionals:

  • Stay current in the field of vascular access and infusion therapy by testing their specialized knowledge 

  • By providing an opportunity to confirm their knowledge in vascular access and infusion therapy

  • To validate through recognized credentials, that they meet the national benchmark of required vascular access and infusion therapy knowledge

  • Meet regulatory reflective practice requirements

CVAA certification helps employers:

  • By establishing a standard to assist in hiring competent staff

  • By keeping healthcare professionals up to date to provide evidence-informed care

  • Demonstrate their commitment to funders to provide expertise in vascular access and infusiontherapy which supports optimal patient outcomes and effective use of healthcare resources

  • Validate that their employees have met the requirements of the CVAA(c) Certification

CVAA certification helps patients:

  • By improving the quality of care they receive

  • By reducing vascular access or infusion therapy complications

Certification Regulations

The candidate may take their examination at the first exam date established after their application or a date may be set for them. The exam is conducted annually at the conference site and at other predetermined sites as requested.

The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions. The exam can be written in English or French. Two (2) hours will be given to complete the exam.

If a failing grade is obtained, the candidate must submit a new application and certification fee to reschedule another exam writing.

A passing grade is 75% and the decision of the Certification Committee is final and no further review will be entertained.

The fee for examination will be as prescribed by the Board of Directors. Candidates who pass the certification exam will receive a certificate from CVAA suitable for framing and display and may use the designation CVAA(c) after their name. CVAA also provides a certification pin and a certification number. CVAA will provide an optional notice to employers to inform them of the candidate’s new certified status.

For the certification of the member to remain valid, the member must remain in good standing by renewing their national membership each year and every year thereafter.

If the annual dues are not paid or if the 5 year recertification requirements are not met (more information here), the certification is no longer valid. If a member wants to become recertified, the applicant must rewrite the examination for certification.

The fee for the exam is $265 + applicable taxes. There is a 10% discount if you join CVAA as a member at the same time! Do so here.

CVAA encourages all members to write the certification exam.

If you are part of a group of 5 writers or more, contact cvaa@cvaa.info for a discount on the exam fee.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the CVAA(c) Certification examination, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Be an active member of CVAA national in good standing

  • Complete and submit the application form and full payment here 

Cancellation policy

The exam application fee is non-refundable. Writers have one (1) year from their registration date to write the exam or there is an optional $75 + applicable taxes delay fee to postpone for up to one (1) year.

Special consideration for expiry/recertification dates will be reviewed by the Board of Directors on a case by case basis.

Important:

If the annual membership dues are not paid, the certification is no longer valid. Your employer may be advised that your certification is no longer valid. If a member wants to become recertified, the applicant must rewrite the examination for certification.

Topics Covered

The certification exam is an objective test that covers the basic elements of vascular access and infusion therapy including:

  • clinical applications
  • fluids and electrolytes
  • infection control
  • transfusion therapy
  • ​chemotherapy
  • parenteral nutrition
  • pharmacology
  • special applications - pediatrics and geriatrics
  • performance improvement/quality assurance

Recommended Reference Texts

The references listed below are strongly recommended to use when studying for the CVAA(c) Certification Exam as they provide general, comprehensive coverage of content and theory for infusion therapy and vascular access.

Canadian Vascular Access Association. (2019). Canadian vascular access and infusion therapy guidelines. Pappin Communications. (You can purchase here with Member discount, when logged in.)

 Canadian Vascular Access Association. (2019). Occlusion management guideline for central venous access devices (CVADs) 2019(2nd ed.). Vascular Access – Journal of the Canadian Vascular Access Association, 13(Suppl. 1), S1–S30.   (You can access free here)

Gorski, L., Hadaway, L., Hagle, M., Broadhurst, D., Clare, S., Kleidon, T., Meyer, B., Nickel, B., Rowley, S., Sharpe, E., & Alexander, N. (2021). Infusion therapy standards of practice (8th ed.). Journal of Infusion Nursing, 44(Suppl. 1), S1–S224.   

Weinstein, S., & Hagle, M. (2014). Plumer’s principles and practice of infusion therapy (9th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.   

Supplemental Reference Texts

Infusion Nurses Society. (2021). Infusion nursing: An evidence-based approach (8th ed.). Alexander, M., Corrigan, A., Gorski, L., Hankins, J., & Perucca, R. (Eds.). Saunders. 

  

Certification Exam Study Tools 

An exam Study Guide is included with your application fee and will be emailed to you upon registration and will greatly assist you as you prepare. Also, we provide writers with access to an online Mock Exam with 52 questions. Access to the Mock Exam is provided upon registration.