About the CBN Credential
A Certified Bariatric Nurse (CBN) is a professional nurse who also holds a certificate from ASMBS’ Certified Bariatric Nurse program. This credential indicates achievement of the specialized skills and knowledge required for the delivery of quality patient care for the morbidly obese and bariatric surgery patients.
CBN candidates must hold an RN license (or an international equivalent), have two years of experience in caring for morbidly obese and bariatric surgery patients and pass the CBN examination. When all of these criteria have been met, candidates are free to use the CBN designation after their name. The CBN credential is issued for a term of four years, at which time a CBN may re-certify to maintain the certificate.
The bariatric surgery industry as a whole improves when nurses pursue further professional certification. Besides the fact that nurses come to their profession with up-to-date knowledge and know-how, clinics and practices see patients achieve more with fewer complications. A study published in 2014 showed correlation between RN specialty certification and improved surgical patient outcomes. The findings lend credence to RN’s participating in a lifelong learning and continuous professional development, including specialty certification. Employers can find other benefits of encouraging nurses to pursue the CBN certification and for hiring nurses with the CBN credential here.
The Certified Bariatric Nurse (CBN) Program was designed by ASMBS to assess the professional competence of practitioners of bariatric nursing. The society’s RN Certification Committee and Certification Advisory Committee are dedicated to enhancing and promoting the specialty of bariatric nursing care. Our vision is to provide the premier credential to professional nurses caring for the morbidly obese and bariatric surgical patient.
Information about test administration, including registration and test dates, can be found here.
CBN Newsletter
The CBN Newsletter, published twice annually, features special articles by ASMBS Integrated Health members and CBN’s from across the country.