Getting ready for certification: male infertility.(Professional Enhancement)

I often think back over the 22 years I have served on the Certification Board for Urologic Nurses and Associates (CBUNA) and the challenges we have faced. We went through the change of our name, changes in our administrative offices, and the hiring of a testing service. Members of the Board volunteered their time and expertise to produce the excellent quality examinations we have today. The oral examinations, which had 20 categories of knowledge, were replaced by written examinations that were reorganized into six categories of client problems in urology. In addition, a theoretical framework was selected to provide the description of the care of urology patients. The Board bases its examinations on the current practices and role responsibilities of job incumbents that emerged from a practice analysis and role delineation study. I encourage all urology personnel to validate their knowledge base by becoming certified. Role-appropriate examinations are offered in the areas of Advanced Practice, Urologic Nurse, and Associate.

One of the categories on each of the three levels of examinations is male infertility. Of course, the knowledge base and role expectations for each level are different, which is reflected in the actual examination questions. Here are some examples of the type of questions that reflect the knowledge base of registered nurses who are eligible to take the Urologic Nurse Examination. When nurses pass the examination, they are able to place the highly regarded CURN after their name.

1. Joe and Becky decided to start a family after a year of marriage. Joe had children with his first wife but had a vasectomy. The couple come to the urologist's office to discuss their options. It would be most important for the nurse to collect information about which of the following in order to predict their ability to conceive a child?

a. The number of years since he had the vasectomy.

b. How many epididymal infections he has had since his vasectomy.