How to Verify a Cardiac Medicine Certified (CMC) Credential

Quick Answer

Verify CMC and CSC credentials at aacn.org/certification/verify-certification — the same AACN portal used for CCRN and PCCN. Search by name or certification number. Both credentials require a prerequisite CCRN or PCCN base certification that must also be active — verify both the subspecialty credential and the underlying base certification.

What Are CMC and CSC?

The CMC (Cardiac Medicine Certified) and CSC (Cardiac Surgery Certified) are subspecialty credentials issued by the AACN Certification Corporation, layered on top of a base CCRN or PCCN certification. They are designed for registered nurses working in specialized cardiac settings:

Credential	Patient Focus	Typical Unit	Prerequisite
CMC	Medical cardiac patients (heart failure, ACS, arrhythmia)	Cardiac progressive care / step-down unit	Active CCRN or PCCN
CSC	Post-cardiac surgery patients (CABG, valve repair, transplant)	Cardiac surgery step-down / post-CVICU	Active CCRN or PCCN

Both CMC and CSC are add-on credentials — they cannot be held without an active base CCRN or PCCN certification. This is critical for verification: if the underlying CCRN or PCCN has lapsed, the CMC or CSC is also invalid regardless of its own listed status.

Step-by-Step Verification

Navigate to aacn.org/certification/verify-certification.
Search by the nurse's name or certification number.
Review the results for two entries:
- The CMC or CSC subspecialty credential (active, not expired)
- The underlying CCRN or PCCN base certification (also active)
If only the CMC/CSC appears without an active CCRN or PCCN, contact AACN directly to clarify — this may indicate a data issue or that the base cert has lapsed.
Also verify the underlying RN license via Nursys (nursys.com) or the state nursing board — neither CMC nor CSC replaces RN licensure verification.

AACN Cardiac Credential Hierarchy

Credential	Type	Requires
CCRN (Adult/Neonatal/Pediatric)	Base certification — critical care	RN + 1,750 direct care hours in critical care
PCCN	Base certification — progressive care	RN + 1,750 direct care hours in progressive care
CMC	Subspecialty — cardiac medicine	Active CCRN or PCCN + cardiac medicine hours
CSC	Subspecialty — cardiac surgery	Active CCRN or PCCN + cardiac surgery hours

Renewal Requirements

CMC and CSC certifications follow a 3-year renewal cycle aligned with the base CCRN or PCCN renewal. Renewal requires maintaining the base certification AND completing continuing education requirements specific to the cardiac subspecialty. The CMC and CSC are renewed concurrently with, or independently of, the base certification — always verify both.

Red Flags

CMC or CSC present in AACN portal but underlying CCRN or PCCN is expired — the subspecialty credential is not valid without an active base certification.
Only one credential returned when you search — ask the nurse directly whether their CCRN/PCCN is current.
CSC claimed for a medical cardiac role (not surgical) — CSC is specifically for post-cardiac surgery patients; a medical cardiac PCU role typically requires CMC, not CSC.
Underlying RN license not separately verified — both CMC and CSC require active RN licensure that does not automatically appear in the AACN results.

Verification Checklist

✓Verify CMC or CSC at aacn.org/certification/verify-certification
✓Confirm underlying CCRN or PCCN is also active in the same search
✓Check Active status and expiration for both credentials
✓Verify RN license separately via Nursys or state nursing board
✓Confirm credential type matches role: CMC for medical cardiac, CSC for surgical cardiac

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How to Verify a Cardiac Medicine Certified (CMC) or Cardiac Surgery Certified (CSC) Credential