Progressive Care Unit Nurse. Aacn has recognized progressive care as a nursing specialty since 2004, when pccn certification was established to validate the specialized knowledge and competencies needed to provide the best care to acutely ill adult patients in progressive care settings. They monitor critical vital signs, detect changes, and perform interventions when required.
According to the aacn, progressive care is part of the critical care continuum. As patient populations become increasingly critically ill, and icu beds are in short supply, patients who would have previously been placed in icu beds are finding themselves in progressive care units. As such, pcu nurses are eligible to take the ccrn exam.
