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CPPS: Certified Professional in Patient Safety

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The Certified Professional in Patient SafetyTM credential (CPPS) is earned by professionals who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in the core standards of patient safety.​​​​​​​​​ This credential is awarded through a thorough examination covering five patient safety domains:​

  • Culture​
  • Leadership
  • Patient Safety Risks and Solutions
  • Measuring and Improving Performance
  • Systems Thinking and Design / Human Factors​

​More than 3,000 professionals have earned the CPPS credential, representing all 50 US states and 20 countries.​​​​​​
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As part of regular exam maintenance, the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety (CBPPS) released a revised exam on November 1, 2019. All exams going forward will be based on the revised content outline. The revised content outline can be viewed online​. Candidates testing from November 1 – 15, 2019 will experience delayed scoring, followed by a testing blackout from November 16 - December 16. During this time responses from candidates to examination items will be reviewed, and CBPPS will reapprove the passing point for the examination. This process is a best practice for professional credentialing programs and helps maintain the integrity of the exam. We appreciate your understanding. If you have questions, please reach out to us at cpps@ihi.org. 

​why certification is important

This professional certification program establishes core standards for the field of patient safety, benchmarks requirements necessary for health care professionals, and sets an expected proficiency level.​​

  • ​For professionals, the CPPS credential provides those working in patient safety a means to demonstrate their proficiency and skill in the discipline
  • For organizations, requiring the CPPS credential provides a way for employers to validate a potential candidate’s patient safety knowledge and skill base, critical competencies for today’s health​​

who should consider certification

  • ​Physicians
  • Nurses​
  • Pharmacists​
  • Patient Safety Professionals​
  • Quality and Risk Management Professionals​
  • Health Care Executives​
  • Non-Clinical Health Care Professionals​
  • ​All other health care professionals with the requisite background​

​requirements for certification

Candidates for the CPPS credential are those who include patient safety practices as an integral component of current or future professional responsibilities. Candidates must also possess academic and professional experience at one of the following levels:

  • Baccalaureate degree or higher, plus three years of experience (includes time spent in clinical rotations and residency programs) in a health care setting or with a provider of services to the health care industry

OR​​

  • Associate degree or equivalent plus five years of experience (includes time
    spent in clinical rotations) in a health care setting or with a provider of services to the health care industry​

​​​​how to GET certifIED​​

We recommend the following activities before you register for the exam:

​If you would like to prepare prior to your exam, consider taking the online CPPS practice exam or​​​ taking a CPPS review course.

Once you are ready to register for your exam, select a date and time at a testing center near you through our partner website​.​​​