School Nurse Certification Application Packet and Procedure

School Nurse Certification Application Packet and Procedure 

All students who are applying for either their School Nurse Certification (Standard Non-Instructional (N.J.A.C.6A:9B-14.4) Endorsement or Standard (Instructional) School Nurse Endorsement (N.J.A.C.6A:9B-14.3) are strongly encouraged to use our new School Nurse Certification Guidelines process to facilitate your NJDOE certification.

The NJEdCert process requires the university program where you completed your educational requirements for certification to “nominate you” after verifying your program completion and eligibility for certification. 

By working with us from the start of your certification application, the timeline to receiving your certification number is the fastest and easiest way to achieve certification.   

Please note that if you apply to NJEdCert on your own, they will redirect your application back to NJCU to verify your program completion. This could delay your nomination and certification timeline by up to 8-12 weeks (about 3 months).

Step One: Create Your NJEdCert Account

Create your account in the NJEdCert system. If you already have an account, please review your options based on whether you have previous certifications or credentials with TCIS or the NJEdCert system:  

  1. If you recently applied for a substitute credential or other certification on or after May 31, 2022, you have already established your NJEdCert account and may skip this step but note your NJEdCert email address (also known as your username) for the questionnaire mentioned in Step 7. 
     
  2. If you have a previous certification(s) in the former TCIS system (applications made prior to May 25, 2022), your data, including your name and email address need to match exactly to how they were listed previously to tie your records together and avoid creating a duplicate account with no previous certifications.  You can look up your NJ DOE Tracking Number(s) through a search tool at the bottom of the NJEdCert page. It is below the Log in and Create Account button titled Educator License Search.  
     
    • Be especially careful when creating your account if you have had a name change since the previous certification system. You will need to create your new NJEdCert account under that previous name so that the new system recognizes you and connects your previous certifications. Once your account is created, you can proceed with the name change process found in the customer service portal on the home page of your NJEdCert account. 

      *Substitute applications made prior to mid-2021 were in paper format only and did not have a tracking number. These may still be active, however will not be listed within TCIS or the new NJEdCert systems. 
       
  3. If this is your first experience with certifications, you will start by creating your NJEdCert account and leaving the Tracking Number question blank.  
     
    • Be incredibly careful creating your account, use a computer or laptop, not your phone. Be mindful of autofill features. Ensure all information is accurate before entering it.
       
  4. Use your full legal name, with an exception for previous TCIS account holders under a previous last name as explained in Step 2. You will need to complete your name change AFTER creating your new NJEdCert account in your previous name so that your previous certifications stay in your records.
     
  5. A tip to be sure you have created your account successfully is that you will be able to see any previous certifications in the certification section of the home page.  
     
  6. To confirm your information within your established NJEdCert account, navigate to the top left, and click on the three bars to open the menu. Select All My Data and review all your data to see that it has been entered correctly. If at this point, you find any issues, contact the NJ DOE for assistance. The NJDOE Customer Service phone line (609-292-2070) operates from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays (except holidays). 
     
  7. DO NOT apply for your certification at this point. The goal is to create your NJEdCert account and complete the questionnaire before being nominated by NJCU. This nomination process is the fastest, most expedited way to achieve certification. 

DO NOT apply for your certification at this point. The goal is to create your account before being nominated, complete the questionnaire, and then wait to be nominated by NJCU. The nomination process is the fastest, most expedited way to achieve certification. 

Step Two: Complete and Submit Your SN Certification Application Packet

After creating your NJEdCert account, follow the guidelines below to start the verification of program completion for your certification process. Be reminded that this part is an internal process for NJCU to remain compliant with NJDOE requirements:

  1. Download and complete the following document for NJCU records

    SN CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PACKET

  2. Login to BlackBoard to submit the following documents to the Graduate Nursing Community

    Please note: The application upload (linked below) is made available towards the end of each semester. Students will be notified through their Blackboard practicum courses when the document upload is open.

     SN CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PACKET UPLOAD

    • Completed SN Certification Application Procedure Packet 
    • Copy of current NJ Registered Professional Nursing License (only if expired in CastleBranch) 
    • Copy of current CPR with AED Certificate (only if expired in CastleBranch)

Approved applications will continue to the next phase of processing. If the application is incomplete, we will send it back for completion. 

Once final grades are available at the end of the semester, our office will request your official NJCU transcript from the Registrar's Office to confirm your eligibility for certification nomination. 

Please be sure that you have no outstanding balances with the office of the bursar, a $0.00 balance with our bursar is a requirement for certification. If you have an outstanding balance, we cannot nominate you to the state for certification.

Step Three: Await Confirmation of Nomination Before Applying for Certification

Once we are ready to nominate you, your data will be uploaded in NJEdCert by the Center for Teacher Preparation & Partnerships (CTPP).

You will receive an email from NJEdCert notifying you that you have been nominated by NJCU for your school nurse certificate. When you receive this email, you can then proceed with the instructions as stated in the NJEdCert email to complete your certification. 

​​​​​​Be sure to follow all instructions. You will have to order your official transcripts from NJCU and other colleges/universities in which you have earned course equivalents for courses toward your certification. Other professional certifications/licenses may be required. Please have all the documents ready when you begin completing your application. NJEdCert has a 10-point Checklist that is a good point of reference to have when applying for certification: 

All personally identifiable information must be accurate. Be mindful of autofill features in browsers and carefully verify your information before signing the oath and submitting the application. 

Be Ready!

  1. Email Address
    • Educators who already applied for or held a certification in TCIS must use the same email address that was used in TCIS 
    • Educators who have been nominated for certification by a New Jersey Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and have never logged into the new system (NJEdCert) must use the email address that was used when nominated by the EPP 
    • Educators who do not hold certification in TCIS and are applying for certification for the first time in NJEdCert must create an account in the new system using a permanent email address. 
       
  2. First and Last Name
  3. Date of Birth
  4. Social Security Number
  5. TCIS tracking number (if applicable)
  6. Language Testing International (LTI) email address (only applicable to those with scores) 
  7. PRAXIS ID Number (eight digits) if applicable 
  8. United States Citizen (Yes/No) 
  9. Military Veteran Status 
  10. Gender