(PHILADELPHIA, August 5, 2025) – TruMerit, a worldwide leader in international credentials evaluation to support health worker careers, today introduced the Certified Global Nurse (CGN), the world’s first truly global credential for first-level, general nurses (RNs).
The new, merit-based credential is available to any qualified nurse—from any country—to recognize their competencies, regardless of where they choose to live and work. It is awarded upon passage of TruMerit’s Nurse Qualifying Exam (NQE), which applicants may take after verification of their nursing education and licensure.
Previously known as the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and used by nurses migrating to the United States, the NQE was reinvented with a global focus to support the ongoing evolution of nursing practice worldwide and particularly the emergence of key challenges such as digital health, mental health, and climate change. This was achieved through a collaborative process involving more than 70 nursing experts from 50 countries, with all World Health Organization regions and World Bank country income levels represented. The experts agreed upon a core set of nursing practice standards after analyzing nursing competency frameworks from 37 countries.
In addition to its role as a key requirement for the CGN credential, the upgraded exam continues to support other TruMerit programs—such as the VisaScreen® Visa Credentials Assessment Service and the Certification Program®—as a shared global framework for validating the applied knowledge and practice competence of nurses worldwide.
“The Certified Global Nurse credential offers nurses everywhere a common framework for meeting globally agreed-upon essential nursing practice standards,” said Dr. Peter Preziosi, TruMerit’s President and CEO. “When nurses carry the credential, their employers and colleagues will know that their applied nursing knowledge and skills are validated against a global benchmark, attesting to their qualifications for delivering quality healthcare.”
The credential is ultimately intended to provide nurses with greater mobility within the profession, within their native countries, and across geopolitical boundaries throughout their careers.
“By signifying work-readiness on an international scale, and thereby helping expand the pool of readily identifiable qualified nurses worldwide, global credentialing will become part of the solution to the challenges health systems are facing around the world,” said Preziosi.
“We hope this credential can contribute to a sustained, collaborative effort involving many stakeholders—health ministries, international agencies, health systems, nursing schools, and nursing associations worldwide—to harmonize nursing education and practice and support the future growth of the global nursing workforce,” he said.
The Nurse Qualifying Exam is a proctored examination that will be offered four times a year at more than 1,000 Kryterion testing centers located around the world, with the first test window scheduled for November 10-14, 2025. Nurses who wish to earn a CGN credential and sit for the NQE in November must apply by September 30 at the TruMerit website, where they will find more information on the credential and how to prepare for the exam.
The testing schedule for 2026 will be announced later this year.
About TruMerit
TruMerit is a worldwide leader in healthcare workforce development. Formerly known as CGFNS International, the organization has a nearly 50-year history supporting the career mobility of nurses and other healthcare workers—and those who license and hire them—by validating their education, skills, and experience as they seek authorization to practice in the United States and other countries. As TruMerit, this mission has been expanded to building workforce capacity that meets the needs of people in a rapidly evolving global health landscape. Through its Global Health Workforce Development Institute, the organization is advancing evidence-based research, thought leadership, and advocacy in support of healthcare workforce development solutions, including globally recognized practice standards and certifications that will enhance career pathways for healthcare workers.