HAVE YOU EVER felt you needed to challenge yourself, forge ahead in your career, or further your education? Have you ever thought about getting certified? A nursing certification in your field of expertise could be your answer. A certification will not only fulfill your challenge but can also help your department, organization, and most importantly, your patients. There are many benefits to becoming nurse certified.
A nurse possessing a certification exemplifies an experienced nurse who is proficient and has advanced education in a specialized field. It proclaims a nurse has stellar skills in their area of specialty with increased critical thinking talent, are current on evidence based practice, and mindful of quality outcomes.
Getting certified does come with challenges. There is a time commitment, especially with the need to prepare. There could be a financial burden that may occur. There may even be a fear of failure when working to become certified in your field. All of these issues can be lessened through good communication and support from your leadership.
A patient recognizes and is able to acknowledge a certified nurse as knowledgeable and confident in the cares and tasks. This gives the patient a feeling of safety and comfort. The leader recognizes not only that the certified nurse displays an important, commended image but also promotes exceptional care. The certified nurse can help in developing a stronger workforce within the department by being a mentor to other nurses. A certified nurse promotes a better work environment with the ability to give quality care using evidence based practices. Research has proven that certified nurses support enhancing quality outcomes. Quality outcomes that could occur: decreasing falls, central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), hospital-acquired infection (HAI), pressure ulcers, decreasing patient mortality, and the use of restraints.
The nurse certification provides benefits for a nurse personally. A certified nurse feels confident, a sense of achievement, entitled, accountable, boastful pride and receives fellow coworker admiration. Certification provides nurses professionalism, encourages continued learning and commitment to self, coworkers, and patients. A certified nurse should expect a different pay grade than non-certified nurses. Hospitals recognize certified nurses and may use career ladders to recognize and reward nurses with a certification. Another benefit of certification is it gives you additional credentials to your job role, making your resume enticing.
Ready to get certified? There are several choices of certifications. A great resource for types of nursing certification is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (nursingworld.org) and Nurse.org (nurse.org). This is only one, so take some time to research other resources. Nursing certifications consist of taking a proctored timed exam in a precise specialty. Maintaining a certification requires renewal every three to five years. The renewal process can be completed by performing renewal criteria and payment. There are resources to help you study for the exam: curriculum study books and materials, workshops, and online courses. If you are having problems with acquiring the resources, ask your manager for assistance. You do not have to be in this alone. Grab a partner to join you in becoming certified, gather several nurses and form a study group.
Becoming certified takes time, acquired resources, support from leadership and coworkers, as well as a passion to advance in your career. Take the time to research your specialty for certification. Being certified in your field is rewarding for your organization, your career, and you.
Mary’s current role since 2022 is a Clinical Practice Coordinator for Common Spirit Health. Mary’s office is located in Kearney, Nebraska at CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital. Mary has been a registered nurse for 36 years, she has worked as a float nurse, manager of transport team and float pool. She is married and has twin girls. Hobbies include scrapbooking, watching movies, reading and being outdoors.
