As I’ve grown in my years of experience, I can clearly see the difference that certification makes in my practice. I am a more knowledgeable nurse and nurse practitioner because of the requirements to maintain my certification. For me, this lifelong learning involves attending professional conferences, taking journal continuing professional development courses, and adding to the professional literature through presenting at conferences and writing articles for peer reviewed publications. Without a doubt, experience is important; however, specialty certification demonstrates dedication to the profession and to patients.

Why should nurses become certified?

Healthcare is evolving quickly, and nurses must invest in lifelong learning to ensure they remain knowledgeable and are delivering the latest, evidence-based care. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, certification in a nursing specialty allows nurses to demonstrate their specialty expertise and validate their knowledge to employers and patients.

If you feel unsure whether certification is something you should consider, don’t hesitate. Nurses provide the highest quality care to their patients and the correlation between certified nurses and patient outcomes is clear, including lower percentages of falls, medical errors, and healthcare associated infections (Boyle, 2022; Halm, 2021). Certification also enhances nurses’ professional growth and promotes satisfaction, as well as creating stability in an organization by improving retention (Edwin, 2023).

How can a nurse become certified?

To become certified, passing a national standardized specialty nursing exam is required. There are many nursing specialty certification boards. Reviewing what certifications are available and the necessary requirements is a good place to start your certification journey. Create a study plan which includes certification review resources mapped to the exam blueprint, as well as plenty of practice questions. Start with a comprehensive test to see where your knowledge gaps are and then prioritize those areas as you study. Taking – and retaking – practice tests can help solidify your content knowledge, as well as application of what you know.

Why does certification matter?

Patients expect to receive the best quality care when they come to a healthcare organization. Competency is important, but the value of specialized knowledge, skills, and experience in a specialty cannot be emphasized enough. In addition, healthcare organizations are required to measure patient outcomes to receive reimbursement from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and other third-party payers. This is where certification comes in – it matters to patients, to colleagues, and to the institutions where we work.

References:
Coelho P. (2020). Relationship Between Nurse Certification and Clinical Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of nursing care quality, 35(1), E1–E5. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000397

Edwin H. S. (2023). Strategies to Increase Nursing Certification: A Progressive Care Certification for Nurses-Pathway for Success. Journal for nurses in professional development, 39(5), E112–E118. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000874

Halm M. A. (2021). Specialty Certification: A Path To Improving Outcomes. American journal of critical care: an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 30(2), 156–160. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021569

 

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