What is your incentive for obtaining your CEN?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Besides the professional satisfaction, that is. ;) I'm wondering what your employers give you, if anything, for obtaining your CEN. Where I work, we get a "bolus of cash" -- 2% of our annual salary, less taxes and all that jazz. Not bad! Just got my little bolus on Friday. It'll cover the gap in my education funding, with a little left over for some sort of retail therapy/celebration. :)

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
in my job category - we get nothing financially.

the staff rn's can use the "specialty certification in their area of practice" as part of their clinical ladder.

"they" can get $1.50/hour worked in the previous year in 1 lump sum payout.... if they advance to clinical ladder level ii, then that's doubled. those hours include every hour worked (ot, call in, etc)...

prettey sweet eh?

now, ask me how many staff rns are certified in our department of 100+ rn fte's ....... one!

-mb

hey there mark -

wow ! that sounds like a great deal - i'd be all over that!

even on clinical ladder i that is like 3 grand (or more!!!) - sweet indeed! :onbch:

check your pm!

my motivation - to be the first in my department (i'd been treated a little rotten at times and i was a bit peeved!). to prove to myself that i could do it. all about setting a goal and reaching it! i have gotten a little extra at some spots through the years - but, money was not a factor.

as for the "other" certs - it is all about setting standards for yourself.

i will never have an employer set a standard higher than the one i set for myself.

everyday is a choice. "get by!" or "get better!" you have the power to choose. sure, getting by is enough - but, it has not ever been enough for me.

practice safe!!

:rolleyes:

.

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Specializes in Psych.

We are mandated to get our TNCC and they pay for that but we get no incentive for it. They do not pay for any other certifications or give any incentives for them. We don't have a plaque. As for our clinical ladder, its based on years of experience and years with our hospital system. That's it. So certifications don't matter. They are trying to encourage some of us to do our CEN but honestly I have bills to pay and their is no real monetary incentive for it. Its an expensive test and they don't help pay for it or to keep it up. Maybe in a few years I'll do it when I don't have quite so much financially on my plate.

D

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Specializes in 14 yrs ER, 1 yr psych.

My hospital pays $1.00/hr after certification. After passing the test, they will reimburse you for the CEN test. In the Norfolk area,Va, Sentara(I work for them also), also pays the same.

Just remember, passing the test will get you only so far. Remember common sense and experience are invaluable too. Since the 2 year experience requirement is no longer required in the ER(before taking the exam), I have several people who are book smart and with minimal ER experience. They are certified CEN for the money. One made a fractured neck wait 2 hrs in the waiting room,(they patient's family drove them to another hospital where he was heloed to a major Trauma center).

So like a diagnosis of a heart attack(usually need history, EKG and labs), a good ER nurse(IMHO) should have experience, common sense and their CEN

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Education, Informatics.

I've had my CEN for well over 10 years and I never remember a two year requirment. I know paramedics who took the exam within a month of getting their nursing license.

There are and always will be plenty of anecdotal reports of CEN this and CEN that. It still doesn't change the fact that the CEN is a knowledge level exam. And anyone to takes the test and pass, is proving that they have a certain level of knowledge and should always be recognized for that.

Now as to what makes a good ER nurse? Well that's a whole different thread, just like the one about what makes a good nurse in general. The attention to dtail, the gut feeling that only comes from the combination or knowledge and experience, and the you know what to stand up to the medical staff for your patient.

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I've had my CEN for well over 10 years and I never remember a two year requirment.

Not a requirement. Two years of experience is recommended, but not required.

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Specializes in 14 yrs ER, 1 yr psych.

I do remember that my nurse manager in the ER had to sign my application also. No longer required too

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