Board Certification - I Passed!

aus nurse · Dec 17, 2002

Woweeeeeeee CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I am so pleased for you nightingale:)

semstr · Dec 17, 2002

Congratulation nightingale!! What great achievement, I admire you, it is not easy to learn when not 20 anymore!!

Take care, Renee

bewbew · Dec 17, 2002

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

nightingale, RN · Dec 17, 2002

thank you guys.... I already called all my best friends... dang I missed the brag in the Christmas cards....

jenadox: I can't believe the long wait... glad it is over... I was truly surprised I passed. I had prepared myself for the worse and was already planning how to retake next year... lol

au nurse: thanks for picking up the horn and helping me toot it!

emily_mom · Dec 17, 2002

WOOHOO!!! Congrats to you!!! You're gonna have to ask Brian for more space under your name!

Kristy

eltrip · Dec 17, 2002

Congrats! Well done!

WashYaHands · Dec 17, 2002

That's wonderful news! Congrats!!! :balloons:

Linda

nightingale, RN · Dec 17, 2002

group hug ((((((((((AllNurses.com)))))))))))

Heh LInda? Is that the beautiful hill of Colorado in your avatar?

RNbeach, ASN, RN · Dec 17, 2002

CONGRATULATIONS NIGHTNGALE!!! WELL DONE! YAHOO!!!

Brenda

JNJ · Dec 17, 2002

Congratulations nightngale1998, that's quite an achievement. I like the BC!

Not to diminish your achievement, but anyone else out there with issues with ANCC? I achieved pediatric certification just over five years ago; the examination situation, directions, control of the test and even the test itself were poor, or poorly managed, but the outcome was good (for me) so I let it go. (I did consider some of the test questions very, very poorly written and did write calmly and officially about those - I was peds. faculty (and acute practice) with years of writing for NCLEX etc when I wrote my concerns. No reply from ANCC about this.)

During the five years I was certified I repeatedly contacted ANCC about recert requirements etc and received some very high-handed responses e.g. "you'll be notified when these are determined" etc. (Although the instructions I finally received state that it is for the person certified to start the recert process six months before recert is due.)

I'm not one to let something like this lapse easily, but without boring you with the details, I have not renewed and just ordered new business cards without the certification. I began to feel the ANCC were a self-serving body, massaging the egos of their board members, with little 'organization' to recommend them. Anyone out their with a better experience?

nightingale, RN · Dec 17, 2002

good point JNJ. I called this AM about when I would receive the certificate and inquired about recert. They said it would take 90 days to receive my certificate; that sounds excessively long. As for recert info, it is now available on their website. When I prepared for the test, I was able to obtain all information and their booklet online.

As for selfserving, well yeah I think they are. To be honest, I see most established businesses to be self serving. My solution, I formed my own S-Corp (please come join us and read the many conversations on the Nurse Entrepreneur Forum of this BB).

I agree, the questions were quite extreme. On the one hand, I found many to be ever so basic, on the other, it was chilling to think I really did not "know" the correct answer. I felt I should after nursing 4+ years. In hind site, I felt the questions were worded poorly, but then again, I felt the same about NCLEX. Just my HO.

It is impossible to say whether I will renew in 5 years. My career, direction, and interests have changed so very much in only these first 5 years of nursing. I suspect I will be doing something entirely different.

As for me, the certification forced me to review my area of expertise (and studying is never a bad thing) and it provides some more initials after my name that may/should open some more doors into the wonderful world of nursing.

In peace...

SharonH, RN · Dec 17, 2002

Originally posted by nightngale1998
Okay so I am hooting my own horn. So?

Really, by the age of 50, if ya can't hoot your own horn... by golly.

On October 19th, I took the Medical / Surgical ANCC test for Board Certification. Honestly, I was sure I failed. I have a bad habit of remembering the wrong answers and quizzed my colleagues in the hall.

Some areas of questioning, I knew I knew; some areas were flat out best educated guess. I guess I guessed right!

Holy Moly! Now how do I sign my new initials? lol!

B.

I KNEW IT!!!!!

I knew you would pass! I am so happy for you. Congratulations, you deserve it!!!