NICU certification

Gompers, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2006

The problem is that many many hospitals don't pay you ANYTHING for being certified. They don't pay for the test, give you a raise, nothing. So in those cases, like at my hospital, many of the nurses have no interest in taking the exam. Why, if they have to pay for the test out of pocket, pay for the CEUs, pay for the recertification, and not even get a raise because of it?

I am planning on taking the test, because I do want that extra bit of confidence that comes with certification. But I'm in the minority in my unit, that's for sure.

NiteRocker · Aug 28, 2006

Money creates interest!! Glad to see some nurses just want to be the best in their field. But, money makes the world go round...and creates motivation.

At my hospital we are preping for Magnet status. With all this prep there are committees everywhere trying to make us better. And, they say you have to be involved in this and that to make enough points for annual raises. There are many ways to get your points...one is certification. So, annual raise means $$.:wink2:

:nurse: This nurse thinks it's worth it! Planned a Nov test date, so we'll see. Wish me luck!

NICU Mama · Aug 28, 2006

What exactly does RNC stand for? Certified Registered Nurse? And does CCRN stand for Critical Care Registered Nurse?

Thanks for answering.:wink2:

Love_2_Learn · Aug 30, 2006

Hi nicunursechristy,

RNC and CCRN are considred credentials. Credentials are the letters you see behind a person's name to designate their education, etc. such as RN, MSN, FAAN, MD, PhD, etc... Certification is another credential, and depending on which credentialing organization a person is tested through, they are allowed to use the credentials offered by that certification corporation. Nurses certified through NCC place "RNC" behind their name. Nurses certified through AACN in critical care nursing areas place RN, CCRN behind their name. More on this later in this post...

The NCC (National Certification Corporation) website had some good information about certification:

The National Certification Corporation (NCC) is a not for profit organization that provides a national credentialing program for nurses, physicians and other licensed health care personnel. Certification is awarded to nurses in the obstetric, gyencologic, neonatal and telephone nursing specialties and certifices of added qualification are awarded in the subspecialty areas of electronic fetal monitoring, breastfeeding, gynecologic healthcare and menopause.

Since it's inception in 1975, NCC has awarded certification or certificates of added qualification to more than 73,000 licensed health care personnel.

NCCs certification program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accredition body to the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). This accreditation means that NCC's certification program was subjected to rigorous third-party review and found to meet "the highest national voluntary standards for private certification". Go to NOCA's website (

www.noca.org

) ) for further information on accreditation of certification organizations.

I am certified in Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing from NCC so I write RNC behind my name. I believe it stands for "registered nurse certified". All nurses certified through NCC (whether they are certified as Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, OB, Mother-Baby, Neonatal Intensive Care, etc.) all receive the same "RNC" credential.

I went to the AACN website and looked around. I don't remember seeing what the CCRN actually stands for. They have a few credentials such as CCRN which I believe is for nurses who work in many different areas of critical care, CCNS which I believe is for nurses who work as Nurse Practitioners in several different areas, and PCCN which I believe is for nurses who work in Progressive Care areas.

The National Certification Corportation (NCC) website says, "All those who complete the certification process will be entitled to use the credential, RNC, Registered Nurse Certified, to indicate their active certification status." www.nccnet.org

The AACN Certification Corporation says, "Candidates who meet al the eligibility requirements and pass the CCRN certification exam may use "CCRN" after the licensing credential, those passing the CCNS exam may use "CCNS" after the licensing credential, and those passing the PCCN exam may use "PCCN" after the licensing credential." They also say, "CCRN, CCNS and PCCN are registered service marks. They are not punctuated with periods. Their proper use is Jane Smith, RN, MSN, CCRN."

www.certcorp/org

Both certification organizations are very highly respected. I chose the NCC organization because they specialize more in the maternal-child/obstetric/neonatal areas of nursing. The AACN certifies nurses in a more broad group of specialty areas of nursing.

I hope this helps. I suggest you check out each web site if you have time. It's very interesting. As you progress in your career you may want to consider obtaining certification in your specialty area. Either way, visiting the websites will help you to be more knowledgable when talking about certification and when you come in contact with a certified nurse.

:)

NICU Mama · Aug 30, 2006

Love 2 Learn,

Thanks for all that information. You sure know your stuff! That helps me understand it better.

Love_2_Learn · Aug 30, 2006

:thankya: Thank you for your kind words nicunusechristy!

NICU_3_RN · Sep 6, 2006

I am currently studying to take the CCRN. However, other than the amount of hours required to take the exam, and how recently you have to have had those hours, I don't see a big difference between CCRN and RNC. I have read that a long time ago, you couldn't take the CCRN if you didn't have a BSN, although that is no longer true. Can anyone add to this? Most people in my current hospital have their RNC, but at my last hospital, CCRN was more popular. Help!

Ive been told by people that have taken both that the CCRN was an easier test to pass, but the RNC is easier to maintain (fewer Contact hours required, by far).

I personally took the RNC yesterday and passed! So yay me. :)

NICU Mama · Sep 6, 2006

NICU_3_RN,

:yelclap: Way to go!! Congratulations on passing, and thanks for the info.

NICU Mama

lovemyjob · Sep 6, 2006

Ive been told by people that have taken both that the CCRN was an easier test to pass, but the RNC is easier to maintain (fewer Contact hours required, by far).
I personally took the RNC yesterday and passed! So yay me. :)

Did you take the Computer test??

I took the paper test in the middle of aug and now I have to wait until oct to find out if I passed! UGH...I have sort of just forgotten about it, tried not to think about it. I took the lowrisk b/c I dont have the experience to take the highrisk. I thought the questions were not representative of the outline. I had a TON of labs...

Oh, well.

Congrats!

NICU_3_RN · Sep 7, 2006

I took the computer test. I feel bad for people that feel like taking it on the computer would be too confusing. A lot of the women i work with feel that way, but they really do make it "idiot proof" (no offense at all).

I took the high risk test - i've been studying my rump off - and felt like it was fairly representative of the outline. Made me feel really good to be told tonight when I got into work that the test is easier now than it's ever been and certification means nothing.

Well - i worked my butt off to take it, and it means something to me.

lovemyjob · Sep 7, 2006

Some of my coworkers who took the highrisk said that they had like 2 resp questions.....which didnt make any sense. They all felt like it was not representative of the outline at all.. I guess because we took all 160, it was easy to determine percentages from each category. They said they had a ton of fluid/elecrolyte questions, but no heart and 2 respiratory. The biggest thing we deal with in a high risk nicu is respiratory.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Sep 7, 2006

Each test is different each time....one was a lot of genetics (the group before me) and then mine was almost all renal and fluid and electrolytes.

Great job guys!