Certification

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Does certification, other than the academic exercise, have any value?

Linda L

6 Posts

I am asking myself the same question. My hospital pays an extra .50 per hour for CNOR certification. I am told it would serve a purpose if I were inclined towards management or should I choose to travel. I curently work in CVOR, open heart surgery, and all but one of the nurses have there CVOR. I am taking the test next Friday and wish I knew what to expect. Has anyone given you any insite into the difficulty of the material covered? It is costly to take the exam and failing it would mean a financial blow not to mention my ego!

spineCNOR

310 Posts

In my experience, some hospitals value specialty certification and some don't. I think it would be a plus when seeking job advancement, but other than that the main value is for self-actualization, as it is a validation of an OR nurse's knowledge and experience.

If you are familiar with the basics of the AORN standards and recommended practices, positioning principles and sterilization principles you should do just fine.

shodobe

1,260 Posts

Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

I use it for my career ladders. If it wasn't for this then I would not bother. I have had mine for 15 years and see no advantage other than you took and passed a VERY hard test. Like one poster stated some hospitals aknowledge it where others ignore it. To tell you the truth, 50 cents and hour more still doesn't make it worth it. In my case I am at a level 3 and not having it would make a 5% difference, about $1.50/hr. This makes it worth it. Mike

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