Assorted Certifications

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I keep seeing people refer to assorted certifications on this website, and I'm left a bit confused. If one goes to nursing school, graduates, passes a test, and receives a license then what other certifications are needed? I'm not referring to professional certifications such as CEN.

I've noticed EKG certifications, IV certifications, it seems someone mentioned an injection cert., I've run across a scoliosis screening certification, and several others. Is that stuff not included in basic schooling?

There's really nothing to compare this to with in my life experience other than paramedic school. Yeah, we had to take ACLS, but by the time we did that we'd already covered all of that in much more detail than ACLS ever would. Does graduating from an RN program not give a person the ability to read an EKG, insert an IV, etc? What all does one need to go through after graduating in order to be an effective employee?

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Specializes in burning out.

I'm a new grad, but it seems to me like some things to just make you stand out as a potential candidate. Or possibly as a review.

As an exception, note that things like CCRN are comparable to a more specific NCLEX - you still have to test for it, it requires experience and self-study (though some places offer CC classes), and it adds a couple of initials to your title.

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I think a lot of these "certification" classes people take are garbage.

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Specializes in Tele, Dialysis, Med-Surg, ICU,GI.

Some facilities pay you more money for certifications. It is a nice resume builder, and some facilites want their nurses to have certifcations, it helps them obtain Magnet accreditation.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Certifications show "proficiency" that surpasses basic education in same.

It (usually)requires professional experience and a mastery of knowledge/set of skills in a particular specialty area that are measurable against standards.

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Yeah, but I'm not talking about the so called professional certifications like CEN, CCRN, CFRN, etc.

I'm talking about junk people talk about on here like having an EKG cert. Is the ability to interpret an EKG not already part of the curriculum? IVs? etc.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Yeah, but I'm not talking about the so called professional certifications like CEN, CCRN, CFRN, etc.

I'm talking about junk people talk about on here like having an EKG cert. Is the ability to interpret an EKG not already part of the curriculum? IVs? etc.

It's not junk. It implies proficiency (which is beyond the basic educative preparation).

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Also, do not get certification and "certificate" confused. The former implies proficiency measured against standard set of skills/knowledge.

The latter results from educational process and can be obtained by the novice as well as the expert. This shows "completion of a course" and that knowledge of the objectives (were) met.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

Many facilities provide classes for their own certifications - like IV, critical care course, EKG/telemetry cert., conscious sedation, etc. It is a way to show to agencies like JCAHO that nurses attend con. ed. courses and are proficient in skills relevant to their unit. It also would help if a law suit was ever brought up against the hospital and a nurse was involved. For example: Lawyer: "We see that Nurse Nightengale administered conscious sedation to patient Joe Schmoe who died during his shoulder reduction procedure - can you provide documention that Nurse Nightengale knew what types of patient monitoring needed to be performed throughout the procedure?" Hosptial: "Why sure! Here is our education manual that shows Nurse Nightengale attended our conscious sedation course and here is her competency form which details what she learned during the course. Here is the test which she took and her score which deemed her safe and proficient in conscious sedation." See where this goes? The course may seem like BS, but they do provide some level of protection for both facilities and staff.

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