benefits of CCRN?

i don't have my ccrn. i've never had any difficulty finding a job, am well respected in my current position and teach, mentor and precept. no one doubts my knowledge base or abilities (although i have heard i could use a little less blunt and a little more tact from time to time.) i don't think i need a ccrn, and the fact that i've never had an extra few hundred dollars to throw at it is indeed a factor.

that said, my current employer wants an all-ccrn unit, so there may be one in my future.

I've had my pediatric CCRN since 1992. For 15 years, there was no incentive or reward for having it, other than personal satisfaction and the occasional recognition that I must have worked hard to hard some letters behind my BSN, RN, lol.

Last year my hospital implemented a clinical ladder and it finally paid off to have my CCRN. To be honest though, it was well worth it to me all these years even without getting an extra dime for it. The one nice benefit is that my hospital does reimburse for the test or recertification fee once you've earned it.

Where I work, there is a financial incentive not only in that the hospital will pay for the exam upon successful completion, but they also increase our hourly rate of pay with this certification.

Compared to where I worked before where there were 4-5 nurses with CCRN...and now where the majority of nurses have their CCRN, I notice that where I work now, nurses are much more involved in their profession and seem more knowledgeable. CCRN and continuing education is heavily encouraged by management where I work and it shows.

The reason I look forward to challenging it as soon as I meet the minimum qualifications after working for a year or two, clinical ladder aside, is because it is a certificate of mastery.

The NCLEX tests for minimal competency. In contrast, becoming a CCRN says you have a mastery of critical care knowledge, and that's special. It's the same reason physicians challenge the exams for board certification in their area of practice. It isn't necessary for practice, per say, but it indicates to all you know your stuff in that particular area.

Should specialty certifications be greater incentivized? Definitely.

I'm studying for CCRN, and my hospital will pay for the certification, but I probably won't see a raise because of it. If you get it, you do learn a lot of things you wouldn't necessarily know otherwise. There are lots of questions about conditions and diseases you may or may not see very often.

It's the same reason physicians challenge the exams for board certification in their area of practice. It isn't necessary for practice, per say, but it indicates to all you know your stuff in that particular area.

The reason physicians become board certified is because board certification is often required for hospital privileges and because it is needed to contract with insurance companies. So yes, I would say it is necessary for practice if one wants to get reimbursed for the majority of their services.

The CCRN is not required to get a paycheck in the majority of clinical settings. Therefore, obtaining a CCRN title should be purely for your own satisfaction. It is a fairly hard test, be sure to study.

Many places do offer financial incentive for CCRN certification. I have mine, but have not received much of the financial incentive. Some places pay for the testing and some places offer an hourly increase (my old job paid $2/hour for having CCRN). My current job does neither. However, I chose to get my CCRN to have an impact on the nursing profession. I think that a lot of newer nurses choose who they want to emulate, and I think the standard of care has drastically decreased in the last several years. My standards are very high and I see many nurses thes days view that as me being a sucker. No need to work so hard these days and worry about so much because it is not required or expected. I chose to get some credentials and initials behind my name so that I will have more of an influence over the mind sets of the newer nurses.

I think ceritifications are great because they encourage nurses to stay updated and educated. However, one of the best nurses I know does not have her CCRN, and it irks me to hear a nurse with 2 years experience whom Pam could nurse circles around act like she knows more than Pam...just not so. Nothing takes the place of experience.

I have seen many schools require a CCRN for admittance to post grad programs, or at least recommend doing so. Makes sense to me. To take a challenging test that you must study for and apply your working knowledge towards passing. Actually, this seems more relevant than the NCLEX to me.

I would think an employer should see a benefit to having an employee pass such a test, but not all employers are eager to reward their employees for continued excellent work and achievements, right?

The reason physicians become board certified is because board certification is often required for hospital privileges and because it is needed to contract with insurance companies. So yes, I would say it is necessary for practice if one wants to get reimbursed for the majority of their services.

Must be a per-area thing. Out when I was in the boondocks outside Dallas a good percentage of physicians at one time deemed board-eligible never bothered to challenge. They had no problems obtaining reimbursement from medicare or from private. Here in Houston, it's a different story. Obviously, the more competitive a market is the tighter powers that be like the credentials.

If would definitely be interesting if a certain amount of financial prestige were attached to nursing board-certification beyond a paltry $1-2/hr raise or points on a clinical ladder. I think the profession as a whole could use a good orifice-kick towards professionalism by requiring board-certification in any non-podunk areas after 3 or so years of specialized experience.

One item to remember..... when you take the test to prove that you have become an expert in your field, you will be held legally liable for your practice at the expert level as indicated by the CCRN designation.

This is something that does not bother me, as I hold certification in my specialty, but it is something to be aware of when you go to take that test.

Thank you all so much for your responses and insight! I very much appreciate it :)