Getting certified in your nursing specialty has many professional and personal advantages such as networking, learning new evidence based information, and learning what procedures or equipment will soon be available.
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Money is an excellent motivator, and when the hospital that I worked at offered two dollars more an hour for certification, I was excited. I had been thinking about getting my certification for many years, so this was the perfect opportunity. After months of studying and stressing, I finally received my certification in GI nursing - CGRN!
The hospital that I work at now does not recognize certifications and I am due to renew in 2015. When I think about how much of myself I put into achieving my certification, there is no way I am not renewing. It is now more than money to me; it is my way to demonstrate the passion I have for GI nursing.
Going to conferences and reading the professional magazines help me to keep up with the latest advances and evidence-based research in GI. I enjoy learning and networking with other GI nurses, we are there because we want to be the best for our patients.
Are You Trying to Get Your Certification?
The first thing to do is go to the website for your specific field and read the conditions for certification. How long you have worked in your field, how many and what kind of CEUs are required, and cost are some things that you need to pay attention to.
Each certification body has study books as well as other resources to help you in the preparation. For the test anxiety people, (that would be me) this is the worst part. There is no shortcut, it takes a lot of studying to prepare. Taking your time and going through the books in an organized manner, studying sections at a time will help keep you on a timeline and be able to cover everything. Certification prep classes are available also for additional help, but at a cost of course.
Certification Organization
There is no need to worry about the legitimacy of your certification organization. There are two main governing bodies that make sure each certification agency is credentialed and following the guidelines:
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) - Provide professional membership for associates and education as well as networking. They offer resources for those who work in the credentialing industry, and develop standards and do test development.
American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABSNC) - Non-profit organization that promotes specialty nursing certification, and allows nursing certification organizations to obtain accreditation.
There is a long list of certifications from Ambulatory Care to Public Health, providing nurses with the opportunity to become an asset to their employer and patients. With confidence, you can know that you are providing a higher standard of care and therefore outcome expectations are higher.
Certification allows for professional and personal growth. It opens up opportunities to continually learn, network, keep up with the latest practices and also to know what's coming in the near future. As a result, it looks great on your resume and provides validation of your specialized knowledge and level of professional credibility. It is not a requirement to be certified in your nursing specialty, it is a choice - a commitment. If you have any questions about getting certified please feel free to ask and if you have thoughts or suggestions on the subject, please share!
