Certifications and pay

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Specializes in Oncology.

Hello!

I have done some research on salary negotiations on this site but I have yet to see (or maybe overlooked) discussions about nursing certifications and ANP pay. I am graduating from my NP program in June 2016. My question is this: If you have multiple nursing certifications, can you use this to your advantage when negotiating pay? I've read a lot, especially from JulesA and IsabellK, about salary and negotiations. Please share your thoughts. Again, if I mistakenly overlooked a thread covering this topic please kindly guide me to it!

Thanks!

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Specializes in Surgery.

What type of certifications? I have a CNOR, RNFA and while my current employer was happy to see this, it did not make a difference when it came down to negotiating pay.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

You may or may not could use it. I wouldn't pay anything extra for them, and here's why. The matter rests on the business, and the goal of a business (healthcare or not) is to make a profit. Now, if you're nonprofit then they can't really retain money so they often disperse it more generously go the providers.

So back to the certs, what's it going to do for business? Nobody in my practice cared that I came on board with ACLS, PALS, EMT, etc. I was hired as a Psych NP so that other stuff is frivolous, and when the ACLS and PALS expire, as they soon will, I'll let them lapse. Back when I worked ER and UC it mattered because it was part of their business. I maintain the EMT because I think it's good grounding. Too many healthcare people have no real clue about how to react to an emergency situation, apply a splint, or much less treat someone for shock, so I find the required CE or refresher to be - grounding. The world can happen at any time. If I didn't have to maintain the RN to hold the APRN license, a whole other tirade of mine, I'd let the RN lapse.

If you go to work at a Coumadin clinic, the RNFA won't matter. If you work at a UCC, the CDE won't matter. Et cetera. However, here's where it could potentially be helpful. One, you go to work with somebody who loves to eat alphabet soup. Some healthcare people lap it right up. Others couldn't care less - most docs don't. Two, you have a dual boarded collaborator. For example, if a psych NP went to work for with a doc who was BC in FP and psych then having then it could be plausible for the PMHNP to have a FNP and get paid for it in the cases of managing comorbidities particularly those that impact psych, i.e. thyroid function, B12, dyslipidemia, et al.

I'd be interested to know what certs you have and how you intend to leverage them.

I list most of the things I've picked up along the way because I think it gives me scope on the forum thus PsychGuy, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, EMT, and whatever else might be up there. If there were boxes for a couple of other things I would've checked those too. In real life, it's P. Guy, APRN.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Thank you both for your replies! I definitely understand that certifications don't so anything for the business aspect of healthcare. Thank you for enlightening me on that. I have a soft offer after I graduate at my current place of employment, which will be inpatient. I currently have OCN, med surg, TNCC. I was considering adding ACLS and PALS if it made a difference. What are your thoughts on leveraging for an inpatient position?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm in nephrology and when I see pts in-pt, I am required to keep ACLS current.

My background is ER so I keep a bunch of xtra certs too but I do it for my own knowledge and because I volunteer on my rural fire dept.

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