How to become certified?

[tammy_zeidan09]

I am not sure this is the best place to post this question, but I don't want to bombard the actualy "Nurses" thread with a maybe silly question.

I am going to start an ADN program in August. I am already looking into a few RN-BSN bridge programs. One of which requires extra credit hours to complete a student portfolio. I must earn 25 credit hours doing a variety of things. For instance, volunteer at hospitals, churches, etc., gaining work experience, researching and writing papers, and being certified in different specialties. This includes a ray of specialties such as cardiac rehab, cardiac vascular, gerontological, med/surge nursing, maternal nursing, perinatal nursing, pediatric nursing, oncology nursing, etc..

Though I have 2 years to worry about that and actually pass nursing school and NCLEX, my question is..how would you go about getting certified in those different specialties? Would you have to take a whole semester long class for each specialty?! Take another huge exam like the NCLEX after each specialty?!

I would like to get certified in a few different ones, to expand as a nurse and gain credit hours for the bridge program.

Just curious.

Thanks in advance!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Most nursing certifications require that one work as a nurse within that specialty for a certain number of years/hours. To become a CPN (certified pediatric nurse), for example, one must have 1800 hours working as a pediatric nurse over the past 24 months.

You don't take classes for each specialty because you have to actually be working in said specialty to become certified in it. You get your work experience and then you take the test.

[tammy_zeidan09]

Oh. I always had an assumption you couldn't work in a specialty wo being certified.So of you CAN work before being certified in a specialty, why get certified. Besides well the situation I am in.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Oh. I always had an assumption you couldn't work in a specialty wo being certified.So of you CAN work before being certified in a specialty, why get certified. Besides well the situation I am in.

Personally, I find nursing certifications to be one of the greatest scams out there. Hospitals encourage them because they need a certain percentage of their nurses to be "certified" to qualify for magnet. Many of these certifications have to be purchased through the ANCC, which is the same organization responsible for magnet.

When I worked in the hospital, I chose not to pursue certification even though I qualified to take the exam for many (CPN, CPON, CNRN) because I felt that none of these certifications would do anything for me (no extra money for being certified and you have to complete a TON of extra CEUs to maintain the certification and pay ridiculous fees for them) and I didn't want a hospital that shouldn't have ever been awarded magnet status to be able to use me to their benefit.

You should research all of this thoroughly before you decide to pursue any nursing certifications. You need to work in the specialty area to qualify to test for the certification and it costs money and time to keep your certifications up, so getting "a few different ones" might not be worth your while.