Is CEN really helpful for hunting a job as an emergency nurse?

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Dec 3, 2010

I guess it depends on the individual hospital. Anyone who's taken the exam would appreciate what an achievement it is. I've never understood how hospitals decide if they'll recognize certifications, or which ones they'll accept.

star77, MSN, RN · Dec 4, 2010

Hi everyone,
I graduated last year and have not found a job yet. I am interested in working at ER and considering about taking the CEN exam.
Yet I am not sure if the CEN certificate will really help a lot in hunting ER jobs for someone who have no experience?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.

I spoke to a nurse educator from a Level 1 Trauma center in the SFBay area about this exact issue when I was a new grad looking for a job. His response was, "Taking the CEN, while showing your commitment to being an ER nurse, is also stating that you are an expert in your field. If you do not have work experience in your field but are stating that you are an expert, that might be a hindrance. It's far better to work and then prove that you are an expert- even if you take it after 6 months of RN experience (especially for those with an EMS background). To state that you are an Emergency Nurse without nursing experience is like saying you're a CEO but have never run a business."

That being said, don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something. If you want to take it, take it. But I think what that nurse educator said to me was also a good point.

Good luck with everything.

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Dec 4, 2010

star77, good points all. Honestly I think it unlikely an inexperienced nurse would pass the CEN exam, but I didn't want to discourage the person. Still, the CEN exam tests more than knowledge. Besides testing for any emergency which could occur anywhere in the world, it tests privatization and judgment, among others. Passing the test without experience surely must show an advanced aptitude. I'm thinking, IMHO, maybe the educator was too quick to discount how rigorous the CEN exam is.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Dec 4, 2010

Doesn't the CEN require any hours of experience in ER? If not, then it doesn't have much meaning for an employer.

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Dec 4, 2010

Doesn't the CEN require any hours of experience in ER? If not, then it doesn't have much meaning for an employer.

I can see why you'd say that unless you understand the struture of the exam. Many questions give multiple correct answers, the applicant must choose the most correct or highest priority from the given answers. Prioritisation is one of the most important traits of a good ER nurse. If a candidate has this skill without ER experience, he/she is far more likely to succeed as an ER nurse, and having already proven it by passing the CEN exam is considerable.

sc531313 · Dec 4, 2010

Thanks for all guys.

I have called the Associate and leared that two years' experience is recommended, yet not required.

Now itt seems to me that passing the exam with no expericence is a hinderence, yet I really do not know what to do next. It is just so depressing.

murphyle, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2010

Eligibility for the CEN doesn't require a set number of hours worked prior to examination as CCRN and CNOR do, but the ENA recommends that you don't attempt the exam until you've worked at least two years. (I'm very much an anomaly in my department, A) for attempting the CEN at all, and B) for doing so before the one-year mark; however, I am being supported by my department educator, and I do a large amount of shift pick-up and overtime, which all told probably puts me pretty close to the other exams' hours-worked qualification, if not years-worked.)

In any case, I would be cautious in saying that the exam is meaningless unless it's tied to N number of hours worked or years of experience. The CEN, as dthfytr said, has very little to do with rote memorization. Instead, it tests prioritization and anticipation - the ability to recognize a disease or injury process and implement the appropriate measures to stop it from causing any further harm. If you can do that as a recent grad, more power to you.

HOWEVER... I would strongly caution the OP in attempting the exam with no work experience. It is very difficult and very expensive, and it tests a lot of skill sets that you wouldn't have really developed without some experience in emergency care. I'd hate to see you take the exam and bomb it, and then have to explain to potential employers why you now have a CEN failure on your record.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go for the TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course) and ENPC (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course) instead. Those are actual classes that involve classroom work and hands-on practice and simulator time, and give you some insight into what kinds of things will be tested on the CEN. If you pass those (and I mean a good solid pass, not an eek-by-with-70% pass), then you can consider having a crack at the CEN. However, hopefully someone will have hired you by then, and you'll be able to start developing some experience...! :)

Best of luck to you!