Is CNOR worth it?

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Specializes in Trauma, Education.

Can anyone tell me, before I spend $50+ for the study books, $100 for my AORN membership (would do this one anyway) and $250 for the test, not to mention the months of studying and stress and the fear of not passing and having to pay again....is getting your CNOR worth it?

My current place of employment does not give you any incentive to do it (no raise or change in title), but I want to travel someday and thought maybe that would come in handy there. Can I get some opinions on if this is worth it? I really like the OR and will probably always do the majority of my nursing career in it, with occasional sides in other specialties. Any thoughts would be helpful...thanks!

rbs105

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

I'm planning on taking it, BUT my hospital pays for the test (if you pass) and there is a $1/hour raise. So all I will be out is the time and the money for study guides. AORN has an online course for $195 that guarantees you will pass or they refund the 195, but then I would be out the 250...........The stress is on and I haven't even signed up to take the test yet.Good luck.

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Specializes in OR.

My facility offers no incentive for the certiifcation but encourages us to pursue it. That probably explains why only 2 or 3 nurses out of our 50+ have the certification :chuckle

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Yes, Yes, Yes it is worth it! I took the exam for a personal challenge and learned so much while studying for the exam. I do not get an "automatic" pay raise at my hospital, but will look very good on my annual review. I will get reimbursed for the exam fee. As far as studying, I used a book that my OR had available "Essentials of Operating Room Nursing" and also bought the book and CD from the CCI website "CNOR Study Guide" and practice questions. That was perfect. It will be worth it in the long run. I say go for it! Let me know if you have any questions.

Christine

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I didn't mention the fact that if you were looking for a new job at a different hospital, then you would be that much more ahead than someone applying for the same job that is not certified. The majority of the hospitals prefer you to be CNOR certified. In that sense, you would be better qualified and possibly receive a higher salary.

Christine :rolleyes:

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I always thought that it would be nice to have that certification. Some of the RN's where I've worked have it, others don't. There isn't a pay incentive at either of the hospitals I've worked at to have it, nor is it required. Given that I can do a lot with $400 for something that only is really a personal blip on your resume and a lot of people don't even know what the heck CNOR is anyway I'm opting not to go for it.

Just my two cents on this.

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yes, it's worth it. it's amazing to me how many nurses talk about money incentive. i realize that having some incentive is nice, and yes, it does cost several hundreds of dollars to prepare for and take the cnor exam. however, try to think more about the personal and professional benefits versus how much extra $$$ you may or may not get from your employer or how much it costs to take the exam! i've even heard nurses in the operating room talk about the cnor being a waste of time and how it doesn't make you a better nurse, etc. well, i couldn't disagree more. every nurse--regardless of the area in which he or she practices--should strive for certification. it doesn't matter if you get more money for it or whether or not your employer pays for you to take the exam. achieving certification gives you a personal sense of accomplishment and i would argue that overall it does make you a "better" nurse. it also makes you more marketable and you will stand out as a leader when you attain and maintain certification. ultimately, it makes you a better patient advocate and it helps move you towards the role of nurse expert.

p.s. as a side note...i have found that nurses who bash and put down the cnor (or any other type of professional certification) usually do so because they feel professionally threatened by nurses who have certification. also, nurses typically down play certification because they're afraid they won't pass the exam and/or are too lazy to put the time and effort into studying.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Rockrn I agree 120% with you. I got my cnor last year. I got no pay raise or reimbursement. I did get the satisfaction of being one of a 2 nurses to get it at my facility. I was the 3rd to take it an the first to pass it, on my first try, one other nurse passed after I did and she is my VP.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Sorry for my bad grammar, my cell phone does funny thing with words sometimes...

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