Mandating CRRN Certification

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Specializes in Geriatrics, acute hospital care, rehab.

Our ARU has been open now for 18 months. The director is making it mandatory for the RNs to become rehab certified. This has caused a big upset with some of the RNs, especially the older ones who will be retiring in the not to distant future. Question is: Do other ARUs make it mandatory that you be or become a CRRN to work in an acute rehab setting? The staff kinda feel they are doing it for publicity purposes. Thanks for any feed back

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What's the deadline for becoming certified? I'm surprised that they're not 'grandfathering' the more experienced nurses. (At my last job prior to becoming a nurse, I think they worked it out pretty good. They gave us 18 months to become certified in phlebotomy, but they exempted anyone who had been there longer than five years.)

Do all of the nurses even qualify to take the CRRN exam? I'm not a rehab nurse, but I looked into taking the certification exam for elective credit in my BSN program. If I remember correctly, you need two years experience as a rehab RN.

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Eric is right about the qualifications to take the CRRN---you have to have worked in rehab for 2 yrs to qualify. Are they paying for the certification? It's almost $300 to take the exam. Are they providing exam prep classes? It's NOT an easy exam. If not, then they can require it all they want to, but very few are gonna pass it. If nurses are really interested in rehab and administration is paying for it, then I'm not sure why the nurses would object, unless it's just the fact that they are being told they "have to do it." If you switch jobs, it can be a feather in your resume to have the certification. Best of luck.

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The crrn exam is hard! I studied for months and passed, but I didn't feel very confident about it. Your manager is probably seeking CARF accredidation which requires a minimum percentage of certified nurses. Your unit can grow and improve by having this, but I don't think your manager will be able to get enough CRRNs to be more than 50%.

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We just went through CARF accreditation and they don't require nurses to be CRRN certified. They encourage it, because it shows that your nurses have expert knowledge to care for patients with rehabilitation needs. With all the payment issues now, CMS is requiring that units that accept Medicare patients have care from "nurses with rehabilitation knowledge." That is a written requirement. Having nurses who are certified is one way to meet this requirement. Yes, it may be a publicity issue, but ultimately, the payors are now looking at rehab nursing knowledge and experience too.

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We were just recertified from CARF in Sept. and it is not a requirement yet it is strongly suggested. I manage a 15 bed AIP unit and I am the only CRRN. Our Physiatrist is pushing the rest of the staff to get cert. but not requiring it.

Does anyone know of an online prep. course available for preparing for the test? I studied for 6 months, and it was by far the hardest test I ever took including nursing school and state boards.

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Specializes in Government.

I'm bumping this thread because I am really curious as to what is happening in the CRRN world these days. I'm certified since 1991 and just renewed. I work as a consultant so I don't have contact with other rehab nurses.

None of my friends who I initially got certified with are still maintaining their cert. My old unit (which did require CRRN) is long defunct. My gut tells me the #s are probably falling. The latest certification guide made it clear that "rehab" is defined so broadly now that anyone who is an RN could essentially qualify. That test though? Still the hardest one I've ever taken.

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

oh lord...."That test though? Still the hardest one I've ever taken." EEEKKk I shouldn't be reading this two days before mine.......

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What's the deadline for becoming certified? I'm surprised that they're not 'grandfathering' the more experienced nurses. (At my last job prior to becoming a nurse, I think they worked it out pretty good. They gave us 18 months to become certified in phlebotomy, but they exempted anyone who had been there longer than five years.)

Do all of the nurses even qualify to take the CRRN exam? I'm not a rehab nurse, but I looked into taking the certification exam for elective credit in my BSN program. If I remember correctly, you need two years experience as a rehab RN.

We need to be a rehab nurse for 2 years, it is not mandatory right now, but it seem to be when we were trying to become a magnet status hospital, some rns passed and some fail, but they had enough to say "we have specialty nurses with certifications" for the magnet committee, we now have magnet status and CRRN is not mandatory.

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Specializes in Orthopedic, Trauma, Acute Rehab..

]I am an employee of the #2 rehab hospital in the country, that being said no one is "making us acquire" the "CRRN" credential. Some have and others plan to.

]But does it not make sense, if that is the landscape you would be working in, that you and your employeer would want to have such a certificate. I will be getting it when my two years has passed. When I worked in Orthopedics I acquired my RNFA, " Surgical 1st assist" so I could follow our patients from 1st visit to discharge, and several other certs, casting, bracing, orthotic and prostethic fitter, gait evaluation classes, etc. My Dr's LOVE it-

]All becouse "I" wanted to show that I had an understanding of all thats envolved in my "Nursing" area of claimed specialty. Then Ortho, Now Acute Rehab....

]That knowledge stays mine, who cares who pays for it, them, you, the Navy. You become better at what you claim to be able to do, and yes more valuable to your employer. But do what you want to do, get it, don't get it. So many Nurses are clamering to get their BSN, which gives you nothing that makes you a better Nurse or helps you secure a nich, or understand the conversation about your patient in a specialty setting. Proving by exam, like the CRRN- does...

]But hey..... I'm just saying- smile.png

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Specializes in Geriatrics and Quality Improvement,.

"BSN, which gives you nothing that makes you a better Nurse or helps you secure a nich"

Well, the BSN is required for a magnet hospital, is it not? Then I dare-say it does get you a niche. I have a friend who is an EXCELLENT nurse, and would have been perfect.. PERFECT for the job she was being asked to apply for.

But they couldnt take her because they needed a magnet accrediation, and she has no BSN. They are giving those who work there without BSN time to get it, but they are not hiring those without it. Niche?

Yes, I have my BSN, and I work in a sector(LTC) where it isnt mandatory, but it was needed for me to go into the masters program. Niched again.

It dosent make you a better nurse, not at all. Just a nurse with a little more school who knows how to write BS.

Please, just dont say it dosent secure you a niche. Im seeing 2 instances right here in front of me.

PS. I'm 'afraid' to go for the CRRN becuase I know it is hard. Thankfully my NY job dosent require it. I have other certifications/certificates though, NCCDP, BC-Geriatrics, Phleb., Case Management, etc etc.. just because it gives you a leg up. And I got those after my BSN, becuase I agree with you on the whole, but not on the 'niche'

:jester::nurse:

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Specializes in Orthopedic, Trauma, Acute Rehab..

]Glad we can agree (i mean it) on the whole, just hate to see someone feel that they are being "made" to better themselves via an additional "Nursing Certification". All learning, all education, is good and valuable...

]I just hate to see so many moving away from placing a value on "Nursing education vs Higher education" But Hey-

]I'm just saying....:yeah:

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