More certification after I graduate?

suzanne4, RN · May 15, 2005

Most facilities like for the nurses in specialty areas to have certification such as CEN for the ER ( Certified Emergency Nurse), CCRN (Criticial Care Registered Nurse) for the ICUs, etc. These used to require two years experience before even being able to sit for them, but now that requirement has eased. There is also a certification offered for med-surg nurses as well.

Then there are the certifications in PICC line insertion, IABP (intra-aortic balloon pump......

Hope that this helps.....................but new grads normally do not have these certifications when they are first beginning.......... :)

J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS · May 16, 2005

Just a reminder that CCRN does not stand for Critical care registered nurse, this denotes that you took a special licensing exam specific for critical care. This is a myth that many people think. Yes, you are certified in critical care (adult, pedi, or neonatal), but you are not a critical care registered nurse.

To th OP, no you do not have to be certified to work in ED or ICU, it is something that you can work on later. The facility I work in hires new GN's into the ED and ICU. Good luck to you...

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 16, 2005

In critical care here, we have to go through the "Critrical Care Internship Program" which includes online classes in EKG, Progressive and then Critical Care.

Many hospitals have a program to train their critical care nurses, and this is what she might mean by "certified".

Such as the nurses on our oncology unit are "Chemo certified" by our hospital, meaning they study and take a test and are "certified" to administer chemotherapy at our hospital.

Sorry, to tell you your education only begins after you pass NCLEX. Nursing is a never ending acquisition of knowlege, much of it through certification, or hospital training in specialties.

:)

suzanne4, RN · May 16, 2005

Just a reminder that CCRN does not stand for Critical care registered nurse, this denotes that you took a special licensing exam specific for critical care. This is a myth that many people think. Yes, you are certified in critical care (adult, pedi, or neonatal), but you are not a critical care registered nurse.
To th OP, no you do not have to be certified to work in ED or ICU, it is something that you can work on later. The facility I work in hires new GN's into the ED and ICU. Good luck to you...

Sorry, but there is a specific exam that is offered and this is what it is called. It is offered by ACCN. They actually are now offering a CCRN exam for those nurses that work in the peds ICU. That is the name of the exam and the initials that go after ones name when they pass the exam. There are certification exams for all of the different areas, it says nothing about licensing, but certification only. And that is what the original poster asked.

And if you look at what I previously posted, it says that you usually need two years of work experience to be able to sit for this exam for most specialties.

And this is not a myth..................

An d I states that many facilities like their staff to be certified, I said nothing of it being a requirement.

GrnHonu99, RN · May 16, 2005

Thanks guys...

LOL...after reading this I am thinking that you guys are saying that I would be eligible to work in the ER or ICU after I graduate...that is if they would hire a new grad like me lol....

suzanne4, RN · May 16, 2005

Thanks guys...
LOL...after reading this I am thinking that you guys are saying that I would be eligible to work in the ER or ICU after I graduate...that is if they would hire a new grad like me lol....

They hire new grads all of the time. You have to begin somewhere. Just find a place that has an excellent orientation with a great preceptor and you should do fine. :)

Remember that you real schooling just begins when you actually begin working as an RN. That is where you studies truly start.

Nurse Izzy · May 16, 2005

I started out in the ED directly after graduating nursing school. My facility had specific requirements regarding certifications, but those were addressed after hire. What I mean is that, as a new grad, yes you could work in our ED. In order to take the trauma beds, however, you had to have the TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Curriculim sp?), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and ENPC/PALS (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Curriculum or Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certifications. Our facility paid for and scheduled you for those classes - it wasn't something you had to do on your own. Until you had those certs, you simply didn't take those beds. You could assist but weren't responsible directly, per se. Many Critical Care areas require these or similar certs, usually being ACLS, but will hire without with the condition being that they are obtained. With that condition, again, many hospitals will either pay or reimburse for the classes.

GrnHonu99, RN · May 16, 2005

I started out in the ED directly after graduating nursing school. My facility had specific requirements regarding certifications, but those were addressed after hire. What I mean is that, as a new grad, yes you could work in our ED. In order to take the trauma beds, however, you had to have the TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Curriculim sp?), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and ENPC/PALS (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Curriculum or Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certifications. Our facility paid for and scheduled you for those classes - it wasn't something you had to do on your own. Until you had those certs, you simply didn't take those beds. You could assist but weren't responsible directly, per se. Many Critical Care areas require these or similar certs, usually being ACLS, but will hire without with the condition being that they are obtained. With that condition, again, many hospitals will either pay or reimburse for the classes.

wow this field never ceases to suprise me:) in a good way! lol

J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS · May 16, 2005

Sorry, but there is a specific exam that is offered and this is what it is called. It is offered by ACCN. They actually are now offering a CCRN exam for those nurses that work in the peds ICU. That is the name of the exam and the initials that go after ones name when they pass the exam. There are certification exams for all of the different areas, it says nothing about licensing, but certification only. And that is what the original poster asked.
And if you look at what I previously posted, it says that you usually need two years of work experience to be able to sit for this exam for most specialties.
And this is not a myth..................
An d I states that many facilities like their staff to be certified, I said nothing of it being a requirement.

suzanne4

I should have put a space in between the paragaraphs. Sorry I was just pointing out that CCRN does not stand for Critical care registered nurse, that is a trademark that AACN owns. As stated on their website..

CCRN® is a registered service mark of the AACN Certification Corporation and denotes certification in critical care nursing as granted by the AACN Certification Corporation. Registered nurses who have not achieved CCRN certification status or whose CCRN status has lapsed are not authorized to use the CCRN credential. Although a common misconception, the letters CCRN do not stand for "critical care registered nurse." To use the credential in such a way suggests that nurses are REGISTERED as critical care nurses, when in fact that is not true. Registration is a legal matter between a nurse and the state in which he or she practices. For a definition of certification, as opposed to registration

I was not implying that you stated it was a requirement. I was just giving some information about the misconception regarding CCRN, and just want to let the OP know this so they would not think that this is what it means.

I aggree, yes it is not requirement to work in any specific ICU. ED etc. Just trying to let the OP know that it is something that is not needed to be hired into ICU, ED, etc...Most hospitals encourage staff to seek certification in their speciality area.

Hope this helps...

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 16, 2005

Thanks guys...
LOL...after reading this I am thinking that you guys are saying that I would be eligible to work in the ER or ICU after I graduate...that is if they would hire a new grad like me lol....

Many facilities, my own included hire new grads into the ER and ICU. They get more training and preceptorships. As I said, don't expect your education to end after you pass NCLEX.

RoxanRN · May 16, 2005

Sorry I was just pointing out that CCRN does not stand for Critical care registered nurse, that is a trademark that AACN owns.

I have never been able to figure what CCRN then actually stands for (if it's not Critical Care Register Nurse). I can't find the definition on the AACN.