Question about specialty certifications

[studentnursepupmom]

Please forgive, this probably sounds like a very dumb question...

I'm starting an ADN program this month, and I was just checking out the careers page on the website for my local hospital to see how many RN positions were available (36!). All of the positions said "License Required" and several said "Certification Required"... My question is, how/when do you get these specific certifications? I'm thinking NICU specifically.

TIA for your help :)

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

The certs they are talking about are things like CCRN, CEN, OCN, TNCC etc, there are sooo many. For NICU specifically I'm not sure what speciality certs there are but maybe someone else knows.

Usually these certs require to have a certain amount of bedside time before you take them, amongst other things. CCRN requires you to have some 1800 hrs before you can sit for the exam. For other certs the best thing you could do would be to look at the specific group or association that give the cert. Most of them you prolly wont be able to get until you are fully licensed and working.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

For NICU, there's either the CCRN or the RNC. RNC requires you to have worked two years full-time in a NICU before you can sit for the exam. I was able to take my CCRN after one year of experience. Acquiring either of them simply means submitting an application to test which includes a verification of your experience, and then taking the exam, although most people take a review course, do a significant amount of self-studying, or both, beforehand.

If the postings you're looking at require a certification, then they're not what you should be applying to as a new grad; certification implies a certain level of experience already obtained.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

we are talking two different things:

RNC is a nationally recognized board certification indicating you have completed course work and a test to acquire the cert. Most renew every 5 years.

PALS, ENPC, NRP, STABLE are all certifications for NICU, Nursery and Pedi. Those are renewed every 2 years and do not have the same status as RNC. HOWEVER, I bet that is what they are referring to in the listing.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

Really? If I saw "certification required" in a job listing, I'd think CCRN/RNC. Most postings I've ever seen have specified "BLS required," "NRP required," etc. if that's what they were talking about.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

In reference to the above, what is the name of the exam for NICU certification that would carry the RNC designation?

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

Not sure how you mean...wouldn't it just be the RNC certification exam, leading to the RNC-NIC?

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

It would be the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing certification examination (like you said above requiring 2 years experience in that area) by NCC. And, you are also correct, the designation would be RNC-NIC.

http://www.nccwebsite.org/Certification/Exam-detail.aspx?eid=8

Thanks for the info, Coffee Nurse.

[TinyHineyRN]

I'm pretty sure you can do a CCRN cert for NICU. Its interesting though how there is no distinction in the actual CCRN cert designation between adults, peds, and neonatal. For instance, I am a Certified Pediatric Nurse. The letters behind my name are CPN. If I were to take the CCRN exam for peds, there is no way to determine my cert from that of a certified nurse in a medical ICU. Its not like its CCRN-A or CCRN-P.

Just strangely interesting...

[studentnursepupmom]

Thanks so much! That really bumps the number of available jobs down (and I'm just looking for informational purposes at the moment; of course I won't be able to start looking for a job until I'm graduated and licensed); most say experience and/or certification required! I guess everyone really wasn't kidding about the hardships of finding a job as a new grad!!