In nursing school, I never really knew what nursing certification was, nor was I very concerned about it. Heck, I still had this beast of a test, called the NCLEX, to pass. I was fortunate enough to land my dream job in a CVICU while I was still in nursing school, so the minute I arrived, I knew I wanted to prove that I could do this- not only to my newly acquired peers, but also to myself. I quickly signed up as a member of the AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) and set my sights on gaining enough knowledge to pass the CCRN Exam (certification in critical care nursing). After a year of nursing practice, my educator enrolled me in the Open Heart Recovery class which details the process of caring for a patient in the first 12 hours after Open Heart Surgery. What an eye opener that was – so much new information that helped all the pieces fit together. I loved it! Taking care of this population reaffirmed that I was in the right place; it refreshed my commitment to my career. This boost gave me the confidence to sign up for the CCRN exam, which I sat for and passed! :)
Then, around my 3 year anniversary, I decided I was up for another challenge (and some more cool letters after my name) and signed up for the CSC Exam (certification in cardiac surgery). I found a book that many others had read & recommended called The Manual of Perioperative Care in Adult Cardiac Surgery and read it cover to cover. The book starts off by giving information on pre-op care, from both a nurses view and a physicians view, then goes into techniques for surgery which doesn’t directly relate to test content. But then it gets to the good stuff… what I do every day at work, but it gives rationale for why we do what we do, which is especially useful for some of the things that have become automatic in my daily care. I sat for my exam as scheduled and passed! It really does feel great.
Certified nurses show their community that they are dedicated healthcare professionals. These certifications are voluntary (for the most part), don’t often come with huge pay raises, and require a great deal of work. So why do it? My answer… pride. I take so much pride in my knowledge base and my ability to take care of my patients each and every day that I’m in the hospital. It also shows your employer (& your increasingly savvy patients) that you have commitment and dedication to your work. By getting certified you are going above and beyond what a “good” nurse is doing. After receiving your certification, you are required to keep up with continuing education in order to renew which keeps you abreast of the most up-to-date information in your field.
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” -Lao-tzu (Chinese philosopher) If you’re thinking about certification, take that step. You won’t regret it.
