“Being certified makes you go that extra mile,” said Maureen Teoh, RN II at Houston Methodist West Hospital, who has held certifications for more than seven years, first in orthopedics and now cardiovascular. “You have to work to maintain your certifications, too, so you have to brush up on the areas you don’t see on a daily basis. And the renewals keep coming, so it makes you stay abreast of new situations.” As health care delivery and patient acuity become more complex, the demand for experienced, highly skilled providers with a depth and breadth of knowledge is on the rise. “The preparation and study necessary for successful completion of certification examinations improve our ability to care for acute, chronic, or critically ill patients,” she said. “Continued competency requirements for certification renewal ensure that we remain up-to-date with the latest developments in our specialties. Most importantly, certification contributes to better patient care and improves patient outcomes.” In a survey of more than 11,000 certified and noncertified nurses conducted by the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS), more than 90 percent agreed that certification validates specialized knowledge, enhances professional credibility, and indicates a level of clinical competence; more than 80 percent agreed that certification promotes recognition from peers and other health professionals. Even though most will agree that holding certifications is important, often the cost involved can be a hindrance. Houston Methodist offers a Take 2 program, which gives
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nurses the chance to take certification exams twice for the cost of one and the hospital pays for it. Houston Methodist hospitals also contract with ANCC on the Success Pays program, which gives nurses a discount code in order to take certain certification exams at no cost. Nurses are given two opportunities to achieve certification through this program. “We find a stumbling block is people don’t want to put the financials behind it for the certifications, for getting the CEUs afterward, for getting the materials and for the classes,” said Houston Methodist Sugar Land OR Department Manager Karen Tobin, Karen Tobin, BSN, RN, CNOR.
“IT’S IMPORTANT FOR RNS TO BE CERTIFIED AS THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE SOUND KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR AREAS OF CLINICAL PRACTICE.” She said once Take 2 was put in place, they found the eligible employees — those who haven’t taken it before — and talked to them about the importance of getting their certification and how it impacts patient safety. They even added it to the employees’ competencies. “It was really getting the buy-in from the staff that says yes, we are committed and that will be my goal for the following year,” said Vicki A. Fox, BSN, RN, MPA,
director of Perioperative & Cardiac Catheterization Services. “Plus when they’re doing projects and continuing their education it also entices them to go for certification knowing they already know the information.” Becoming certified not only boosts nurses’ reputations but also increases their paychecks. A salary survey conducted by nursing found that, among registered nurses, those certified in a specialty made $7,300 more per year than registered nurses who weren’t certified. Heather Chung, director of Houston Methodist Psychiatry Services, strongly encourages her staff to become certified and allocates the resources that aid them in being successful. Chung says peer-to-peer support also plays a significant role in a nurse’s decision to become certified. “They share study resources and help each other,” she said. Chung has encouraged her team to increase the percentage of certified nurses on staff and also shared the Houston Methodist reimbursement process. “It’s important for RNs to be certified as this is evidence that they have sound knowledge in their areas of clinical practice,” she said. During her quarterly one-on-one sessions with her RNs, she encourages them to work on a unit project, participate in a shared governance and consider certification. “As a growing Magnet unit, I strongly promote professional growth.” She adds that the career benefits of certification can be divided into several domains — personally it allows nurses to take pride to be recognized as an expert in the area of practice; clinically, nurses can serve as role models, professional experts and someone who is a lifelong learner; and finally, it allows nurses to demonstrate