A certified nurse’s leadership level, professionalism, and commitment to excellence in the care of patients and families is an imperative part of quality and merit.
Today, more than a million advanced practice nurses and nurses in Canada and the United States hold one or more specialty nursing credentials.
Certified Nurses
Healthcare is progressively more demanding and intricate. For many reasons, nursing certification is a vital part of excellence.
In most cases, a nurse’s commitment to using proof to provide care for patients and families requires specialty certification. In order to achieve certification, nurses must demonstrates to the team of healthcare professionals, families, employers — and above all, patients — that the nurse’s knowledge is a reflection of a strong promise and obligation to patient safety and national standards.
Earlier this year, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) asked a small group of advanced practice, progressive care, and critical care nurses why they chose to be certified. The following are responses from six nurses:
Rebekah LaDuke, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN said.
“Critical care nursing is my passion, with other critical care nurses being my second family. Certification helps me show the world how much I believe in what we do every day!”
Alaa Allan, BSN, RN, CCRN added,
“I decided to get certified to continue my learning and become a more well-rounded and knowledgeable nurse in the critical care setting. This helped me become a leader to my peers, a stronger preceptor, and take better care of my patients.”
According to Salomé Maria Loera, DNP, ACCNS-AG, PCCN, CCRN-CMC, SCRN,
“I became certified to demonstrate my commitment to my specialty and professional growth. I was inspired by the certified nurses who mentored me, and I hope to similarly inspire others to pursue certification.”
Jodi Coltes Warfield, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC points out,
“I decided to get certified because many of my peers were certified. Going the distance and obtaining certification helps me show my commitment to my patients and critical care, and positions me to be a resource for new nurses.”
Diana Walls, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CV-RN says,
“I became certified so I could take more specialized care of my cardiac patients and also inspire other nurses to elevate their practice.”
And, Arika Duchene, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, GERO-BC, CCRN briefly explains,
“I wanted to raise my bar as a critical care nurse educator and inspire my frontline staff to do the same as well. If you’re going to walk the walk, you need to talk the talk.”
Certification Benefits Families and Patients
In 2002, a national poll demonstrated the 78 percent of the public were aware of nurse certification. In addition, 73 percent responded that they prefer hospitals that employ nurses with specialty certification.
Nurse certification provides patients and their families with validation that their caregiver has demonstrated knowledge, skills, and experience in their specialty.
Additionally, as health care becomes more complex it’s becoming essential to reassure the public that healthcare professionals are prepared in specialty care.
According to the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS), currently, more than a million nurses and advanced practice nurses in the United States and Canada are endorsed with one or more specialty nursing credentials,. These certifications were granted by 56 U.S.-based credentialing organizations and represent 148 different credentials.
For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) dedicates one of their goals to acute and critical care nursing excellence. Moreover, the organization’s vision creates a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States. At present, more than 138,000 critical care, progressive care and advanced practice nurses hold AACN Certification Corporation. The credentials: CCRN, PCCN, ACNPC, ACNPC-AG, CCNS, ACCNS-AG, ACCNS-P, ACCNS-N, CMC and CSC.
The credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses drives patient health and safety through comprehensive credentialing of acute and critical care nurses, ensuring practice consistent with standards of excellence. Since 1976, AACN Certification Corporation has collectively granted approximately 450,000 nursing certifications, with over 138,000 active certifications held.
