Nursing Specialty Certification:
Validation of Knowledge
Definition of Certification
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
•The documented validation of specific qualifications
demonstrated by the individual registered nurse in the provision of professional nursing care in a defined area of practice.
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
•A process by which a nongovernmental agency validates, based
on predetermined standards, and individual nurse’s knowledge for practice in a defined functional or clinical area of nursing.
Overview
•
Registered Nurse licensure validates
entry-level competence of basic knowledge and
skill to perform job responsibilities.
•
Certification validates advanced knowledge
and competence in a specialty.
•
Certification programs are intended for
consumer protection.
•
Analogous to Board Certification in other
disciplines.
The Value of Certification
• Recognizing that professional certification is the
highest validation of clinical excellence in a nurse’s specialty, a targeted goal for improvement in
professional nursing certification rates at the
organizational level has been set annually at UCLA since 2005.
• UCLA believes that increasing the number of certified nurses is one of our most important
strategies for promoting professional competence in alignment with our role based strategic initiative.
Professional Achievements
• Increasing the number of certified nurses at ULCA
operationalizes many components of the UCLA Nursing Professional Practice Model.
• By obtaining specialty certification, nurses validate their
role as a practitioner with expertise in their field.
• Certification also builds confidence in the nurse’s ability as
a decision maker, and it validates the nurse as a scientist, possessing knowledge of professional specialty practice standards.
• As leaders they have provided unwavering commitment to
UCLA Certification Goals
• The goal established for the last fiscal year was to increase the number of certified nurses at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center by 2%, reflecting an additional 66 certified nurses.
Certification Compensation at UCLA
• A specialty certification compensation program is available to career nurses holding a nationally
recognized certification.
• This program provides a financial incentive of $100 stipend per month (pro-rated for part time
employees) to each certified nurse.
• UCLA has advocated for this stipend to offset the cost of certification to the nurse, including
professional organization and testing fees.
Certification Campaign
• As part of the fiscal year 2014 strategic plan, one formalized strategy was the UCLA Dare to Be
Certified Campaign, which was launched in January
of 2014.
• The campaign was designed to raise awareness of the value of certification and the resources available to UCLA nurses committing to this pursuit.
• Important information was also available on-line to all nurses via the UCLA Health Department of
Certification Review Courses
• In response to the educational needs assessment, a Certification Review Course Plan was developed.
• In the past 2 years, 15 on-site review courses have been offered at UCLA with over 300 nurses in
attendance.
• Courses have been offered for 12 different
specialties including critical care, progressive care, ambulatory, perioperative, oncology, and pediatrics.
Certification Review Courses
• All of these courses have been offered at no charge to the nurses, and they are able to utilize their
continuing education hours to attend the course.
• All full-time nurses are eligible for forty continuing education hours per year (prorated for part-time nurses).
• Continuing education hours can also be utilized to attend educational offerings necessary to maintain certification.
Certification Recognition
• A formal recognition event for Nurses’ Week is held annually at UCLA.
• A first ever Certification Celebration was held in March 2014, to coincide with the month of National Certification Day.
• This event was developed to recognize both newly certified
nurses and those with existing certification.
• It also helped to provide information to any nurses
interested in becoming certified or needing to renew their certification. The event stood out across the organization as a dedicated recognition of certified nurses.
UCLA’s First
Evidence Related to Patient Outcomes
• In a study of pediatric patients in 38 hospital, linked clinical nursing experience and certification to a
decrease in mortality. (JONA, 2013)
• Hospitals with a larger percentage of nurses with a baccalaureate degree and certification was
associated with a lower 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue rates. For every 10% increase,
there was a 6% decrease odds of dying. (Evid Based Nurs., 2012)
http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/reseachvali datingcertifcation.pcms
Value to the Patient and Family
•
Certified Nurses make Decisions with more
Confidence.
•
Nurses’ Perceptions of Value to Patients &
Families.
•
Increased Patient Satisfaction Scores.
•
Adherence to Evidence-Based Guidelines.
•
Associated with Better Patient Outcomes.*
*Kendall Gallagher, D, Aiken, L H, Sloane, D M, et al. (2011). Nurse specialty
certification, inpatient mortality, and failure to rescue. Journal of nursing scholarship, 43(2), 188-94.
Why Do Hospitals Support Certification?
A means to recruit and retain good nurses.
Knowledge that their nurses have met rigorous national requirements and are role models of professional accountability.
Growing evidence links certified nursing practice and positive outcomes.
Certification is among the key excellence indicators for programs such as Magnet,
Beacon and Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award.
Value to Employers
•Enhanced Patient Care
•Improved Recruitment and Retention •Demonstrates a Learning Organization
In an acute care medical unit of a
750-bed academic health care
facility: a 60% increase in certified
nurses in 1-year*
*Craven, H. Recognizing excellence: a unit-based activities to support specialty
Initial Final
Turnover 16.7% 8.1% Vacancy Rate 11.7% 4.73% Pt Satisfaction Score 88.2% 90.4%
Value to Nurses
• Promotes quality patient care
• Validates knowledge and expertise
• Builds confidence in professional ability
• Demonstrates meeting national standards
• Shows dedication to nursing as a profession
• Provides potential career opportunities and financial gain
• Validates nurses as a credible resource for colleagues and patients
• Promotes personal growth and satisfaction as professional nurses
References
• Craven, H. (2007). Recognizing excellence: unit-based activities to support
specialty nursing certification. Medsurg Nursing, 16(6), 367-71; quiz 372.
• Kaplow, R. (2011). The value of certification. AACN advanced critical care,
22(1), 25-32.
• Kendall Gallagher, D, Aiken, L H, Sloane, D M, et al. (2011). Nurse specialty
certification, inpatient mortality, and failure to rescue. Journal of nursing scholarship, 43(2), 188-94.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Member Board Profiles.
Chicago, IL: National Council of State Boards of Nursing; 2007
• http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/reseachvalidatingcertifcatio