According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a division of the American Nurses Association (ANA), certification “Empowers nurses in their specialty and contributes to better patient outcomes.” Each nursing certification confirms a nurse’s expert knowledge in a certain medical

According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a division of the American Nurses Association (ANA), certification “Empowers nurses in their specialty and contributes to better patient outcomes.”

Each nursing certification confirms a nurse’s expert knowledge in a certain medical field or specialty. The accumulation of valuable certifications enhances a nurse’s value in the workplace.

There are many nursing certifications available, some of which are a basic and fundamental requirement for employment, available to earn in a variety of specialty areas. Other certifications beyond the basic requirements are attained to demonstrate a nurse’s clinically focused and enhanced knowledge.

The Most Required Certifications

Most healthcare facilities require the nursing staff to be certified in these basic care areas:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) for all nursing staff: this teaches life-saving techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), choking rescue, and other emergencies
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) for all emergency room (ER) and critical care unit nursing staff members: this teaches advanced skills to treat cardiac arrest and other life-threatening medical emergencies

The Pros of Earning Nursing Certifications

There are many reasons why a nurse may seek a specific certification. The benefits of any nursing certification include:

• Validating expert knowledge in a specific clinical field
• Boosting professional confidence
• Offering career satisfaction
• Enhancing salary growth potential

Each nurse has a specific reason as to why they desire a certain certification. Every reason that results in a successful nursing certification is a positive one.

The Process of Earning a Certification

The process time varies depending upon the specific certification. The steps and requirements involved in the process include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Holding a current nursing license
• Completion of the required clinical experience hours
• Completion of required class time or online learning time
• Successful completion of the specific certification exam

The fees for each nursing certification vary and are scaled, based upon current professional memberships. Members of the American Nurses Association often enjoy a sizeable discount for certification and certification renewal.

Name the Certifications

A comprehensive list of available nursing certifications is found on Lippincott’s Nursing Center website or check out the ANCC website. The ANCC is the largest organization in the world that offers nursing credentialing. Certifications include, but are not limited to:

• Addiction Nursing
• Ambulatory Care Nurse
• Critical Care Nursing
• Diabetes Educator
• Emergency Nursing
• Gerontology Nursing
• Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing
• Infusion Nursing
• Lactation Specialist
• Legal Nurse Consulting
• Managed Care Nursing
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Nurse Educator
• Nurse Midwife
• Nurse Practitioner
• Oncology Nursing
• Pediatric Critical Care Nurse
• Psychiatric Nurse Specialist
• School Nursing

The above list is only a partial representation of the certifications available to qualified nurses. There are certifications available in almost every medical specialty. Some nurses choose to earn certification in more than one area of expertise, as there is a great deal of crossover information and blended skill sets between medical specialties.

A Final Word

There are certifications available in almost every healthcare specialty. Each certification has a prescribed journey to successful completion. There are basic education requirements, years of experience in the field, and a written exam required to prove expert knowledge in each specialty.