The Power of Nursing Specialty Certification on Facebook

Nurse Certification

97 Percent of Nurses Say it Boosts Confidence

BY SUE MONTGOMERY, RN, BSN
"You know you’re good at what you do, so why invest the time, angst and money involved in pursuing specialty certification? It’s a good question, but if you understand some of the potential benefits of certification, you may find yourself signing up before you know it."

---

"WHAT IT MEANS
The term “certification” can be somewhat confusing because it has several possible meanings. The focus of this article is on voluntary specialty certification rather than advanced practice certification. Voluntary specialty certification generally requires an exam provided by a national association, while advanced practice certifications are typically state-specific with requirements comparable to those of licensure. In California, the Board of Registered Nurses administers eight advanced practice certifications; you can find out more at www.rn.ca.gov/applicants/ad-pract.shtml. Read more about it at our Facebook page."


Nurses and other individuals who have specialized in Infection Prevention can become certified as well. According to the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.,  (CBIC)
“…. the certification exam is geared for those who have been in practice for two years, there is no longer any time requirement that defines sufficient infection control experience.” 
The CBIC website has all the information you need to find out if you qualify and how to go about becoming certified in this exciting field.