January 17, 2022
The world of medicine offers many fulfilling options for nurses. Researchers have found that nurses who receive advanced degrees feel more empowered and are happier in their careers.
Advanced Nursing Certifications Build Your Nursing Career
Advanced nursing certifications help nurses to rise to the top of their profession. Here are a few reasons why it pays to get an advanced certification:
- The skills and expertise gained allow you to excel in highly technical, high-stakes environments. Specialized certifications allow nurses to safely and confidently practice within their chosen specialties.
- Better patient outcomes. Higher levels of nurse training lead to better outcomes for patients.
- Certifications demonstrate competency to employers. Certifications make nursing professionals more ambitious against other job applicants. Being able to prove your skills with certifications is especially important if you have limited job experience.
- It may be impossible to be promoted without certifications. While some certifications are voluntary, others are necessary and based on institutional or state policies. Many human resources departments at hospitals, clinics, and institutions have their internal requirements for applicants that go well beyond what is required by law.
The bottom line is that advanced certifications make nursing professionals more confident, capable, and more trustworthy at their jobs.
The Best Nursing Certification Courses to Pursue
While the answer to which specialty credentials to pursue ultimately comes down to following a vocational passion, it's helpful to know about the most valuable specialty nursing certifications. The following list of nursing certifications provides an overview along with an explanation of each.
Basic Life Support (BLS)
A popular certification option among recent nursing graduates, BLS is a relatively simple and straightforward certification confirming a professional's proficiency with Automated External Defibrillators (AED). Many employers consider this to be a "baseline" certification for employees in medical settings. It can also be a great introduction to the process of preparing for certification.
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
Equipping nurses to work with critical care patients, this certification is required to work in emergency departments. This should be on the radars of nurses qualifying to sit for the CEN exam after completing two years of work in emergency nursing. Certification qualifies a nursing professional to administer critical care to patients of all ages.
Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN)
The increasing need for mental health services, in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, makes CARN certification one of the most important certifications to consider for 2022. This certification equips nurses to work in recovery centers, outpatient centers, and hospitals. A minimum of 2,000 hours of nursing experience related to addictions is required to sit for the exam.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
Ideal for nursing professionals seeking to go even deeper than CARN certification, this certification level enables nurses to work as nurse practitioners in mental health and psychiatric settings. In fact, nurses with this certification cover many of the same roles as psychologists and psychiatrists in terms of diagnosing conditions, prescribing treatments, and offering referrals.
An elite certification, a psychiatric mental health NP certification requires completion of a master's or doctoral nursing program before passing an exam administered by the American Nurses Credential Center.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
Nurses considering a shift to a pediatric specialty can consider PALS certification as a gateway certification. While PALS alone doesn't necessarily serve as a qualification to work in a pediatric wing, it is an important certification for nurses in clinical and emergency settings. Upon completion, nurses demonstrate the ability to resuscitate and stabilize both infants and children.
Nurse Executive Certification
Nurses interested in leadership trajectories can benefit from this certification that is available for nurses with BSN degrees or higher. Many hospitals and facilities consider this certification a requirement for leadership and executive roles. The certification process can be an eye-opening experience for nurses seeking to understand how to pivot to administration.
Progressive Care Certified Nursing (PCCN)
This versatile certification can be utilized by nurses in transitional care, emergency departments, and many other care settings. Designed to equip nurses to provide adequate care for patients with acute illness, this certification is only open to nurses with between two years (1,700 hours) and five years (2,000 hours) of experience administering acute critical care to adults.
Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
One of the most in-demand certifications, CCRN certification equips nurses to treat the most severe injuries and illnesses. It is especially valuable as a career tool for nurses because it covers all critical and acute specialties. It's also typically required by employers for many positions. Certification is open to nurses with two years (1,700 hours) or five years (2,000 hours) of experience working in acute care settings with adult patients.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
With heart disease being the leading cause of death among both men and women, ACLS certification is valuable for all nurses in all settings. ACLS credentials certify a nursing professional's ability to recognize cardiovascular emergencies. In addition, it confirms competency for intervening during cardiovascular emergencies and events. This certification is an excellent complement to BLS skills for recent nursing graduates looking for employment for the first time.
Become Equipped for Specialized Care Settings
These certifications provide relevant skills and credentials for nurses in all phases of their careers. In addition to opening up possibilities for career advancement, they empower nurses to provide personalized, highly dedicated care to patients in very specific settings.
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