There are many benefits of nursing certifications. The key benefits are that nursing certifications provide the primary post-educational method of keeping nursing professionals abreast of new developments in their areas of specialization. Certification validates and recognizes an individual’s knowledge and skills in specific areas of clinical practice or administrative function.
Nursing certification is also a resource for nurse professionals who address a multitude of new and emerging healthcare trends, including:
- Rising Patient Acuity – Overwhelmed primary care systems, an aging patient population, and increases in chronic conditions all contribute to increasing patient acuity,
- Increasing Care Model Complexity – The shift from Fee-for-Service to Population Health Management and Whole Patient Care is resulting in new and more complex care models, and
- Increasing Emphasis on Outcomes – Close tracking of patient outcomes based on Evidence-Based Practice methodologies.
Who Benefits
The benefits of nursing certifications apply to all parties in the healthcare delivery model, including:
Patients and their Families
People seeking care and their family members look to nursing as an indicator of the quality of care they will receive. Many patients or family members will research their situation and have questions about the care given and the level of expertise of the caregivers. Learning that their healthcare providers are certified in their fields comforts patients and their families. The presence of certified nurses results in:
- Patients have greater confidence in the quality of the care they receive,
- Higher patient satisfaction,
- Better care as certified care professionals are generally more aware of the latest science, and
- Improved patient outcomes.
One example where nursing certification has shown to be effective is the frequency of patient falls [1].
Healthcare Organizations
Hospitals, clinics, physician practice groups, and other healthcare organizations reap multiple benefits from employing professionals with certifications in their areas of expertise. Healthcare organizations with a higher percentage of certified professionals become more competitive in their community and region by delivering improved quality of care while containing costs.
- Establishes a culture of achievement and professionalism,
- Provides an ongoing mechanism of employee skill validation,
- Produces a more professional and supportive work environment,
- Increases level of job satisfaction leading to higher employee retention,
- Attracts high-quality healthcare professionals seeking a collaborative environment that certified professionals tend to foster,
- Attracts more patients through the delivery of improved quality care, and
- Reduces risk to patients and improves standings with insurance companies.
Patients are more likely to select hospitals with a higher ratio of certified nurses when given the option.
Nurses and Healthcare Professionals
Most importantly, certification provides nurses with up-to-date knowledge and specialized skills to better care for patients with more acute or complex health issues.
Certification provides an impartial validation of a nurse’s knowledge and skills. Certified nurses differentiate themselves from their peers. Certification benefits nursing professionals by:
- Providing tangible validation of nursing knowledge and expertise,
- Providing proof of commitment to the profession,
- Increasing critical thinking skills,
- Increasing decision-making confidence,
- Instilling a sense of fulfillment,
- Providing a vehicle for professional growth leading to career advancement, and
- Increasing the value of an employee in the eyes of the employer.
Furthermore, employers prefer hiring nurse professionals with certifications in their area of expertise.