Nursing Career Advancement Guide: 5 Super Powers of Certified Nurses!

by | Oct 31, 2024 | Professional Development for Nurses | 0 comments

This is a guest blog post written by fellow nurse, Kristen Livermore, BSN, RN, CV-BC.

Nurses know all too well that the journey of learning never ends. After nursing school, you dive headfirst into your first job, immersing yourself into your nurse specialty and gaining invaluable hands-on experience that goes far beyond nursing school. 

The education continues as you complete your state CE requirements to maintain licensure and grow from novice to expert. However, if you’re ready for next-level nursing career advancement, there’s one game-changing step you shouldn’t overlook: becoming certified in your specialty! This decision brings 5 very powerful benefits that can transform your career and open doors you never imagined!

nursing career advancement guide

The 5 Superpowers of Certified Nurses

1. Certified Nurses Are Experts (and feel like experts too!)

Certified nurses have higher clinical confidence than their non-certified peers, no matter how many years of experience they have. This is fantastic news for newer nurses! Even if you’re just starting out, getting your specialty certification can make you feel like an expert right away, without having to wait for years of experience. 

This boost in confidence leads to less hesitation when taking care of patients. Studies have shown that certified nurses feel more empowered, which means they’re more confident and creative when making decisions. When you pursue nursing career advancement by getting your specialty certification, you will not only be recognized as an expert—you’ll truly feel like one! You may notice that you don’t feel like you are drowning during your shift anymore, and you’ll respond to emergencies more quickly because your decision-making confidence is higher. 

2. Certified Nurses Reduce Medical Errors

Even the best medical professionals make mistakes. It’s estimated that around 98,000 people die each year due to medical errors in hospitals. However, there’s good news: nurses who choose to advance their nursing career with specialty certification tend to make fewer errors. 

Why? 

Certified nurses are more likely to identify potential mistakes before they reach the patient than their uncertified peers. Not only do certified nurses reduce unintentional errors made by themselves, but they also catch errors made by others. Their greater confidence in their nursing judgment helps nurses feel more assured in questioning orders that appear incorrect, which contributes to improved patient outcomes. This proactive mindset helps prevent errors that affect patients, ultimately leading to safer and higher-quality care.

3. Certified Nurses Help Patients Live Longer

Statistically, certified nurses lower patient mortality rates. This nursing career advancement move is not only a significant investment in themselves but results in much safer care for their patients. Certified nurses are able to detect patient deterioration sooner than their non-certified peers. This means that certified nurses not only think faster, but also respond faster to patient deterioration! Patients who receive early intervention are more likely to survive than those who deteriorate during a medical emergency, increasing patient life span. 

In addition to lower patient mortality, patients statistically are safer under the care of a certified nurse. Several research studies demonstrated that patients are less likely to fall while under the care of a certified nurse. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) such as central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates have also been found to be inversely related to the proportion of certified RNs. Patients also experience less pressure injuries under the care of certified nurses. 

Overall, certified nurses statistically provide better patient outcomes than their uncertified peers! 

4. Certified Nurses Experience Less Burnout

Nurse Fatigue is a common experience that many nurses face, however, becoming a certified nurse can effectively combat this challenge! Multiple studies have shown that nurse turnover rates decrease as more nurses obtain specialty certification. 

This phenomenon occurs because nurses have more mental bandwidth during shifts. When nurses improve their skills through specialty certification, they not only help patients more effectively but also feel more confident in their work. This boost in confidence helps reduce stress and increases job satisfaction.

Data even shows that nurses who thought about leaving their jobs because they were exhausted often change their minds after getting specialty certified. They feel more motivated, less burned out, and more dedicated to their nursing passion.

5. Certified Nurses Make More Money

Passing your certification exam allows you to add more credentials behind your name, which enhances your resume and can lead to higher pay! Certified nurses are in high demand, especially at Magnet hospitals, which often prioritize hiring certified nurses over those with more experience. 

Enter any job interview displaying your new nursing credentials from your specialty certification, and it will get you serious attention! Employers are more likely to compete to obtain and retain certified nurses, making it easier for these professionals to request higher competitive wages.

Data shows that certified nurses, on average, earn higher incomes than their non-certified peers. Earning more money not only comes from higher hourly wages, but many employers also often offer financial incentives, such as yearly bonuses, for maintaining certification status.

How to Get Specialty Certified

Getting started on the road to specialty certification starts with first deciding which certification you desire! For example, if you are a cardiac nurse, a great option would be to get certified in cardiac nursing through the ANCC. If you work with ICU patients, then a great certification to pursue would be the critical care (CCRN) certification through the AACN.

After you select the specialty certification you wish to pursue, find a study review resource you love and break up the study material into small sections. Use the SMART goal framework to create a study schedule for each small section. This is your special journey towards specialty certification, so make it your own, and don’t forget to give yourself grace to finish your certification at a pace that works for you. 

Nursing Career Advancement: Conclusion

The superpowers of certified nurses extend far beyond new credentials! Certification not only equips you with the confidence and expertise needed to excel in your career but also enhances patient safety and care quality. By reducing errors, improving patient outcomes, and promoting longer patient lifespans, your specialty certification plays a pivotal role in the healthcare landscape.

Additionally, certification mitigates burnout, boosts job satisfaction, and opens doors to better financial opportunities. As the demands of healthcare continue to evolve, the importance of investing in your own specialty certification becomes increasingly significant. Obtaining specialty certification is not just about nursing career advancement for personal reasons, but also about improving patient outcomes. It is a transformative step that benefits not only nurses but also the patients and communities they serve.

About The Author

kristen headshot
Kristen Livermore, BSN, RN, CV-BC

Kristen Livermore, BSN, RN, CV-BC, is a dynamic leader in the field of cardiac nursing education and an influential advocate for specialty certification. As the CEO of EasyNursingCourses.com, Kristen has harnessed her extensive 18-year career to create impactful continuing education programs tailored for cardiac nurses using animation to make complex concepts easier to understand. Her expertise is evident in the Cardiovascular Board Certified (CV-BC) review course she has taught for years, helping many nurses achieve certification. Kristen has also pioneered an award-winning 3-Prong approach
designed to empower nurse managers in cultivating a culture that values and pursues specialty certification.

References

Boyle, D. K., Cramer, E., Potter, C., & Staggs, V. S. (2015). Longitudinal association of registered nurse national nursing specialty certification and patient falls in acute care hospitals. Nursing Research (New York), 64(4), 291-299. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000107 

Coelho P. Relationship Between Nurse Certification and Clinical Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review. J Nurs Care Qual. 2020 Jan/Mar;35(1):E1-E5. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000397. PMID: 30817408. 

Halm MA. Specialty Certification: A Path To Improving Outcomes. Am J Crit Care. 2021 Mar 1;30(2):156-160. doi: 10.4037/ajcc2021569. PMID: 33644809. 

Whitehead L, Ghosh M, Walker DK, Bloxsome D, Vafeas C, Wilkinson A. The relationship between specialty nurse certification and patient, nurse and organizational outcomes: a systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2019;93:1-11.

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Hi, I’m Kati.

I'm a nurse educator, author, national speaker, and host of the FreshRN® Podcast. I created FreshRN® – an online platform meant to educate, encourage, and motivate newly licensed nurses in innovative ways.

Connect with me on YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and sign-up for my free email newsletter for new nurses.

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