At Memorial Medical Center, we value and are deeply committed to promoting excellence through certification. In 2005 we recognized a certification slump. The last staff nurse was certified in 2003. There was no aspiration to consider or pursue certification.
Determined to change this trend, barriers were identified and an ongoing "Certification Commitment" was developed. Our goals were to increase numbers and retention, by addressing concerns and providing meaningful recognition.
We collaborated with local AACN chapters to support review courses and agreed to pay fees, mileage and days off to attend and test. In return, nurses were asked to sign a written agreement to follow through with testing. To recognize our CCRNs, their names and credentials are listed on CCRN plaques. Certified nurses are acknowledged in newsletters, banners and during Nurse's Week ceremonies.
Certification is incorporated into our Advancement Program and required for charge nurses. The benefits of AACN and CCRN are discussed with new hires. There is an expectation that certification will be obtained, and our annual evaluation reflects this philosophy. An abstract on "Tackling the CCRN Slump" was presented at NTI 2007 and is included on AACN's Web site. We proudly display the NTI poster with the pictures of our certified nurses.
Our efforts increased staff-level CCRNs from 50% to 76%. CCRN-eligible RNs (in unit more than two years), increased from 31% to 51%, and our overall number of CCRNs increased 112%, from 16 to 34. Ten RNs from step-down areas have obtained their PCCN and one is CSC credentialed. We anticipate continued growth as more of our RNs are preparing for certification.
At Memorial Medical Center, we are proud of our nurses who are "Reclaiming Our Priorities," to make a difference, and to value certification and its many benefits.
