Clinical Nurse Leaders Should Consider Earning One of These Five Certifications
- Critical Care Registered Nurse
- AIDS Certified Registered Nurse
- Certified Pediatric Nurse
- Oncology Certified Nurse
- Progressive Care Knowledge Professional
Clinical nurse leaders need to engage in professional development and continue to learn, and these five certifications for clinical nurse leaders can benefit them personally and professionally. These certifications are organized through different accrediting agencies, such as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, which oversees the program and administers the examinations. Each of these five certifications could help advance a clinical nurse leader’s career.
Related resource: Top 20 Online Programs in Clinical Nurse Leadership
1. Critical Care Registered Nurse
There are multiple certification options for critical care registered nurses. The knowledge level of certification is ideal for clinical nurse leaders. This certification involves those who influence the care of patients in critical care settings. There are adult, pediatric and neonatal levels of this care. Nurse managers and administrators should consider this certification.
2. AIDS Certified Registered Nurse
The AIDS Certified Registered Nurse certification is for registered nurses who have at least two years of experience providing direct patient care to people with HIV or AIDS. It is issued by the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. This certification would pair well with a master’s degree in public health. The certification lasts for four years. It involves passing a 250-question multiple-choice exam on topics that include pathophysiology, epidemiology, ethics and legal issues.
3. Certified Pediatric Nurse
The Certified Pediatric Nurse certification requires a minimum of 1,800 pediatric clinical hours that have been completed within the last two years or 3,000 hours of pediatric experience within the past five years. At least 1,000 of those hours have to be earned in the past two years for people who are choosing the five-year option. This is a good certification for nurses who desire to work in children’s hospitals and similar types of care settings that require advanced knowledge of pediatric health.
4. Oncology Certified Nurse
As people live longer, they develop more cancers. An increase in the demand for cancer treatment will lead to a higher demand for oncology nurses. An Oncology Certified Nurse is a designation earned after completing the three-hour, 165-multiple choice examination of oncology nursing skills. The certification lasts for four years. In order to take the test, the nurse should have at least 2,000 hours of specialty practice in oncology nursing and 10 hours of continuing education units on oncology topics.
5. Progressive Care Knowledge Professional
According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, another certification to consider is the progressive care knowledge professional. This type of certification is for nurses who work in a variety of areas, such as telemetry, emergency medicine or transitional care. There are adult, pediatric and neonatal sub-specialties for this certification.
Attaining one of these five certifications for registered nurses requires a minimum of work hours within the most recent one to five years. Nurses will also need to pass an examination and pay the fees associated with the certification process. Gaining one of these five certifications for clinical nurse leaders could result in higher pay and the ability to move into a managerial or teaching position.