What Is a Nursing Certificate?
A career in nursing can be quite lucrative. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top paid nurses made more than $93,700 per year, as of May 2009. The median salary was $63,750. Those making money closer to the higher end of the range are more likely to work in a specialized area of nursing, for which certification may be needed. Certificates in nursing can, however, refer to different items.
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Nursing Assistant Certficates
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A nursing certificate can designate the completion of a specific program of study, as opposed to a degree or diploma. Certificate programs are typically shorter in length than programs offering other credentials. One of the most common types of certificates is the nursing assistant certificate. Certified nursing assistants or CNAs work alongside registered nurses providing basic patient care. The length of a CNA program varies based on the school and its curriculum. CNAs who complete their educational programs must take a state-required examination to be licensed.
Specialized Nursing Practice
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Some nursing certificates are offered as post-baccalaureate programs of study in certain areas of specialization such as pediatric nursing, emergency nursing and surgical nursing. Nurses usually obtain these certificates in conjunction with master's degree studies in various areas of specialization. These certificate programs can vary in length, but usually add an additional 12 to 21 hours of study to most degree programs. Other areas of nursing specialization include fields such as nursing anesthesiology, acute care, geriatric nursing and nursing education.
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Board Certification
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Another way in which nurses obtain certificates is through the process of board certification, whereby nurses obtain a level of expertise in a particular area of nursing. This occurs after obtaining a nursing specialty certificate (post-baccalaureate or post-master's) and takes into account this education, along with expertise as demonstrated through multiple years of practice in a particular field. It also requires demonstrated knowledge indicated by passing a board certification exam. These are obtained through nursing certification organizations such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center rather than a college or university.
Types of Certification
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The American Nurses Credentialing Center center provides certification for nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and other advanced areas of nursing practice and specialization. The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is the largest and best-known of the nurse credentialing organizations. It offers certificates in areas including forensic nursing, public health nursing, diabetes management, psychiatric nursing, school nursing, nursing informatics and psychiatric nursing.
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- Photo Credit Nurse holding a young patient dressed up as a nurse image by Allen Penton from Fotolia.com
