CCI Blog

The Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM) credential is one of a kind. CSSM is a perioperative management credential designed for perioperative managers, directors, and nurses who oversee personnel, a budget, a business unit, or a service line. Earning the CSSM is a mark of distinction and recognizes the significant role managers play in delivering safe patient care. If you’re in a perioperative management role, then the CSSM certification may be right for you!

Many professions in the modern era experience a high rate of change and nursing is no different. This is especially true for perioperative nurses, given the challenging environment they face in the operating room. With the continual evolution of technology and recent fluctuation in staff availability, a number of noteworthy trends have begun to develop. 

CCI and U.S. Military CSSM Partnership

CCI has established a relationship with the U.S. Military to ensure all nurses are given the opportunity to develop professionally while enhancing their perioperative knowledge. CCI’s CEO James Stobinski, a former military OR nurse, has assisted CCI in developing avenues that open opportunities for military nurses. “CCI offers a combination of discounts and test preparation resources for military nurses. The discounted price of the certification examination is $275, and we also offer access to an online, recorded preparation course” says Stobinski. CCI continues to emphasize the importance of offering opportunities to these nurses and is continually looking for ways to bridge the gap. Stobinski says it best by stating, “CCI is proud to maintain a close, productive working relationship with all branches of military to facilitate their ongoing professional development”. We are proud to not only have a member of the U.S. Military as our CEO, but to also have a member on our Board of Directors and many within our community of certified nurses.

Beth Bozzelli, MBA, RN, CNOR, CSSM, has maintained a successful perioperative career for more than twenty years. She has experience as a Director of Surgical Services, Division Clinical Manager, and Associate Vice President OR Supply Cost Management. As a high school student working at a physician's office, nurse leader Beth Bozzelli discovered her passion for the perioperative profession early in life. Today, she maintains that same drive as the Director of Surgical Services for Operations for HCA Healthcare.

This month we honor CCI’s board president, Marie H. Paulson, RN, BSN, MS, CNOR, CSSM, CPPS. Marie is a highly motivated and engaged perioperative leader who is committed to impacting the perioperative field through promotion of certification. CCI has benefited from Marie’s involvement for many years, as she’s given of her time and talents through service on numerous CCI committees, and board leadership positions.  

From directing staff to managing scheduling and budgets-- and coordinating the day-to-day-- managers of the OR directly impacting patient safety. With so many important responsibilities, there is no doubt that surgical service managers have play a vital role in the OR. But how does one become identified as a well-rounded and effective manager? One way is through certification, or in other words, by becoming CSSM-certified.

CCI’s Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM) credential is designed to improve and validate the managerial knowledge and skills of perioperative leaders to advance the performance of their surgical services departments. Preparing to take any certification exam can be an intimidating task, but an entirely new credential? Where do you even begin?! Well to make sure you start off on the right foot, CCI wants to give you a few tips on what NOT to do when preparing for the CSSM Exam.

The Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM) certification is for perioperative leaders interested in advancing the performance of their surgical services department by improving and validating their managerial knowledge and skills. CCI developed the CSSM credential to recognize the important role managers have in directing staff, programs and budgets in delivering safe patient care. The purpose of the CSSM certification is to provide recognition for the important and distinct role of surgical services managers. But why should you choose the CSSM credential? Aside from it being the only certification for surgical service managers, we have created this list of important reasons why the CSSM credential may be just right for you. 

Certification is a pretty broad term; however, few truly understand the importance of certification and how it can benefit them personally. The ultimate goal of the various perioperative certifications CCI offers is to create a culture of patient safety and extraordinary care. Seen as an asset to the field of nursing, certification benefits the entire healthcare community-- from the patient and the nurse to the employer and hospital administrator. But why should YOU become certified as a perioperative nurse? Well here are our top 10 reasons why...

1. You ❤️️ Your Patients

You are a caring nurse who truly wants to provide the best possible care for your patients. As mentioned, the primary goal of certification is to create a culture of patient safety and extraordinary care. By investing in certification, you are committing yourself to enhancing the quality of care you provide.