It’s a common misconception that leaders do not need to pursue certification because leaders are often not considered “frontline staff” that provide direct patient care. However, certified nurse leaders do have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes.

Nurses notice leaders who are actively engaged in ensuring that the policies and procedures implemented in their facilities align with current best practices. In order to stay updated, leaders must continue to learn and serve as an example for their staff. If leaders are not modeling the importance of being certified, how can we expect frontline staff to see the value of certification?

Specialty nursing certification validates a nurse’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in a defined role and clinical area of practice. Nurses who pursue certification, and the organizations that support and encourage them, demonstrate a commitment to exceptional patient safety and a mastery of current standards in their field of practice.

CCI developed the TrueNorth Award in 2013 to recognize facilities that use certification as a “true north” to guide their perioperative nurses to be models of competent practice, advocates for patient safety excellence, and lifelong learners. To be considered for this high award of merit, facilities must submit an application detailing how their organization recognizes and rewards nurses who earn their certification, and the impact certification has on patients and staff. Applicants must also include letters of endorsement to support the efforts of their facility.

The Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (CNAMB) certification was developed for perioperative nurses working in the ambulatory surgery setting seeking to improve and validate their professional competencies. CNAMB certification assesses the knowledge and skills of a perioperative nurse with a minimum of two years of clinical practice in the ambulatory surgery setting and confirms a certificant has met established eligibility standards of competence.

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!

Nurses embark on the journey to earn certification for numerous reasons. Achieving certification validates your knowledge and skills as a perioperative nurse, provides a sense of personal accomplishment, and can advance your career. Certification is an asset to the field of nursing and benefits the entire healthcare community - patients, nurses, managers, hospital administrators, and facilities all see value from perioperative certification.

In a profession where your focus lies on taking care of others, it can be challenging to find the time and energy to take care of yourself. Self-care is doing an activity to improve your health, whether it's mentally or physically. Making the time for self-care is incredibly important and can significantly improve your overall health. Here are a few ideas to try out!

CCI believes that registered nurses who have attained certification, and facilities that support the certification goals of their nurses, show commitment to upholding the highest standards in patient care. The TrueNorth Award was created by CCI to recognize facilities that have used certification as a guide for their perioperative nursing staff. Please join us in congratulating Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for their achievement in being named the 2020 TrueNorth runner-up.

In many ways, certification acts as a compass directing a nurse’s clinical practice towards accepted standards. Nurses who attain certification, and the facilities that support them, demonstrate a commitment to improving patient outcomes and mastering the knowledge it takes to do so. CCI created the TrueNorth Award as an avenue for recognizing facilities that use certification to guide their perioperative nursing staff to be models of competent practice, lifelong learners, and advocates for patient safety.

We are pleased to have had the opportunity to sit down with Diana Braswell, the Clinical Nurse Manager, Perioperative Services, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Pflugerville, to the processes set in place by the 2020 TrueNorth winners, which contributed to them receiving the award.

In 2019, CCI was honored to present Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children with the TrueNorth Award. CCI’s TrueNorth Award recognizes facilities that use certification as a compass to guide their perioperative nurses towards being lifelong learners, models of competent practice, and advocates for excellence and patient safety.

Celebrate 40 Years of CNOR With Us

2019 is a noteworthy year at CCI because it marks the 40th anniversary of the CNOR credential. This milestone holds significant value, as it represents 40 years of continued dedication to safe, quality patient care and professional development through lifelong learning. To celebrate, we are taking a moment to reflect on the past 40 years.