It is important that nurses become certified as a demonstration that they have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide high quality care to patients and their families. A certified nurse is a lifelong learner who cares about the quality of care they deliver. Patients and families, employers and nurses all benefit from certification.

• Becoming certified is one of the most positive and powerful achievements for a nursing professional.
• Certification is the recognized path for nurses to build and demonstrate commitment, confidence, and credibility.
• Certification validates your expert, specialized knowledge, and enables you to maintain an innovative edge in your career.
• The confidence and satisfaction you gain by becoming certified allows you to demonstrate your professional commitment to promoting quality patient care.
• Employers notice this commitment, increasing your earning power as well garnering respect from patients and colleagues.
• Certified nurses have a positive impact on patient care and patient safety.
• Certified nurses are essential to achieving and maintaining American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet® Recognition.

To become certified in any nursing specialty, if a nurse has met the academic degree requirements for the certification, s/he does not need additional formal education, but many times continuing nursing professional development is required. It is also helpful to prepare for your certification exam. There are certification review prep courses, study materials, and practice tests that can help prepare for certification.

PESI offers a variety of certification review prep courses. For more information, click here: Get Certified!

To maintain, and renew your certification, you will need ongoing continuing nursing professional development, or nursing continuing education. PESI offers many continuing education courses that will help you maintain your certification and prepare for certification renewal.