Achieving certification in a specialty area can significantly enhance a registered nurse's (RN) career by boosting their skills, validating their expertise to the public and increasing their professional credibility. Nurse.com said specialty certification can also lead to higher demand from employers and increased salaries, not to mention a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Suzanne Bonner, RN, BSN, CMSRN, a staff RN working in a medical/surgical unit, said: "Certification is a great way of gaining more education and representing the knowledge you have gained through experience and study." Ms Bonner added that in many cases, certified nurses also become the "go to" nurse in their unit because they have demonstrated a command of a particular body of knowledge. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, board-certified nurses are highly-prized and earn on average $9,000 more than RNs without recognized certification in a particular area. The organization's executive director, Jeanne M Floyd, RN, PhD, CAE, said: "Certification brings something extra to the table." In 2006, there were 2.5 million RNs working in the United States, figures from the Department of Labor show. In May of that year, the profession's median earnings were $57,280.  |