Healthy Work Environments Promote Specialty Certification

Leadership and support are crucial to creating a work environment in which certification is encouraged and empowerment blossoms.

Milisa Manojlovich, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, and Greta Lynn Krapohl, a nursing instructor on the MedSurg floor for undergrad medical students at the University of Michigan, urged attendees to become leaders in their nursing units in a session yesterday.

“When you come from an empowered work environment, your nurses are going to want to be certified,” said Manojlovich.

Spreading the Word on Certification

Nurses need to create work environments that are productive and satisfying so that they provide the highest quality care for their patients. Empowerment can be developed on either an organizational or psychological level. Manojlovich suggested that attendees start at the unit level and act as role models for the entire nursing staff.

“We’re advocating not just for unit-based strategies and tool kits,” said Manojlovich, “but also organizational support. It all starts with one unit. Pick that unit in your hospital that has the most outgoing, assertive and committed nurses to certification and get a portion of those nurses certified.”

She suggested many strategies to promote certification within a nursing unit. Posters and flyers informing nurses of the benefits of certification can be displayed throughout the workplace. Tuition reimbursement and cash incentives can also be awarded to those who obtain certification. A nursing unit can purchase CCRN prep books and participate in group courses to prepare for certification. Other options to promote certification include giving nurses paid time off for a day to take the certification exam.

“When you see nurses making rounds, hand them a flyer and say, ‘this is information on nursing certification and we want you to know about it. It is important to the nursing practice and it is important to patient outcomes,”’ Manojlovich said. “Say the words. Put the information out there.”

Manojlovich also suggested that certification be a requirement for professional advancement programs. Recognition of those who are certified can cause certification efforts to become contagious. Unit-based celebrations and inclusion of certification titles on name badges are other ways to promote certification.

“It is all in the message,” Manojlovich said. “Whether it is explicit or implicit, the message has to be strong and consistent. You can all go back to your organizations as ambassadors.”

Krapohl reminded attendees that recertification is also important and should not be neglected.

“We always talk about people getting certified and conversations need to be just as important about getting recertified and emphasizing continual learning,” Krapohl said.

Building Empowerment

While commitment to certification on a unit level is important, Manojlovich also emphasized increasing a personal sense of feeling powerful. She stated that every nurse needs a sense of meaning in the workplace. They also need to feel that they have an impact and make a difference. Autonomy, she pointed out, is also important. Obtaining certification can help nurses become more assertive and feel more competent.