The best possible patient care hinges on many factors. For Eastside Medical Center’s Stuart Downs nursing staff competency is critical among those factors. Downs, Chief Nursing Officer, knows having highly-trained nurses translates into better, measurable results that patients and their families appreciate.
Eastside’s nurses are encouraged, supported and celebrated for furthering their education. “It’s part of the hospital’s ‘journey to excellence,’ said Downs. “That means we strive for excellence in all we do, and that often hinges on our nurses learning more,” he said.
One way for nurses to expand their knowledge base is to become board certified in their particular areas. That designation comes only after rigorous study and testing by a recognized, certifying organization.
“Being certified means you have demonstrated a competency level above and beyond the regular nursing licensure,” said Downs. “It also demonstrates a higher level of competence and transfers to better patient care. And the more nurses know, the more they are dedicated to ongoing learning.”
At Eastside, 14 percent of the 400 nurses on staff have achieved certification, and Downs has set a goal to increase that level to 20 percent by the end of the year. To do so, the hospital has set in place a variety of systems to encourage nurses to seek the designation.
“There is a variety of ways to prepare for the exam, and some of our nurses do it on their own with books, online classes or webinars,” said Downs. “But we also offer certification prep classes right here with a 2-day review course, or nurses can sign up for a seminar away from the hospital. And we pay for them to go to these courses: Full-timers receive $1,000 a year and part-timers, $250. It is costly to take these exams - sometimes as much as $400 - so we want to meet them halfway.”
Penny Montgomery, Eastside’s director of women’s services, earned certifications in inpatient obstetrics and electronic fetal monitoring because she believed that specific knowledge in her specialty demonstrated a level of expertise.
“When I signed my name and could write ‘RNC’ after it, it was a great feeling,” she said. “But most important, it shows I am committed to staying abreast of what’s going on in the specialty, and that’s an important aspect of nursing. That’s why at Eastside, we help people study and encourage them to do this. We want to show that we have the expertise to take care of our patients.”
The desire to improve patient care motivated Nissy Cherian to earn a certification that enhanced her skills in pediatric emergencies. “I felt I needed the competency and knowledge to do that,” she said. “I prepped for six months, went to a review course and took the exam, and it increased my knowledge and clinical skills tremendously.”
A few months ago, Eastside set aside a day to celebrate its certified nurses. The event was designed to encourage other nurses to become certified and to show the rest of the staff that they are working with some of the best and brightest.
“We wanted to recognize those who have already on their own demonstrated excellence in nursing practice by taking ownership in their professional development,” said Downs. “And I wanted to thank them. At the end of the day, everything we do is for the patient, and certification gives a higher level of confidence that translates into better patient outcomes.”
About the Author
