Nurses pursue certification to enhance their skills, patient care

Board-certified nurses are clinical professionals who seek advanced education, knowledge and capabilities in specialized areas of nursing practice.

At UHS, registered nurses are encouraged to pursue certification in fields that interest them, for their own professional development and as a way to enhance the quality of care provided in the hospitals, physician’s offices and other healthcare settings.

UHS will celebrate Certified Nurses Day on Tuesday, March 19, by honoring the 117 professionals at UHS who are board-certified in a wide range of specialties. Certified nurses work in all member organizations of the System: UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, UHS Senior Living at Ideal, UHS Home Care and the UHS Physician Practices.

Nursing certification plays an increasingly important role in the assurance of high standards of care for patients and their loved ones.

Nursing, like all areas of healthcare, has become more specialized and complex, requiring a greater intensity of knowledge. 

“Commitment to the nursing profession is about a desire to learn more, be proactive, get involved and set an example,” said Kimberly Durkee, BSN, RN, CCM, a certified nurse case manager for the Workers’ Compensation PPO Program and chairperson of the Nursing Professional Development Council at UHS. “It’s about taking the commitment to higher levels with certification, clinical ladder and education.”

“The requirements to become certified are different for each specialty,” she noted.

To encourage more nurses to pursue the advanced status, UHS offers two programs — Success Pays and the Professional Development Program — that help eliminate the financial burden of seeking certification by reimbursing those who pursue the designations, Ms. Durkee said.

Gaining certification enables a nurse to demonstrate proficiency in a specialized area and underscores their devotion to their chosen career path and the people they serve.

“Certification shows your dedication to the profession and your commitment to creating a quality experience for the patient,” commented Jessica Sleilati, RN, NPD-BC, PMH-BC, nurse educator and performance improvement coordinator in Psychiatry at UHS Binghamton General Hospital and a member of the Nursing Professional Development Council.

“I am very glad I pursued certification and would encourage other nurses to do so as well,” Ms. Sleilati said.

Shawn Kauffman, RN, CEN, an Emergency Department nurse at UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, has been motivated to acquire certifications throughout his career.

First, as a paramedic, he became a certified instructor-coordinator in pre-hospital emergency care, a designation recognized by the New York State Department of Health. Later, he became a certified emergency nurse.

“Achieving certification is part of the professional ladder, part of being a lifelong learner,” Mr. Kauffman said. “Medicine changes every day, so it’s good to always be ‘in the know.’ And it’s good for patients to know that you are committed to your specialty and their experience.”

National certifications are available in many specialties, such as medical/surgical, pediatric, pain management, cardiovascular, oncology, hospice, behavioral health, addiction medicine, case management, emergency nursing and critical care.

Across the United States, a number of boards and organizations offer certifications to nurses. At UHS alone, members of the nursing team have received certifications from 31 separate certifying organizations, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

To ensure the legitimacy and high professional standards of these groups, they are accredited by either the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification or the National Organization for Competence Assurance.

For consumers, certification can differentiate one institution from another, and healthcare leaders often encourage patients to inquire whether there are certified nurses on staff when they visit a hospital or physician’s office.

Nurses who wish to learn more about certification opportunities can contact Irene Sabin at 607-763-6299 or Kimberly Durkee at 607-762-2467.