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GET CERTIFIED!
Nursing Education and Professional Development Council
What is certification?
 A formal process by which a certifying agency validates a nurse's
knowledge, skills, and abilities in a defined role and clinical area of
practice, based on predetermined standards.
 A profession's official recognition of achievement, expertise, and
clinical judgment.
 It is a mark of excellence that requires continued learning and skill
development to maintain.
 Nurses achieve certification credentials through specialized
education, experience in a specialty area, and a qualifying exam
Why should I get certified?
The value of certification extends beyond the
individual nurse. It is a mark of autonomy for
the nursing profession and benefits nurse
managers, hospital administrators and patients
in significant ways.
Personal Accomplishment: Certified nurses routinely report a
sense of pride, fulfillment, empowerment, personal satisfaction and
enhanced personal confidence in clinical abilities. Certified nurses
are recognized and respected by their peers, patients, supervisors
and administrators.
Professional Achievement: Certified nurses have distinguished
themselves in their specialty area. Continued competency
requirements for certification renewal ensure that certified nurses
remain up-to-date with the latest developments in their specialties.
Professional Opportunities: Certified nurses have influence and
input. They are invited to contribute their expertise to standard
setting and role delineation.
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Career Advancement: As healthcare
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delivery and patient acuity become ever
more complex, the demand for
experienced, highly skilled care providers
with a depth and breadth of knowledge is
on the rise. Certified nurses have a
proven knowledge base in a given
specialty and have demonstrated a
professional commitment to lifelong
learning.
Quality Indicator: In other fields,
consumers seek out certified
professionals when they need a variety of
services, and public awareness of the
value of nurse certification is growing. It
is an important indicator to patients that
nurses are qualified and experienced, and
have met rigorous requirements to
achieve the additional credential of a
specialty certification.
Safe Patient Care: A growing body of
research indicates a link between
certification and nurse knowledge,
techniques, and judgment that affect
patient safety.
What does Magnet have to do with it?
• Magnet is the highest level of recognition a hospital can
achieve for excellence in nursing and is awarded by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet
Certification recognizes excellence in nursing practices,
quality patient care and excellent clinical outcomes.
• Magnet standards designate that professional
certification is promoted across all nursing roles and
requires that ≥ 20% of Direct Care Nurses and ≥ 40%
of Nurse Leaders achieve and maintain national
specialty certification.
How does Loyola support certification?

Salary Increases Through Clinical Ladder Leveling: Certification is worth 3 points for
Level 3 and is required for Level 4. For more information, go to Nursing Clinical Ladder

Education Stipend: Reimburses certification costs up to $300 for obtaining certification
or re-certification. For more information, go to the “Education Stipend” section at Career
Development, Education and Research

Review Courses: The Department of Nursing Education offers review courses throughout
the year. For more information, go to Continuing Education
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Nursing Education and Professional Development Council: As one of the Magnet Shared
Governance Councils at Loyola, this council helps develop and promote the process for
nurses to pursue certification. For more information about the Education and
Professional Development Council and who to contact, go to Nursing Education and
Professional Development Council
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Council members serve as a resource and support for staff seeking certification
Send letters of congratulations to staff obtaining certification
Distribute “Certified Registered Nurse” badges to staff obtaining certification
Acknowledge staff obtaining certification in Nurse Link publications
Celebrate National Certification Day on March 19th
How do I get started?
Step 1: Get the Facts
•
Determine which specialty certification applies to your area of
expertise
 Take a look at Certification Information Sheets on Loyola’s
Intranet- go to Career Development, Education and Research and
look for the “Certification” section
 To access a complete list of Magnet- approved certifications, go
to the ANCC website and click on the link "Selected Examples of
National Certification for Submission on DIF"
•
Determine if you meet the requirements to become certified in your
area of expertise
 This information is dictated by the credentialing organization, or
certifying body, that administers the certification exam
•
Consider the requirements of maintaining the certification
 Continuing Education, Clinical Practice, Competency Assessments
•
Consider joining a professional organization
 Some offer discounted exam rates for members
Step 2: Get Ready
• Identify your resources: talk to other nurses who have gone through the
process
 A colleague in your Department
 Your Nurse Educator or Manager
 A member of the Nursing Education and Professional Development
Council
• Set a date: commit to taking the test by a certain date
 Make it a goal on your performance evaluation
 Make plans to apply for the Nursing Clinical Ladder
 Make a study timeline
• Study: identify your strengths and weaknesses
 Take a review course
 Purchase study material
 Find a test buddy or form a study group
Step 3: Go For It
• Take the test: most tests are offered at computerbased testing centers with locations throughout the
Chicago-land area
• Show off your credentials:
 Let your Manager know
 Let the Nursing Education and Professional
Development Council know
 Help your colleagues begin the process of
certification
• Get reimbursed: after passing your test, apply for
Loyola’s Education Stipend to off-set the cost of
certification up to $300
Have more questions? We can help!
Contact the Nursing Education and Professional
Development Council:
 See if anyone from your Department is on the Council
 Send an email via Trinity Outlook to one of the members listed at the
following link Nursing Education and Professional Development Council
References
• American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2010, March 5). Why Certify? The
Benefits of Nursing Certification. Retrieved from
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/717805
• Hering, B. ( 2012, March). A New Model for ANCC’s Magnet Recognition
Program ®: Stripped Down to the Basics. Retrieved from
http://www.luhs.org/internal/depts/nursing_int/magnet_updates.html
• Loyola University Health System, Department of Nursing: Nursing at Loyola
http://www.luhs.org/internal/depts/nursing_int/index.htm