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The Certification Decision Point

By James X. Stobinski, Ph.D., RN, CNOR, CSSM (E)

The Competency and Credentialing Institute Research Foundation (CCIRF) administers the Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT) survey instrument designed to measure the perception of the value of certification. This instrument has been widely used in dozens of studies documented in the peer-reviewed literature (Van Wicklin et al., 2020). These studies have shed increasing light on the perception of value held by nurses regarding certification. This data is of great interest to The Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) and the CCIRF.

However, some fundamental questions emerged for CCI and the CCIRF from the PVCT data. Questions such as: What is the number of perioperative nurses? How many of these nurses are certified? Are we making progress in clarifying the perception of value for perioperative nursing certifications? As the CEO of both CCI and the CCIRF, and as a nurse researcher, I must state that we do not yet have definitive answers to these questions.

Nursing specialty certification, except for advanced practice nurses, remains largely voluntary for U.S. nurses. That is certainly the case in perioperative nursing where it is very rare that certification is a requirement for employment. Regarding specialty nursing certification, most nurses face a simple choice of whether they should expend the resources required for a voluntary certification. This choice can be conceptualized as a certification decision point or more easily just – the decision point. How nurses make their decisions about certification and the influences on those decisions is not well understood, but is of keen interest to CCI, the CCIRF and other nursing specialty certification groups.

When concepts are not clearly defined, such as a nurse’s decision point on certification, exploratory research using qualitative methods is well suited (QuestionPro, 2021). Such research facilitates better understanding of complex, multifactorial issues. The CCIRF, which was launched in 2019, has funded two qualitative studies this year on how nurses make decisions regarding certification.

The certification decision point occurs at predictable intervals for nurses. A nurse has a choice on whether to earn a voluntary credential and at the end of each recertification cycle to either recertify or allow a credential to lapse. As a certifying body, CCI must clearly establish its value to perioperative nurses if it hopes for favorable action at these decision points. Part of the task is knowing its stakeholders better in order to include all perioperative nurses and provide value to them.

The 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses gives the number of perioperative nurses as 310,054 in the hospital setting and 18,217 in free-standing ambulatory surgery centers (2019 a, p. 26). However, the survey response choice on the form reads, “Surgery (including ambulatory, pre-operative, post-operative, post aesthesia)” (2109 b, p. 7). Thus, many of these nurses are likely not eligible for CCI credentials centered on the intraoperative phase of surgical care. Thus, the total number of nurses performing intraoperative care cannot be discerned from these results.

At present, there are over 40,000 nurses who hold one or more CCI certifications. The number of perioperative nurses and the ratio of those nurses that hold a CCI certification is unknown. A better understanding of the value that perioperative nurses place on certification coupled with more accurate data on the makeup of the profession can assist CCI to better meet the needs of nurses. In 2021, CCI will have numerous opportunities to participate in research and surveys to gather more accurate data. There will also be opportunities for you to share your opinion with CCI, the CCIRF and researchers. Please consider taking the time to respond as we truly value the input you provide.

James X. Stobinski, Ph.D., RN, CNOR, CSSM(E), is Chief Executive Officer at Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI).

References

Institute of Medicine. (2015). Future directions of credentialing research in nursing: Workshop summary. National Academies Press.

QuestionPro Survey Software (2021). Exploratory research: Definition and characteristics. Accessed April 1, 2021 at: https://www.questionpro.com/blog/exploratory-research/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2019 a). 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses Codebook, Rockville, Maryland.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2019 b). 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, FORM NSSRN (02/01/2018), Rockville, Maryland.

Van Wicklin, S.A., Leveling, M.E. & Stobinski, J.X. (2020). What Is the Perceived Value of Certification Among Registered Nurses? A Systematic Review. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2020; 0:0, 1–8. doi:10.1111/jnu.12579

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