Certification : I Did it For the Money.

Thanks for reminding of us the importance of certifications.
My employer pays $400 a year bonuses for nursing certifications. (Up to two). They also pay, via tuition reimbursement or advance, all the costs for getting the certification - books, testing fees, organizational fees, even reviewclass fees. I simply do not understand why so many of my coworkers refuse to get certified, although some of them told me "Oh, the government just takes most of the bonus anyway."As has been discussed before, the government does not take "most" or even a large chunk of bonuses - it is taxed as regular income. Get certified.Art, RN-BC
You're welcome!
Yes, when I got certified, the hospital reimbursed for the test. It is so worth it, I wish more nurses would get involved not just with certification but professional organizations and go to conferences, etc. It is invaluable learning experiences. Thank you for your post!
When I became a Certified Medical/Surgical Registered Nurse back in '04, my hospital paid for the educational materials, examination, and half of our certification fees. It was also worth another 3% on our paychecks. We also had the pride of being one of the 15/15 nurses who took the exam and passed it. I'd do it again if I were still in M/S nursing.
Just remember that not all organizations pay extra for certification. The last two places I've worked did reimburse the cost of getting the initial certification, but it made absolutely no difference in pay afterward.
Getting your certification is absolutely worth it if the financial incentive is there. When I got my CCRN 5 years ago, the hospital reimbursed my exam, gave me a $750 bonus, and I still annually get a $400 bonus. Had I been at my previous employer, it was good for a flat $1.00 an hour raise.Aside from the financials, it tells your coworkers, patients, and administrators that you know your stuff. Unlike NCLEX, which is an entry level exam, a certification exam is a expert exam. Coworkers that refuse to take the exam and come up with excuses as to why, simply don't do it because they are afraid of failure. If you could guarantee your coworker would pass, no questions asked, they would take the exam in a heartbeat. Failure directly demonstrates ones clinical knowledge in their chosen specialty is inferior to their coworkers that pass, and it's just easier to say "it's not worth it".
Our facility pays $.75/hour for certification. I already have had one for several years (lactation consultant) but I decided that I am going to sit for the main one in my specialty (Obstetrics) in March. Even though I won't get more money, it's worth it to me for the personal achievement and professional development.
I've been certified in several specialties over my career. Sometimes I got more money for them, sometimes not. I always did a certification because of a personal interest in the specialty. Like others, I feel being certified shows to your colleagues and co-workers that you have more than the minimum of knowledge in the specialty.
I am Canadian RN, could you please guide how to successful in GI certification exam. I was unsuccessful, short for 4 answer to pass exam. We use american books to prepare for test. Any guidance, help, or practice for question much appreciated, thank, sorry to bother you. After working 6 yrs in GI feels like I don't know nothing.
Hi Brenda, thank you for article, its very encouraging.
Could you please guide, help me to how to study for CGN exam, or resources to use. Sorry, I am new to this site, just posting several times to convey my message to you. Thank you, Brenda Johnson