Ccrn Obtaining Critical Care Nursing Certification

¶ … Leadership Development Plan

As Moneke (2014) notes, the CCRN certification "is a mark of excellence and a distinguishing accomplishment" (p. 77). It represents the knowledge that one, as a nurse, has and professionally uses to provide optimal level care to patients. Giving patients both the reassurance and confidence they require when receiving critical treatment and ensuring that I myself am qualified to give them the best care they can get is a top priority of mine,. Thus, my SMART goal topic is to become a Critical Care Registered Nurse by obtaining my CCRN certification.

SMART Goal

My goal is to become CCRN certified and be in a position to provide optimal quality person-centered care to patients.

M

I aim to achieve this goal first by obtaining the appropriate study materials for taking the exam and utilizing them to strengthen my understanding of the core assessments; I will study, practice and finally schedule the exam once my knowledge is sufficiently sturdy.

A As there are a handful of CCRN certified nurses who work with me on my floor, I will speak with them about the process of taking the CCRN exam and ask them to describe their personal experiences with the test to me.

R

Our medical surgical floor has a step down room with four beds, which I have been required to work (even though I am a novice nurse) as a result of understaffing. The outcome was extremely successful and beneficial for me, as I learned a great deal about this new setting and about myself and my abilities. The setting is similar to the ICU, as the patients are on cardiac monitors and are required to receive close monitoring by the nursing staff. As a result of my success working the room, I have become one of four other nurses on our floor to be called upon to work this room (the other three nurses have 10+ years of experience, whereas I am only recently ACLS certified, though I have been wanting to be a critical care nurse since I enrolled in nursing school. Upon obtaining my two years of requisite practice providing care for acutely ill and critical patients, I plan to apply directly to take the CCRN exam.

T

My timeframe goal is to be certified within three years -- that is, no later than April 2019.

Plan of Action

My plan of action is centered on the following objectives:

-First, to obtain the necessary study materials to help me prepare for taking the CCRN by July 2016.

-Second, to seek out and obtain advice from my fellow nurses who are CCRN certified and to ask their advice on how best to prepare and what to expect from the exam by August 2016.

-Third, to develop my critical care skills through experience on the floor so that I am able to draw upon my actual workplace knowledge when I prepare to take the examination December 2018.

-Fourth, to take and pass the exam by April 2019.

-Fifth, to promote CCRN certification among others by April 2019.

-Sixth, to continue my education so as to always be prepared for meeting the evolution of challenges that constantly arise within the nursing industry. I aim to apply for CE by December 2019.

-Seventh, to become an experienced leader and critical care provider by December 2019.

Step One of this process has already been completed: Kent (2014) has written the Adult CCRN Certification Review for people just like me who are interested in preparing for the exam and who want to know what precisely the exam will consist. "Welcome to the journey toward certification," writes Kent. "This book was written to help guide the reader on the pathway of the journey" (p. 1). Consisting of questions and answers as well as multiple-choice assessments, the book is a comprehensive exploration of what the CCRN applicant can expect. It also provides numerous hints, tips, and strategies for successfully completing the exam, such as: "Look for answers that facilitate the care of the patient. Facilitative words include nurture, aid, support, reinforce, encourage, and assist" (Kent, 2014, p. 7). This is a very helpful book that was found by me utilizing Google Scholar, which is an excellent source for finding academic articles and books that give a professional perspective on specific issues.

Step Two of this process has also already been completed, as I have discussed and consulted all the nurses on my floor about their experiences with the CCRN. I do, however, plan to continue seeking out new perspectives throughout the year.

Step Three has also already been begun, as I have gained experience on the floor that few other nurses can lay claim to and I am one among four others who are able to assist in critical care conditions.

Step Four requires a great deal of preparation and depends upon the previous three steps considerably. Part of this preparation process will include gathering material and research on why CCRN is increasingly important in the medical field, as this will help to give me the encouragement and positive reinforcement I will need to stay on track and to ultimately succeed. Reading promotional material like that by Moneke (2014) is very helpful in understanding the importance and value of pursuing CCRN certification and why organizations should promote it. It is valuable reading material like this that will serve as a source of continual inspiration along the way.

Step Five is a step that is based on the concept of "empowering others" (Conger, 1989, p. 17). By taking the example of Moneke (2014) and promoting CCRN, I can help other nurses on my floor to follow in my footsteps and the footsteps of the other experienced nurses who have achieved their certification. By obtaining certification and learning the skills required to pass the examination, we nurses can better ourselves and our patients' lives by dedicating our careers to the pursuit of knowledge and critical care, which is a positive for the medical community as a whole. Empowering others thus comes by way of good example and education and my pursuit of CCRN and follow-up with encouragement of others is a way to empower my fellow nurses to boost their own skill level.

Step Six is also an important step, as Davis et al. (2014) have shown. Continuing education, or lifelong education, is a major way to stay on top of developments within the medical community that can be used to the nurse's and patient's advantage. Without lifelong education, the nurse essentially places a ceiling on his or her facility as a care giver and does not continue to grow and develop in accordance with the updates within the field. Nursing is not something that is stagnant or that can be kept in a bubble: it is a dynamic process that is continually being refined and that requires commitment throughout the course of one's career in order to maintain the best outcome for the patients one treats.