Professional Practice
Certification Initiative 'Victorious' for Adult ICU Nurses and Patients
Pursuing specialty certification reflects a dedication to the highest level of care and professional practice among nurses. Resulting from an organized initiative involving a two-day review course, 20 Medical Center nurses achieved CCRN certification from the AACN Certification Corporation during fiscal year 2010.
An additional 32 nurses from the adult intensive care units throughout the University of Chicago Medical Center participated in the review class, which was offered to every nurse in the Medical Center's adult ICUs. The course was free of charge and those nurses who passed the exam were rewarded with a $500 bonus from the Medical Center, although all nurses participating in the review course were required to pay for the exam fee.
The review course attained a higher attendance rate than any other in the past. "This is a wonderful accomplishment for the nurses who passed the exam as well as those who attended the review course, and a victory for our patients who will benefit from their advanced knowledge," said Patricia Gwizdalski, RN, BSN, CCRN, clinical nurse educator in Critical Care. "In addition, the initiative has generated a lot of excitement among newly hired nurses and others who have expressed a desire to participate in future courses."
