What is CMSRN?
- CMSRN – Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse credential;
- Available for medical-surgical nurses since 2003 (MSNCB, n.d.);
- Granted by MSNCB (medical-surgical nursing certification board);
- The next step for medical-surgical nurses;
- Grants both academic and practical skills and competencies.
Why choose CMSRN certification?
The primary benefits of the CMSRN certification include (MSNCB, n.d.):
- Credibility and confidence;
- Improved communication with patients;
- Advantage in the highly competitive market;
- Better earnings and outcomes;
- Nurses mention similar benefits:
- Increased marketability;
- Improved professional autonomy;
- Recognition from colleagues;
- Recognition from employers.
Why are nurses not knowledgeable about CMSRN certification?
At the present time, there are approximately 180 nursing certifications with different purposes and operated by diverse organizations (Nurse.org, 2017). Certifications require different levels of education, licensure, and specialty. Due to a large amount of certifications, nurses are frequently confused concerning their next step of education. Therefore, It is essential to increase the awareness of nurses regarding the certifications.
Differences from other certifications
There are approximately 40 certification boards in the US, and the prominent ones, such as ANCC, might overshadow the less notable boards (MSNCB, n.d.). CMSRN certification is not inferior to ANCC certifications. There are specific differences between them:
- CMSRN has the endorsement from AMSN (Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses);
- CMSRN does not require contact hours as an eligibility criterion;
- CMSRN does not require renewal categories for recertification.
Certification and patient outcomes
Certifications generally improve the communication with patients and respective outcomes. The formal institutions continually promote the role of nurses in patient safety (Boyle, 2017). The trend concerns most nursing credentials and is aimed to improve the quality of medical care (Boyle, 2017).
Relationship of certification and patient outcomes
The following patient outcomes are identified:
- The decreasing tendency of patient fall rates;
- Decreased rates of death;
- Decreased rates of failure to rescue;
- Improved patient satisfaction.
Certification and leadership
Certification also has a direct correlation to professional characteristics and leadership competencies (Fitzpatrick, 2017). Certified nurses demonstrate higher levels of transformational leadership (Fitzpatrick, 2017).
- Direct correlation between certification and leadership;
- Improves leadership skills and competencies;
- Improves the atmosphere within the team;
- Establishes recognition from colleagues;
- Is central to transformational leadership.
References
- Boyle, D. K. (2017). Nursing specialty certification and patient outcomes: What we know in acute care hospitals and future directions. Journal of the Association for Vascular Access, 22(3), 137-142. Web.
- Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2017). The value of nursing certification: Revisited and reinforced. Journal of the Association for Vascular Access, 22(3), 131-134. Web.
- MSNCB. (n.d.). Certification comparison. Web.
- MSNCB. (n.d.). Benefits of certification. Web.
- Nurse.org. (2017). Complete list of common nursing certifications. Web.
- 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. Web.