The biggest barriers to certification include the cost of taking the exam, lack of rewards, and lack of institutional support (Altman, 2011). The administrative team can eliminate these barriers and promote specialty certification through financial, award-based, and logistical support.
Financial incentives for staff certification include paying for continuing education hours for certification preparation classes, paying for the certification examination itself, and providing a salary differential for certification once it is achieved. The administrative team can also support specialty nursing certification by recognizing the certification achievement on a unit level, departmental level, or facility-wide level. Certified employees’ names can be engraved onto plaques that are placed in prominent public spaces, and nurse achievements, such as certification, should be announced in staff meetings and newsletters. If allowed by the institution, nurses may want their certification listed next to their name on their identification badge.
Logistical support may be provided through coordination of review courses and study sessions by the unit educator or members of the administrative team. Staff should be given access to certification preparation books by having them available for checkout from the unit or facility library.