Perceived Value of Nurse Educator Certification by Certified and Non-Certified Nurse Educators

Certification is designed to validate specific qualifications and professional achievement, and is considered a mark of professionalism.  Unlike licensure, which ensures that a minimum practice standard for clinical practice has been attained, professional certification programs have been developed to formally recognize providers who have achieved a level of knowledge and skill in a specific area above the minimum requirements (American Board of Nursing Specialties, 2012).  Certification of nurses in areas of clinical specialty has existed for nearly 40 years; however, certification of nurse educators is just over a decade old.

While clinical certification of nurses has been linked to improved patient outcomes (Cary, 2000; Kaplow, 2011), there are no empirical data linking nurse educator certification with better student and faculty outcomes.  With a lack of reliable and valid instruments to measure perceptions of nurse educator certification, the Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT) was modified to address nurse educator certification.  The PVCT, developed by the Competency and Credentialing Institute, was first used in 2003 to determine perceived value of certification in perioperative nurses (Gaberson, Schroeter, Killen, & Valentine).  The PVCT has since been administered to over 25,000 nurses in various nursing specialties (Barbe, 2015; Bekemeier, 2007; Haskins, Hnatiuk, & Yoder, 2011; Messmer, Hill-Rodriguez, Williams, Ernst, & Tahmooressi, 2011; Niebuhr, & Biel, 2007) and has demonstrated internal consistency reliability ranging between .92 and .95 (Sechrist & Berlin, 2006).

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess similarities and differences in perceived value of nurse educator certification between certified and non-certified nurse educators.  The modified tool was administered to a national sample of nurse educators (n = 295). This presentation is a discussion of the national sample findings.  During the presentation, the audience will examine the differences in perceived value of certification between certified and non-certified nurse educators.  Other factors such as age, gender, highest earned degree, type of faculty position, and program accreditation will also be explored.  Facilitators and barriers to obtaining nurse educator certification will be discussed and suggestions to faculty and administrators will be provided.

To address the nursing faculty shortage, nurses with strong clinical background are entering nursing education settings.  Anecdotal data suggest these nurses lack essential knowledge about how to be effective teachers (Bittner & O’Connor, 2012; Evans, 2013). Consequently, it is critical that these new educators, as well as their faculty mentors, have the essential knowledge and skills that certification represents.  Greater understanding of faculty perceptions of nurse educator certification is necessary to facilitate a strong cadre of nursing faculty.  Further research is necessary to examine how nurse faculty certification and other indicators of excellence in nursing education are related to student outcomes, transition into the role of professional nurse, and nurse faculty retention.