CNA Certification
Resources
Bulletins
CERTIFICATION NEWS - Spring 1999 - Number Six
Committed to Nursing Excellence
Content
Use your credential
Certification profile: Dignity in
aging
New slogan
CNF Awards
Recertification Q & A
First gerontological exam
Web update
1999 exam results
Association profile: The Canadian
Gerontological Nursing Association
Universities award credit for CNA
certification
Perinatal joins certification family in
2000
Council agenda highlights research
Nursing Credentialing Research
Coalition
Attention all critical care nurses
Release of mailing address
Dates to Remember
You studied, you got organized, you took the exam. You worked hard to achieve your CNA certification credential, so make sure you get everything you can out of your accomplishment.
Certification is the demonstration of specialized knowledge in a nursing specialty. Not only is this a source of personal and professional pride for the certified nurse, but it’s an integral part of providing the public with competent nursing care.
With health care becoming increasingly complex, people living longer and health-related information flowing freely, health care consumers are demanding highly skilled, highly competent health care professionals to provide care that can be trusted. Certification is the objective measurable way to ensure a nurse has the knowledge to practise competently.
Certified nurses know the importance of certification, but do they always know how certification can benefit them? Whatever your goals for becoming certified, be it improved job satisfaction or career enhancement, consider the following ways you can put your credential to work for you.
Gain recognition
Make your credential visible. Wear the letters of your certification on your name
badge. Wear your CNA certification pin. Use the letters of your credential in all of your
professional correspondence, particularly in such things as article submissions. Make sure
your specialty designation is on your business card and resume. Ask that your credential
be included whenever your name is used for professional purposes. Let your supervisor know
you are certified. Give your employer a copy of your certificate for your personnel file.
Tell colleagues you’ve become certified.
Professional development
Pursuing certification requires time and effort, which demonstrates a commitment to
yourself and to your clients. It can increase self-confidence and self-esteem. It can also
help you make the most of opportunities for professional development.
Share information you learned while preparing for the certification exam. Develop a “helpful hints” sheet and distribute it to your colleagues. Other nurses considering the certification exam would also benefit from your preparation experience.
Offer to develop or teach in-service programs for colleagues. Your status as a certified nurse offers credibility because your knowledge has been tested. Also, volunteer to sit on committees within your place of work, or to help establish new committees that may be needed.
Encourage certification among your colleagues and peers. Offer to assist in setting up study groups or to teach part of a review course. Volunteer to talk to chapters, nursing organizations or potential exam candidates about the value of certification in your nursing specialty.
Network with other certified nurses, both within your own province or territory and on a national basis.
Career enhancement
Many certified nurses have found their credential opens the door to new career
opportunities. Some employers may offer financial rewards, bonuses, reimbursement of
certification fees, new job titles, promotions, preferred work schedules or other forms of
recognition for those nurses who have attained certification.
It’s a good idea to keep your employer, and possibly your union, informed about your activities regarding your certification and specialty association. How your skills and knowledge develop will benefit your employer, as well as those for whom you care.
For some certified nurses, their credential provides the opportunity for teaching or precepting roles, consulting activities or sabbaticals, or even new employment. Create a portfolio of your accomplishments as documentation. Keep copies of all materials you develop, you may want to show them to a potential employer or client.
Whatever your ambition, certification can definitely give you an edge in fulfilling a variety of career and personal goals. And of course, your skills and knowledge will hopefully allow you to provide better care. Try to document instances when certification has had an impact on the care you’ve given to a client, a decision you’ve made or leadership you’ve provided. This information would also be instrumental to the Certification Program in validating and promoting the importance of being a certified RN. Don’t let anyone, including yourself, take your expertise for granted. You deserve the recognition.
The Certification Program is introducing a new marketing campaign to highlight the value of becoming certified. The new slogan, Frame Your Career, emphasizes that certification is a voluntary endeavour.
Registered nurses have many choices regarding career enhancement, certification is one of them. The image depicted on the brochure and poster of a nurse looking through a frame made by holding up her hands symbolizes the control she has over her career.
To make the program application process easier, in the future there will be one application guide for the initial certification exam and another for recertification.
The Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF) is pleased to announce the 1999 Certification Awards to nurses who recently obtained certification or recertification in their specialty through the Canadian Nurses Association Certification Program. Award winners had their certification or recertification fees paid for by CNF. The funding that makes these awards possible is acquired from corporate donors/sponsors, bequests and gifts from individuals and organizations that support the goals of the foundation. This year 1,088 applications were received. All nurses can apply and successful candidates are randomly selected. The successful candidates in each specialty for 1999 are:
| Critical Care
Pauline M. Ghent-Nickerson, RN, CCNC(C), Nova Scotia Ann C. Fitzpatrick, RN, CNCC(C), Ontario |
Occupational Health
C. Ann J. Chisholm, RN, COHN(C), Ontario Kathryn J. Raimondo, RN, COHN(C), Ontario |
| Emergency
Rosemarie E. Gass, RN, ENC(C), Ontario Debra A. Wayland, RN, ENC(C), Ontario |
Oncology
Paula N. Kostuik, RN, CON(C), Ontario Nancy A. Parks, RN, CON(C), Ontario |
| Gerontological
Jen C. Jackman, RN, GNC(C), Newfoundland Dianne Rossy, RN, GNC(C), Ontario |
Perioperative
Marilyn P. Gunn, RN, CPN(C), Newfoundland Gayle J. Kell, RN, CPN(C), Saskatchewan |
| Nephrology
Françoise R. David, RN, CNeph(C), Ontario Virginia Payumo, RN, CNeph(C), Ontario |
Psychiatric/Mental Health
Linda M. Corsetti, RN, CPMHN(C), Ontario Anne Marie J. Ross, RN, CPMHN(C), Ontario |
| Neuroscience
Sonia Y. Hedges, RN, CNN(C), Ontario Janet L. Walsh, RN, CNN(C), Nova Scotia |
| Q | I will be recertifying my certification credential soon. I understand that some certification and recertification candidates will be audited. What documentation should I have ready if the CNA Certification Program audits my application? |
| A | CNA’s policy for auditing is to randomly select 10 per cent of candidates who submit continuing education (C.E.) activity information as part of their initial application or as part of their recertification. The 10 per cent chosen from those writing the initial exam only applies to occupational health nurses, as they must submit C.E. information as part of their initial eligibility criteria to write the exam. A 10 per cent sampling of recertification candidates from all specialties who chose the C.E. option will be audited. The purpose of the audit process is a quality assurance measure to ensure that all candidates are meeting the required eligibility criteria. Recertification candidates must submit C.E. information to the CNA Certification Program by completing a list of the activities that they have earned during a five-year period (or recertification term) that are specific to or relate directly to their nursing specialty. For occupational health nurses writing the initial exam, 75 hours of C.E. is required and 100 C.E. hours is required for ALL recertification candidates. Even if you have listed more C.E. hours than the minimum required – all we need is proof of the minimum number of hours required to fulfil both the eligibility criteria and the audit process. This “proof” has many different formats. Most seminars/workshops provide a certificate, letter or even a receipt stating that the participant was there. Most formal courses supply a transcript of marks. Photocopy any such documentation and keep it handy. One strategy that has worked well for candidates in the past is to photocopy the list of C.E. activities that they have sent to CNA and then to attach a photocopy of each of the supporting documents to it. That way, if and when you are audited the information is ready to be sent in. It is hoped that this information will help to allay any anxiety candidates might have of the audit process. Once again, the purpose of the audit is to help maintain the high standards that have come to be associated with the CNA Certification Program. |
A total of 389 gerontological nurses took the plunge in March and wrote the first Canadian gerontological nursing certification exam, now part of CNA’s Certification Program. With 1999 being the International Year of Older Persons, the timing couldn’t have been better.
The exam was based on the recently developed Canadian Standards of Practice of Gerontological Nursing, which reflect current knowledge and understanding of the specialty.
CNA also celebrated the International Year of Older Persons in dedicating the theme of National Nursing Week to Older Persons and Nurses: Partners for Healthy Aging. CNA received funding from Health Canada to develop and deliver a project in support of the International Year of Older Persons. The purpose of the project was to increase the knowledge and understanding of the health needs of older adults, provide practical information about health issues and available resources, and to raise public awareness of the needs of our diverse and aging population.
Throughout the country, nurses, in collaboration with the target group and other partners, provided the opportunity to educate audiences about healthy living, not just disease management, as one ages. As CNA President, Lynda Kushnir Pekrul said of National Nursing Week this year, “It is a reminder of the increasing number of older, vital individuals in society and the contributions nurses make to their better health and quality of life. It will also be a time to reflect on the important role older persons play in our lives.
“Older persons and nurses share an ability to draw on their knowledge, experience and resilience to make life better for others. I can’t think of a more inspiring alliance to help us ease into the 21st century.”
CNA’s Certification Program would like to formally express thanks to all those who
contributed to the development of the first gerontological certification nursing exam.
They are:
Members of the Examination Committee
Julie Doyon, RN, GNC(C), (ON)
Belinda Parke, RN, GNC(C), (BC)
Deborah Vandewater, RN, GNC(C), (NS)
Dr. Alwyn Moyer, RN, GNC(C), (ON)
Dr. Georgina Fysh, RN, GNC(C), (AB)
Joan Middleton, RN, GNC(C), (SK)
Carla Wells, RN, GNC(C), (NF)
Susan Davies, RN, GNC(C), (QC)
Though space does not permit us to include all the individual names, the Certification Program would like to also thank members of the competency development groups, the sensitivity review group, item writing participants, and translation review committee members for their participation in developing the first gerontological nursing certification exam.
As we mentioned in the last Certification News, CNA’s Certification Program would like to start a discussion group on our web page found at certification@cna-aiic.ca
Not only will this be a convenient place for the program to post updates, but certified
nurses and new candidates preparing for the exam can also exchange information about such
things as organizing study groups, mentoring, and spreading the word about upcoming
meetings and conventions for continuing education hours.
We have as yet not been able to dedicate the resources to this project, but will continue to endeavour to have it going by the fall. In the meantime, if you have any helpful suggestions on how this group could be structured or developed, please let us know. Also, drop us a line and tell us what you would like to have as topics on the discussion group, and how you see such a project addressing the current and future needs of certified nurses and other RNs interested in becoming certified.
Of the 1,714 nurses who wrote the certification exams this past March, 1,439 or 84 per cent were successful. Nurses wrote in 71 writing centres across the country. Over 340 nurses recertified this year as well, in occupational health, neuroscience, nephrology, and emergency nursing.
The total number of certified nurses by specialty to date is:
| Critical
Care Nephrology Occupational Health Perioperative Gerontological |
893 |
|
Emergency Neuroscience Oncology Psychiatric/Mental Health TOTAL |
1,146 |
Association
profile:
The Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association
With the first gerontological nursing certification exam having just taken place this spring and 1999 being the International Year of the Older Person, it seems appropriate that the first association we profile in Certification News is the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association (CGNA).
Representing Canadian gerontological nurses and promoting gerontological nursing, CGNA’s mission is to address the health concerns of older Canadians and the nurses who participate with them in health care.
According to the association’s immediate past-president, Margot Christie, health concerns include dispelling the myths of ageism, the increasing number of people living longer and as a result more people with dementia, and the often overlooked wellness of the elderly. The last concern is an area that needs to be highlighted so people can make the most of living at on older age.
Christie also points out that there is a unique reciprocity in gerontological nursing wherein both the client and nurse learn from each other due to an often-lengthy relationship. “Nurses get to hear the wisdom of people who have lived for many years; we get to hear their life stories. There is also a lot of learning that comes from caring for someone over a long period of time.”
The first gerontological nursing conference was held in Victoria, B.C. in 1983 where plans for the development of a national association began. Plans were further developed at the second conference in Winnipeg in 1984 when an executive was elected to develop a constitution and by-laws. The CGNA was formally constituted at the third meeting of interested nurses from across the country, held in Hamilton, Ontario in 1985.
The association has grown from approximately 150 nurses to over 600 over the last two years due to a conjoint arrangement with five provincial gerontological associations, Newfoundland, B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.
The objectives of CGNA are:
- To promote high standards of gerontological nursing practice.
- To promote educational programs in gerontological nursing.
- To participate in affairs which promote the health of elderly persons in the population.
- To promote networking opportunities for nurses.
- To promote and disseminate gerontological nursing research.
- To present the views of the association to government, education, professional and other appropriate bodies.
In addition to the excitement surrounding the first gerontological nursing exam, for which the CGNA provides much support and works with CNA to promote, the association is also happy to announce the launch of its web site (www.crm.mb.ca/scip/ca/health/cgna.html), scheduled for the end of spring.
The association has an annual meeting with alternate ones being held in conjunction with a biennial scientific and educational conference. The 10th National Conference on Gerontological Nursing with the theme, The Client Takes Charge: Gerontological Nursing in the New Millennium was held from May 26 to 29, 1999 in Edmonton.
Anyone interested in finding out more about CGNA can contact the president, Joyce Springate, 1138 Gregory Road, Kelowna B.C. VIZ 3A6. Phone: (250) 769-0664; Fax: (250) 769-1937; E-mail: jspring@silk.net
Universities award credit for CNA certification
In a move that should please many frontline nurses, eight Canadian university nursing programs have confirmed they will recognize Canadian Nurses Association certification in certain specialties for university credit. A joint CNA-CASN (Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing) advisory committee on CNA certification received the news last month.
Prior learning assessment, a policy that encourages adult students to obtain credit for knowledge gained through their work and life experiences, has provided a useful framework within which universities are able to recognize, and grant credits for, CNA certification. The CNA credential, based on a national standard, allows nurses to demonstrate expertise and competency in a chosen nursing specialty.
Institutions that will offer credit for certification in at least some of the ten specialties currently offered by CNA are: University of New Brunswick, University of Sherbrooke, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Laurentian University, Lakehead University, University of Northern British Columbia, Athabasca University, University of Victoria, University of the Cariboo and St. Francis Xavier University. Other universities may move in this direction in the future. We will continue to update you on this issue.
Perinatal joins certification family in 2000
A new addition to the CNA Certification Program family in the year 2000 will be the perinatal nursing specialty. Just like proud new parents, the nurses who have donated much time to see this certification exam developed are extremely excited about its pending arrival.
The impetus to join the certification bandwagon came at the annual meeting of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses – Canada (AWHONN – Canada) in 1998. At the present time, Canadian nurses working within the perinatal area must write the American exam to become certified. Not surprisingly, Canadian nurses have expressed interest in the development of a Canadian exam. Staff of CNA’s Certification Program, in particular Lyne Marcil, Test Consultant, who facilitated the standards development workshop, has laboured with a working group from AWHONN – Canada and other perinatal nurses to have a finalized exam by the year 2000.
Subgroups were formed to look after each requirement component, in addition to the development of the specialty’s standards. By January of this year, the first draft of the standards was ready. Feedback on the draft standards was requested and after suggestions were implemented, the next phase was the development of the specific competencies to be tested by the exam.
After the exam committee set up the parameters for the competencies and identified which deserved more prominence on the exam, item writing sessions began. Starting in June, nurses trained by Certification Program staff will create questions, which will be subsequently reviewed. The exam should be finalized by September.
AWHONN – Canada is in the process of doing a specialty-wide national survey to determine how many perinatal nurses would be willing to take the certification examination. Currently, there are 12,000 perinatal nurses in Canada, of which 400 belong to AWHONN – Canada.
Merry Little, a clinical case coordinator for the maternal/infant program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, contributed her expertise to the exam development. She remembers studying for the American exam and believes that certification is about quality nursing practice and reflective practice, which is a big issue in nursing now. It’s also about professional development, self-esteem, and ongoing education – a personal responsibility, she adds.
The first perinatal exam will be written 25 March 2000; the application deadline is 5 November 1999. Application Guides are now available.
Council agenda highlights research
CNA’s Council on Certification wants to promote research on how certification affects client outcomes. Little, if any, research exists either in Canada or the United States demonstrating the relationship between care given by a certified nurse and the outcome of that care.
The need to validate that certification positively affects patient outcomes is a high priority for the council. Until this can be shown, it will be difficult to convince employers, the public and nurses considering certification, that certification should be a workplace requirement.
Research was just one of the topics on the agenda of the last Council on Certification meeting, which took place May 15 to 16.
The council also made a decision regarding the first CNA Employer Recognition Award. The CNA Certification Program created this new award last year to honour those employers who have demonstrated exemplary support of the certification process in nursing specialties.
The council also discussed the policy framework concerning the relationship between the council and the CNA Board of Directors. Some clarification was required regarding how issues are brought to the council’s attention and the subsequent role of the council in such matters.
Another area in which the council sought clarification was the fit between certification and continued competence. A guest speaker, Dr. Carolyn Lewis, Executive Director of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, provided some insight into the connection between recertification and continuing competence, and recognition by regulatory bodies in the American system.
In developing a business plan for the Certification Program, the council looked at the trends in credentialing and where CNA’s program could be going in the future.
Finally, the council had the pleasure of discussing what kind of celebration and education session will take place at the CNA Biennial Convention next year in Vancouver. In the year 2000, it will be 20 years since a resolution was put forward suggesting CNA look into the feasibility of a Canadian certification program. Ten specialty exams later and still growing, the Certification Program has much to talk about. More information about the biennial meeting will appear in the next issue.
Nursing Credentialing Research Coalition
Due to the dearth of research examining the relationship between certification and client outcomes, the American Nurses Credentialing Center established a Nursing Credentialing Research Coalition. The mission of the coalition is to actively conduct research on the impact, role and benefits of certification on nursing specialty practice.
The coalition’s objectives are as follows:
- To develop a common data set for certified nurses.
- To provide data on current practice and trends related to nursing certification.
- To examine the effects of certified nurses on outcomes.
- To examine the issues related to the productivity of certified nurses.
- To examine the economic issues related to certified nursing practice.
- To provide a forum for collaboration among coalition members.
- To communicate data to influence the marketability of certified nurses.
In June 1998, CNA’s Executive Director, Mary Ellen Jeans, participated in a focus group on certification conducted at the American Nurses Association convention in San Diego. The group discussed the benefits and barriers to certification, as well as the characteristics of certified nurses.
Following that focus group, CNA was invited to be a member of the coalition with 22 other certifying organizations. Phase One of the research project was a Credentialing Organizations Survey Instrument, which comprised 20 demographic items to help build a description of the certified nurse workforce in the U.S. and Canada. The survey was completed at the end of September 1998.
Phase Two of the project is a survey to individual certified nurses. The survey consists of 34 questions regarding the background, practice and certification experience of the nurse. The survey was distributed in May to approximately 3,500 CNA certified nurses and 36,000 American certified nurses. The results will enable CNA to obtain an accurate view of the certified nurse population and the value that is attributed to certification.
Each phase of the project brings the coalition closer to understanding the nature of certification and its impact on nurses, patients, and organizations, an understanding that has been sadly lacking in developing the whole area of certification.
Attention all critical care nurses
Also, in the year 2000, the critical care exam will have questions concerning adult care. CNA worked with the Canadian Association for Critical Care Nurses to address the needs of nurses who requested that only the adult area of critical care be tested. The Certification Program is currently exploring ways of testing the area of pediatric critical care in future exams.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, the Certification Program now has a mailing list of close to 8,500 certified nurses. This list provides us the opportunity to provide additional educational and professional information for certified nurses. Also, from time to time CNA receives requests from nurse researchers looking for survey candidates.
With the names of all certified nurses in one convenient location, national nursing specialty groups will find it easier to recruit new members and let nurses working in the various specialties, know what their national association is doing on their behalf.
Please take a moment and fax back the following information to (613) 237-3520 or by mail to Canadian Nurses Association, Certification Program, 50 Driveway, Ottawa ON K2P 1E2. As a special note to our Quebec certified nurses, we require a signed form explicitly stating that you consent to having your name placed on our list. Certified nurses in other provinces/territories will automatically have their names added to the list unless we receive a request to have a name removed. Any member may have his/her name removed from the list at any time; contact us by using the form on this page or the change of name box on page 8.
| I consent to the use of my name and address on mailing lists for my specialty that CNA may distribute pursuant to its policies. o Yes o No |
| Name: |
(Please print) |
| Signed: |
| Certification Number: |
| Dated: |
Next CNA Certification Exam – Year 2000:
Saturday, 25 March 2000
Deadline for applications:
Friday, 5 November 1999
(Post-marked on or before.)
Promotional materials for the year 2000 exam will be available in June 1999. Applications (for initial certification and recertification) will be accepted between 15 September 1999 and 5 November 1999.
Canadian Association of Critical Care
Nurses (CACCN)
Critical Care Nurses – Caring for Our Nation
Ottawa, Ontario
12 - 15 September 1999
Contact: CACCN Office
P.O. Box 25322
London ON N6C 6B1
Phone: (519) 649-5284
Fax: (519) 668-2499
Canadian Association of Nephrology
Nurses and Technologists (CANNT)
CANNT ’99 – Gateway to the Millennium
1 - 3 October 1999
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Contact: Kim Hykawy
Phone: (204) 787-3334, pager 3434
E-mail: khykawy@hsc.mb.ca
Canadian Association of Nurses in
Oncology (CANO)
Seizing our Opportunity... Cresting the Wave of the 21st Century
3-6 October 1999
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Contact: CANO Office
111 Peter ST, Suite 219
Toronto ON M5V 2H1
Phone: (416) 596-6565
Fax: (416) 596-1808
Ontario Occupational Health Nurses
Association (OHHNA)
Bridges to the Future
13 - 17 September 1999
Kingston, Ontario
Contact: OOHNA Office:
Phone: (416) 239-6462
Fax: (416) 239-5462
E-mail: oohna@sympatico.ca
Web site: www.oohna.on.ca
