If you’ve been in the health industry for quite some time, you’ve probably come across ads or been advised by your seniors to take wound care certification.
While any form of professional certification is definitely something that will make your resume stand out, you’ve probably also wondered if getting certified is all worth it.
What are the benefits of wound care certification and why should one strive to become wound care certified?
Value
Getting wound care certified is a guaranteed win-win, no matter how you look at it or what factors you consider. In fact, there is evidence that getting wound care certified not only improves professional opportunities but it also boosts patient outcomes which leads to improved job satisfaction.
It’s not just nurses and patients who benefit from certification though. Even facilities who employ certified nurses also reap its benefits because it saves them a lot of money and helps them improve patient care.
Opportunities for Personal Growth
As a certified nurse, you are viewed as someone with more expertise in specialty areas, thus improving your chances of getting hired over nurses who aren’t certified. A survey conducted on nurse managers showed that 86% of them would hire a certified nurse over non-certified ones. Furthermore, certain institutions tend to promote, encourage, and recognize certification.
Improved Job Satisfaction and Salary
As an expert, it also makes sense for one to gain more confidence which can help contribute to increased job satisfaction. In fact, an American Board of Nursing Specialties survey of certified and non-certified nurses showed that 97% believed certification contributed to personal satisfaction and 88% said it enhanced their clinical confidence. A salary increase plus additional perks may also come in handy.
Professional Recognition and Respect
Perhaps more importantly, a wound care certification leads to increased recognition and respect from professional colleagues who fully understand the time and effort you exerted in achieving this high-level qualification.
You will also get greater respect from patients and families because of the trust they have in your skills and expertise which, more often than not, leads to improved patient outcomes.
Greater autonomy and improved collaboration with other healthcare professionals
No matter which field or industry you belong to, networking will always be a part of it. The rule of thumb is, the wider your network, the more opportunities to come.
Getting wound care certified can help widen your professional network and connect you with other wound care certified and health professionals who can help improve your knowledge further and thus, raise wound care standards in the facility you are affiliated with.
Final Thoughts
There’s no question that getting wound care certified can lead to better things, not just in your professional career but more importantly, the health and well-being of your future patients.
Would it be easy? Probably not, but with dedication and hardwork, nothing is impossible, don’t you agree?
With wound care certification, you are shooting two birds with one stone because both your career and your patients, not to mention the facility you work for, will all benefit from it.
So the question now is, what’s keeping you from getting wound care certified?