Interview Spotlight: The Value of Certification for the Public

Interview Spotlight: The Value of Certification for the Public

We spoke with Becky Hoffman, a member of the ABSNC Board, about how certification can help the public build trust and confidence in healthcare professionals, particularly during critical moments of patient care. Becky is the public member of the board. The role of the public member is to advocate for the public interest and contribute a fresh and unbiased perspective. Becky is not a healthcare professional.

Q: Why is certification important not only for healthcare professionals, but also for the public they serve?

A: Certification demonstrates that the certificant has the knowledge, skills and abilities to competently perform in their specialty. It is a professional validation of expertise that recognizes achievement while encouraging continued growth.

For the public, certification provides confidence that a healthcare professional has met rigorous, nationally recognized standards for specialty practice. 

Certification helps patients and families identify healthcare professionals who have demonstrated competency in a special area of practice which can be especially reassuring during times of uncertainty, stress, or when seeking complex or specialty care. 

Q: How does certification help build trust between patients and healthcare providers?

A: Certification shows that a healthcare professional has met rigorous standards for specialty practice and has validated their knowledge through an objective certification process. Patients can have confidence that certified professionals have met established eligibility requirements and are committed to maintaining their continuing competence through ongoing certification requirements. This commitment to continued learning and accountability reinforces public trust in specialty care.

Q: In what ways does certification help ensure healthcare professionals stay current with evolving standards and best practices?

A: Certification programs include ongoing recertification requirements that support continuing competence throughout a professional’s certification period. Continuing education is one important component of continuing competence, helping healthcare professionals remain current with evolving standards, emerging evidence, and best practices. Through ongoing learning and professional development, certification supports the delivery of high-quality, up-to-date patient care.

Q: What are some common misconceptions about certification among patients and the general public?

A: One common misconception is that certification is easy to obtain or that it is a one-time achievement that lasts for a lifetime. In reality, certification requires healthcare professionals to meet established eligibility requirements, demonstrate specialty knowledge, and maintain their credential through ongoing recertification requirements that support continuing competence. Certification is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time accomplishment, and when patients and families receive care from a certified nurse they are receiving care from a nurse who is highly engaged in continuing education courses, leadership, mentorship, publication, and other activities that certification bodies require and encourage of their certificants.

Certification is also not an entry-level accomplishment. In order to become certified, healthcare professionals have to meet experience and specialty care requirements in addition to proving their specialty knowledge.

Q: What role does certification play in advancing excellence across healthcare settings?

A: Certification advances excellence by establishing consistent, rigorous standards for specialty practice. It promotes professional accountability, supports continuing competence, and encourages lifelong learning. Accredited certification programs are developed using research-based knowledge, reflect current practice, and are regularly evaluated to ensure they remain valid, fair, and responsive to the evolving needs of healthcare professionals and the diverse populations they serve. By recognizing specialty expertise, certification helps promote high standards of care across healthcare settings.

Q: How can certification programs continue to adapt to meet the needs of patients?

A: Certification programs remain relevant by undergoing regular review through an independent accreditation process. Accreditation helps ensure that certification programs are based on current practice, reflect industry best practices, and meet rigorous standards for examination development, continuing competence, quality improvement, and program integrity.

Certification programs also evolve through regular practice analyses that ensure examination content reflects contemporary practice. This ongoing evaluation helps certification programs remain responsive to the changing needs of healthcare professionals and the diverse populations they serve while maintaining consistency and public confidence in specialty certification.

Q: If a patient asks, “Why does certification matter to me?” How would you answer?

A: Certification matters because it gives you added confidence that your nurse has demonstrated specialized knowledge and expertise beyond the requirements for initial licensure. Certification recognizes nurses who have advanced their knowledge in a specialty and have met established eligibility requirements, including experience requirements and successful completion of a rigorous certification process.

Certified nurses are expected to maintain their continuing competence through ongoing recertification requirements, which may include continuing education and other activities that demonstrate they remain current in their specialty. They are accountable for meeting established standards throughout their certification period, and failure to maintain those standards may result in loss of certification.

Ultimately, certification represents a commitment to professional excellence, lifelong learning, and high standards of care. It provides patients with confidence that their healthcare professional has chosen to pursue and maintain recognized specialty expertise while remaining dedicated to delivering care that reflects current practice and the highest standards of the profession.

Becky discussed how certification represents more than just a professional milestone, it reflects a strong foundation of knowledge and the ongoing dedication of certified professionals to the public they serve. To find out more about ABSNC and our vision, visit: https://absnc.org/.