From the Research
CEN certification has a positive impact on patient outcomes, as it ensures emergency nurses possess specialized knowledge and skills for emergency care, leading to improved quality of care and patient safety. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, found that nursing certification has a significant inverse relationship to patient falls and healthcare-associated infections. Additionally, 2 reported that specialty nurse certification is associated with improved patient outcomes, including reduced mortality rates and increased patient satisfaction.
Key Findings
- CEN-certified nurses demonstrate superior clinical judgment, more effective triage decisions, and better recognition of life-threatening conditions, leading to enhanced ability to initiate appropriate interventions quickly 1.
- Certified nurses typically show greater confidence in their practice, better communication with the healthcare team, and increased adherence to evidence-based protocols 2.
- Healthcare facilities with higher percentages of certified emergency nurses often report fewer medication errors, decreased rates of hospital-acquired infections, and improved overall quality metrics 1, 2.
Benefits of CEN Certification
- Promotes ongoing education and professional development, keeping nurses current with evolving emergency care standards and best practices.
- Ensures nurses master content across multiple emergency specialties, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and trauma care.
- Contributes to reduced mortality rates, decreased complications, shorter emergency department lengths of stay, and higher patient satisfaction scores.
Recommendations
- Healthcare facilities should prioritize hiring and retaining CEN-certified nurses to improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
- Emergency nurses should pursue CEN certification to enhance their knowledge and skills, leading to better patient care and improved outcomes.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of CEN certification on patient outcomes and to identify areas for improvement in emergency nursing practice.