In the United States and Canada, many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, signifying that they possess expert knowledge. There are over 200 nursing specialties and subspecialties. Studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty-certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.

Registered nurses (RNs) are not required to be certified in a certain specialty by law. For example, it is not necessary to be a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) to work on a Medical-Surgical (MedSurg) floor, and most MedSurg nurses are not CMSRNs. Certifications do, however, instill professionalism and make the nurse more attractive to prospective and current employers. Certified nurses also sometimes earn a salary differential over their non-certified colleagues.

Some hospitals and other health care facilities are willing to pay a certified nurse extra when she works within her specialty. Also, some hospitals may require certain nurses, such as nursing supervisors or lead nurses, be certified.

Examples of certification

Main article: List of nursing credentials

Some examples of certifications include:

• Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) - Certification in cardiology. CMCs may work in cardiac care units (CCUs) or similar.
• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) - Certification to work in an emergency department or similar.
• Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) - Certification to work in an aircraft setting.
• Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) - Certification to work in a hospice or other palliative care facility.
• Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA) - Certification to work as a first assistant in surgery.
• Certified in Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) - Certification in intensive care medicine (critical care). CCRNs may work in Surgical Intensive Care (SICU) or Medical Intensive Care (MICU) units or similar.
• National Certified School Nurse (NCSN) - Certification to work in school nursing.
• Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) - Certification to work in a progressive care/step-down unit or similar.

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