Emergency care nurses: certification, empowerment, and work-related variables

The value of specialty certification has been of interest to the profession and has been related to a number of key variables. The specific aims of this study were to determine differences between certified and noncertified ED nurses in perceptions of structural empowerment, anticipated turnover, intent to leave the current position, and intent to leave the nursing profession. In addition we explored differences in the key variables based on position (staff or manager) and background variables (eg, age, ethnicity, etc). Participants also were asked to indicate reasons why they intended to leave their current position and the nursing profession.

In this descriptive quantitative design, data were collected via a Web-based survey of the Emergency Nurses Association membership. There were 2,633 participants who completed the surveys; 1,525 of the participants were staff nurses and 2,237 worked full time in the emergency department. Differences in empowerment, anticipated turnover, or intent to leave current position or the profession were determined based on specialty certification among the total sample and the subsamples of staff nurses and full-time employees.

There were differences based on certification status on several dimensions of empowerment, in all of the samples. There were no significant differences in anticipated turnover, or intent to leave position or profession based on certification status.

The study adds to our understanding of the value of specialty certification among ED nurses. Additional study is warranted to determine the benefits of specialty certification to additional organizational, professional, and clinical patient outcomes.