Retooling the RN workforce in long-term care: nursing certification as a pathway to quality improvement

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Long-term care (LTC) settings face challenges with high registered nurse (RN) turnover.
• Improving geriatric clinical competence among RNs is crucial for enhancing nursing care quality in LTC.
• Technological competence is increasingly important for modern nursing practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a continuing education course designed to prepare LTC RNs for national board certification.
• To assess the effect of RN certification on empowerment, job satisfaction, intent to turnover, and clinical competence.
• To determine if RN certification can mitigate high RN turnover rates in LTC.

Main Methods:

• Mixed methods design utilizing retrospective pretests for RN participants (N = 84).
• Multivariate analysis to examine the relationship between RN certification and key outcomes.
• Fixed effects analysis to explore factors influencing intent to turnover.

Main Results:

• The RN certification pass-rate was 98.5%.
• Certification significantly improved RN empowerment, job satisfaction, and clinical competence.
• Intent to turnover was significantly influenced by changes in empowerment, job dissatisfaction, and competency.

Conclusions:

• RN certification is an effective strategy for enhancing geriatric clinical competence and professional development in LTC.
• Implementing RN certification programs can lead to increased job satisfaction and empowerment, potentially reducing turnover.
• Investing in RN certification can improve overall nursing care quality and patient safety in long-term care settings.