What Is the Perceived Value of Certification Among Registered Nurses? A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Nursing specialty certification is a key aspect of professional development.
• Understanding nurses' perceptions of certification value is crucial for professional growth and retention.
• The Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT) has been used to assess these perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how registered nurses (RNs) perceive the value of specialty certification using the PVCT.
• To review the psychometric properties of the PVCT.
• To identify benefits and barriers associated with nursing specialty certification.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 18 cross-sectional studies (2003-2019) involving 26,534 RNs.
• Studies were appraised and synthesized following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Data on RNs' perceptions of certification value, benefits, and barriers were analyzed.

Main Results:

• RNs strongly agreed that certification enhances personal accomplishment (97.8%), provides personal satisfaction (92.7%), and validates specialized knowledge (97%).
• Lower agreement was found for extrinsic benefits, such as employer recognition (78.6%), consumer confidence (73.3%), and salary increases (41.9%).
• The PVCT has been widely used, but its psychometric properties require further validation in subsequent studies.

Conclusions:

• The PVCT is valuable for assessing nurses' intrinsic valuation of certification.
• Descriptive studies using the PVCT have limitations for guiding future research.
• Revision of the PVCT is recommended to support research on patient outcomes and the self-perceived value of nursing certification.