Certification Circle: A Peer Support Model to Increase Certification Among Medical-Surgical Inpatient Nurses

Professional certifications for nurses lead to improved patient satisfaction, fewer adverse events, and reduced nurse turnover rates. This study describes an initiative to increase professional certification at the medical-surgical service of an academic medical center. The solid organ transplant unit had a certification rate of 2%. Three registered nurses developed Certification Circle, which focused on the process of earning certification rather than a traditional knowledge-based review course, to increase the number of certified nurses on the unit. Clinical nurses conducted a prospective pilot study that used a pre-/posttest study design with convenience sampling for medical-surgical nurses. Participants were evaluated on their knowledge and confidence in taking the certification examination. Seven nurses earned certification, increasing the rate of certified nurses from one certified nurse to eight, a rate increase of 700%. Although the sample size was small, the dramatic increase in the certification rate shows that this initiative was a success. [.