Empowering Nurses to Increase Certification Rates in a Postanesthesia Care Unit: A Collaborative Team Approach

Area of Science:

• Nursing Professional Development
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Excellence

Background:

• Postanesthesia care unit (PACU) registered nurses (RNs) at an orthopedic hospital had certification rates below the organizational benchmark.
• A clinical nurse-led initiative was implemented to address this gap and improve specialty nursing certification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe strategies and interventions aimed at supporting, rewarding, and recognizing PACU RNs in obtaining and maintaining specialty nursing certifications.
• To increase the percentage of certified PACU RNs to meet or exceed the organizational benchmark.

Main Methods:

• A performance improvement project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle.
• A gap analysis and anonymous web-based survey identified barriers to certification among eligible PACU RNs.
• The project team comprised PACU nurse leaders, certified RNs, nursing professional development specialists, and interdisciplinary experts.

Main Results:

• The primary barriers identified were the expense of the certification exam (73%), discomfort with the testing process (66%), and need for better access to review materials (61%).
• Implementation strategies included peer-to-peer exam preparation groups and enhanced reward/recognition programs.
• The initiative significantly increased PACU RN specialty certification rates from baseline to 60%, surpassing the 51% project goal.

Conclusions:

• Peer-to-peer education and collaborative efforts with nursing leadership effectively boosted PACU certification rates.
• Informational and recognition strategies positively impacted nurses' interest in pursuing certification.
• The established support system is expected to sustain and further increase the PACU's certification rate.