Nearly every career requires a certification. This document confirms that you are qualified for the role. It gives your clients, and in this case, patients, confidence that you can handle their case. The healthcare industry is growing rapidly today. So only those who keep up with this speed can make the best of it. With the introduction of technology in virtually all aspects of healthcare, practitioners benefit from having at least one tech skill. With these skills and an accompanying certification, you are good to go. You stand a higher chance of earning more, getting job security, and having a competitive advantage over your peers.
Do you have an additional certification in healthcare, or are you still banking on your first degree? Here are five ways a certificate boosts your healthcare career:
It keeps you ahead of your competition
Career fluidity is expected in this age because technology keeps tossing us about. What used to be an in-demand skill ten years ago has probably been phased out and replaced with something else. This means those who were experts at those jobs either switched careers, receive lesser pay now, or are unemployed. The best of the three options is the first. If you have the latest skills, you become attractive to prospective employers who would rather stay ahead of the curve. A new certification in the healthcare industry helps you land new jobs and get increased pay because you add value to the organization. Even if the labor market seems crowded, a visible extra effort to expand your skillset could make all the difference.
Qualify for high-standard jobs.
Earning extra qualifications can increase your chances of landing a higher-paid position in any field, which is true in healthcare. Nurses with more certifications demonstrating their experience before they are hired will be attractive candidates for more senior roles. A specialized accreditation sets you apart from the crowd. Your employer wants to see you bring new advantages to the organization and an extra skillset to the team. Healthcare providers are more effective when their workers are certified in various specializations. These certifications show the extent and scope of training the group has experienced and that they have proven that they can put it to good use.
It boosts your reputation.
Being a nurse is enough prestige, but what could be more? Acquiring more degrees! Certifications will benefit your reputation in your chosen specialization and allow you to advance your career path. Becoming a specialist in a chosen field will allow you to work with more patients in your area of interest and build up a name for yourself. However, for those who do not have a chosen path/specialization, there are still extra qualifications to allow them to reach better positions and demonstrate their hard work and ambition to their employers. Nurses can boost their reputation with a course designed to aid professional development for nursing executives – such as Baylor University’s DNP program. Upon completing the professional certification, nurses can take on positions like Chief Nurse Executive, Chief Nursing Officer, or Vice President of Nursing. These nurses have leadership skills implemented in all kinds of nursing assignments. When they become nurse executives, they operate at senior management levels within a hospital, care facilities, or other healthcare organizations.
It increases your earning potential.
Aside from your passion for caring for the sick, the healthcare industry is lucrative. However, it would be best if you did more to get a bigger portion of the cake. You could be employed in the same role as other nurses, but with a higher degree, you are more likely to get promoted when a role with more responsibility becomes available. The promotion comes with increased remuneration and likely better working conditions. In most cases, you can work shorter hours but still earn more. The more certifications you get, the more roles become available to you. Therefore, the higher your pay.
It increases your skillset.
You cannot compare a nurse who has completed clinical placement to another who is still awaiting theirs. While they may be educated on the same level, one is more experienced in the field than the other. Many healthcare certifications are not based merely on coursework and long hours in the classroom. They are often practical and deal with patients in a typical healthcare environment. Additional certifications increase your flexibility across departments and make you more valuable. This means you can function optimally in multiple areas and give yourself more job flexibility, as you can be an asset to various departments. You are also proving that you are committed to excellence in your practice, as it takes discipline to excel in multiple aspects of your career. Your certifications show colleagues and employers the effort you put into your job.
Regardless of the field you find yourself in, it would be best if you were open to learning. The healthcare industry is vast, and there is no such thing as too much information. The more you learn, the more quality information you have. Attending to your patients and collaborating with your colleagues becomes easier. What are you doing differently to improve yourself? How many skills have you acquired outside your initial training?