CCRN and nursing education by Cathryn

CCRN and nursing education by Cathryn - March 2014 Scholarship Essay

My greatest academic achievement was obtaining my CCRN (critical care registered nurse) certification. Three years ago, I was selected by my direct manager to participate in an immersive critical care nursing review program to enable me to obtain a specialty certification. This grant funded research program was conducted across four hospitals, each of which selected only five nurses. I was the only nurse from my department invited to attend. I was truly honored and overwhelmed to be the only representative of my department and small community hospital.

The program consisted of five months of extensive study of critical care nursing material through self-taught online powerpoint slides. This required diligence and time management strategies to ensure I worked through all the education modules. Through this process, I reviewed basic components of critical care, and gained a wealth of information regarding pathophysiologic processes and complex treatments for a multitude of disorders I had not yet been exposed to in my short nursing career. Twice each month, the twenty nurses from across the Piedmont, met at a central hospital and participated in simulation labs to engrain in our minds the information we self-reviewed at home. The experiences in sim labs made the information real by applying it to pertinent patient situations. I was able to truly learn and understand the material through this hands-on activity. We were able to work together to think through situations and determine the best course of treatment which led to the most therapeutic outcome for the patient. Thus, teamwork and communication skills were also exercised in this program.

I have maintained my certification for three years by completing over 100 hours of continuing education across three categories as required by the Association of Critical Care Nursing. This continuing education has come as online webinars, completion of CE activities from professional publications, classes offered through my employer as well as in the community, and more recently, the continuance of my degree through the pursuit of graduate school. I am currently in the enrollment process for a Master in Nursing Science with a concentration in education. I plan to attend the same institution where I received my undergraduate degree as I know the instructors and course content will enable me to achieve my academic goals.

Obtaining my CCRN certification has empowered me to grow and continue to learn. The field of nursing and medicine is expansive and complicated; the more I understand, the more exceptional care I will be able to provide at the bedside to the residents of my community. Since achieving CCRN, numerous patient situations have presented that have enabled me to use that education. I have been able to pass information on to my colleagues as well as new nurses that I routinely precept. Our enhanced knowledge base is helping to create the best outcomes for patients in a multitude of settings. Knowing that I am providing the best care to patients, and that I am enabling my coworkers to do the same, brings me an immense about of job satisfaction and joy for what I do.

My goal is to teach nursing skills and sciences so that I can empower others in the way that my school and my manager did for me. Increasing the number of nursing educators will enable schools to accept more nursing students each enrollment period; thus, decreasing the vast shortage of nurses to care for our aging population.