Increasing the number of certified registered nurses in an emergency department

Nationally, hospital emergency departments are met with challenges because of increasing patient demands, overcrowding, and the need to protect patient safety. It is imperative that frontline emergency department nurses are prepared to meet the complex needs of diverse patient populations by having appropriate continuing education, training, and institutional resources. Professional certification is associated with improved patient safety, higher organizational performance scores, professional growth, and credibility among nurses. The purpose of this article is to describe the process and outcome of a nursing professional development-practitioner-led intervention to promote professional certification among nurses in an urban adult emergency department while reducing overall cost of institutional support for certification preparation.