title: Recognizing excellence: unit-based activities to support specialty nursing certification.
abstract: An acute care medicine unit identified and implemented strategies to encourage staff to become certified. In 1 year, the number of certified nurses increased 60%, the RN turnover rate decreased from 16.7% to 8.1%, the RN vacancy rate decreased from 11% to 4.73%, and the patient satisfaction score increased. The processes that contributed to those changes are described.
authors.affiliation: Acute Care Medicine Unit, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Craven
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D009729:Nursing; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D014768:Virginia; D000078329:Workforce