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News — Building on the body of evidence supporting a link between specialty nursing certification and workplace empowerment, a new study documents a positive association between nurses鈥� perceptions of workplace empowerment and the proportion of nurses with specialty certification in hospital units.

鈥溾�� 鈥� by lead author Greta Krapohl, RN, MSN, a 20-year Army Nurse Corps veteran and doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues 鈥� appears in the November .

Study analysis reveals a positive and statistically significant correlation between workplace empowerment and certification, findings consistent with prior research that documented similar results. Though a statistically significant relationship between nursing certification and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes could not be documented, the study nevertheless highlights the strong association that exists between perceptions of overall workplace empowerment and certification.

鈥淥ur investigation revealed higher overall empowerment scores in units with a higher proportion of certified nurses,鈥� Krapohl explains. Closer analysis found strong unit leadership, the availability of certification resources and the support of nursing continuing education as key organizational factors in the promotion of nursing certification, she adds.

Funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the University of Michigan study adds to the body of knowledge that affirms the relationship of nursing certification to healthy work environments in practice settings.

In May, AJCC published findings from the first national study to examine certification and empowerment in tandem. 鈥溾�� 鈥� by Joyce Fitzpatrick, RN, MBA, PhD, FAAN, Elizabeth Brooks Ford professor of nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and colleagues 鈥� found that certified nurses in critical care indicate greater satisfaction with jobs and careers and higher perceptions of empowerment than their non-certified peers.

During the study, Krapohl and her colleagues distributed anonymous surveys to 866 nurses working in 25 intensive care units in southeast Michigan. The survey used the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II) to measure workplace empowerment with an additional question about certification status. Data simultaneously collected on three nurse-sensitive patient outcomes included: (1) rate of central line catheter-associated bloodstream infection, (2) rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia and (3) prevalence of pressure ulcers. A total of 450 completed surveys were returned and used in the analysis.

Access the study abstract and full-text PDF by visiting the AJCC website at .

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 230 chapters worldwide. The organization鈥檚 vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit .

About the AACN Certification Corporation: The AACN Certification Corporation, the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, maintains professional practice excellence through certification and certification renewal of nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families. The AACN Certification Corporation develops and administers the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS and ACNPC specialty exams in acute, progressive and critical care; CMC and CSC subspecialty exams in cardiac medicine and surgery; and, in partnership with the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the CNML exam for nurse managers.

About the American Journal of Critical Care: The American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC), a bimonthly scientific journal published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, provides up-to-date clinical research that focuses on evidence-based practice applications. Established in 1992, it includes clinical and research studies, case reports, editorials and commentaries. AJCC enjoys a circulation of 80,000 and can be accessed at .