Abstract
As professionals, we have many opportunities to prove our expertise in our field. Professional Certification is one of those opportunities. Certified nurses have reported feeling more empowered, with better collaborative relationships, as well as believing that they provide better care. Nurses also have perceived intrinsic value to obtaining certification in a specialty practice area. The certification process attempts to demonstrate that the nurse has exceeded the minimal standards and exhibits a high level of competence over the subject area. Leaders should continue to encourage their team members to obtain professional certification in their specialty areas of practice.