Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality-improvement (QI) project evaluated the impact of a peer-led certification workshop on the perceived value of specialty certification among medical-surgical and telemetry (MST) nurses and assessed certification engagement and barriers. Background: Specialty certification for registered nurses (RNs) is associated with improved patient outcomes, professional satisfaction, and career advancement. Despite these benefits, certification rates remain <1% among MST nurses at an acute care community hospital, compared to the average 51% in Magnet hospitals and 34% in non-Magnet hospitals. Barriers such as lack of time, limited confidence, and insufficient access to resources persist despite institutional support, including books, certification reimbursement, and a $500 incentive. Methods: This pre-post QI project was conducted at a community hospital in California. MST nurses were invited to attend a 1-hour Zoom workshop covering test-taking strategies, test anxiety management, and practice questions facilitated by volunteer peer staff nurses. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed certification interest, confidence, barriers, and the validated Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT). An 8-week follow-up survey evaluated engagement towards certification. Results: Mean PVCT scores increased from 36.7 (pre, n=16) to 41.6 (post, n=11) (p = 0.01, Hedges’ g = 1.14). Common pre-intervention barriers included lack of time (69%) and fear of failure (50%). All post-intervention participants (n=11) reported the workshop as useful and were satisfied with the peer-led format. At 8-week follow-up (n = 7), all participants reported plans to pursue certification within six months and engaged in certification-related activities, including obtaining study materials (100%), researching eligibility (80%), enrolling in a review class (80%), joining a study group (60%), and meeting with a mentor (20%), reflecting progression from intention to action. Conclusion: The peer-led certification workshop increased the perceived value of certification and promoted engagement in certification activities. Peer-led educational interventions represent a scalable strategy to enhance certification readiness, but should be accompanied by complementary organizational efforts to address system-level barriers.