Brianna Valentine, BSN, RN, CCRN, initially pursued certification to prove herself to co-workers who disparaged her competence as a critical care nurse. But the process of obtaining CCRN certification, along with her first attendance at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), also reinforced Brianna’s lifelong love of learning and reignited her passion for nursing.
In honor of Certified Nurses Day, Brianna talks about her certification journey, how earning a CCRN made her a better nurse and why she tells other nurses to “just go for it.”
Why did you want to become a nurse?
I always really liked science and math. At one point, I was studying engineering, but I also worked at a daycare. That made me realize how much I love working with people. I just have a big heart for people. What happens when you combine a love of science and math with a love of people? You get nursing.
There are amazing things about nursing that warm my heart. I love taking care of patients. I love being involved in people's stories. I love being able to have a meaningful impact and to show someone I care about them in a way that’s unique to the profession.
Why did you decide to become certified?
I started working at a Level 1 trauma center, and I was very excited. At the time, I had two years of ICU experience at smaller facilities, and I couldn’t wait to have the resources of a larger hospital and gain experience that you just can’t get in smaller ICUs. I was excited to learn and grow as a nurse. But because of my background, I faced a lot of doubt from my peers about my clinical knowledge and judgment, especially if I encountered a practice or procedure that differed from the way I was trained. If I asked questions, I usually wasn’t given any clinical rationale. I was just told, “Well, this is just how we’ve always done it.”
After a while, I decided it was time to hit the books and get my certification. I wanted my colleagues to realize that I’m an experienced nurse whose judgment they can trust. I wanted to truly understand the evidence behind our practices and have the clinical knowledge to justify my approach to patient care – and certification seemed like the best way to do that.
How did NTI play a role in your certification journey?
By the time I attended NTI [in May 2024], I had been actively studying for the CCRN exam for four months. I had already completed the AACN review course, but I was just nervous to take the plunge and schedule the exam.
At NTI, I was surrounded by certified nurses, especially in the Certification Oasis. It was really inspiring to be in that environment and see this large group of nurses who are passionate about education and evidence-based best practices. Instead of saying, “This is how we do things because this is how we do things,” these nurses would say, “We’re going to do it this way because this is what the evidence shows will work best for the patient, and this is the science behind it.”
It made me so excited. I really wanted to share that knowledge. I wanted to be able to put that ribbon on, to be part of that group of certified nurses who cared as much about research and education as I did. So I scheduled my exam. I took it right there in my hotel room on the second day of the conference. And it was a challenging exam. I was so nervous I was shaking, but then my results popped up that I passed.
The next day, I walked into the conference and said, “Well, if you have any more of those ribbons, I’m now a certified nurse!” Everyone I met was so excited. It was a great moment.
What difference has certification made in your day-to-day work as a nurse?
It has made a massive difference. Getting my certification has made me a better healthcare provider. I thought I knew my way around ICU nursing before, but even just the process of studying for the exam and learning about the biology and the science of why we do things a certain way - it gave me a better understanding of medicine. I can understand and interpret labs faster; I catch things sooner. I generally feel like I’m a better and safer nurse, because it doesn’t take very long for me to connect the dots and notice when something’s not right.
Going through the certification process also improved my ability to communicate with physicians about my patients. The language in the CCRN exam is so up-to-date, so it feels like I can speak their language now, particularly the younger physicians. I can better understand their thinking and where they’re coming from. Even if I don’t understand something, I can ask questions more specifically, and I have the background and knowledge base to discuss it with them.
What does certification mean to you?
Having my certification validates that I’ve reached a level of clinical competence where I know I can trust my gut. Even when I have questions, I know where to look for the answers and how to better understand the information I find. I credit all of that to doing the work it takes to study for the CCRN exam, and that’s something no one can ever take away from me.
I feel like at a certain point, if you’re a nurse and not certified … why not? Because you want to make sure you have as much clinical knowledge as possible and that you’re keeping up with the latest evidence. I just see it as essential at this point.
How does AACN help with certification?
AACN has so many tools and resources available online. Coming from AACN, I knew the exam prep materials and practice exams would be trustworthy, reliable and, most importantly, reflect what I actually needed to know for the exam. The review course helped me better understand what to study, and I love that the nurses who teach the course are so experienced. I felt like I got a level of wisdom, knowledge and experience from them that’s difficult to find anywhere else. I also love that you can interact with the study materials in different ways depending on your learning style. I could listen to parts in the car, and then go back and read the slides to reinforce the concepts. It just makes it easier to take in all that knowledge.
What advice would you give to other nurses considering certification?
I would tell them to just go for it, because it will make them a better nurse. Especially for younger nurses, I tell them to consider certification so they don’t experience the same struggles I did. When they come from different backgrounds and then see things done differently, and they don't know why one hospital has this policy and a different hospital has another policy, it’s going to create a little bit of friction. But you don’t want that friction. You want to be able to lean on your knowledge to justify your clinical decisions, and certification is the best way to get there.
When it comes to actually taking the exam, I would remind them of what they’ve already accomplished and push them forward. I tell them that if they’ve used all the available resources – the study materials, lectures, review courses, practice exams – then they’re ready. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just go for it.
So what’s next for you in your nursing career?
I credit NTI with inspiring me to go further in my career. It gave me people to look up to and people I want to be like. Before I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go in. Now I want to be a nursing specialist. I want to get my CMC certification. I want to grow.
Nursing is not an easy job. Especially after COVID, it was easy to feel burned out. This profession is not for the faint of heart, but it's worth it and it's fun. NTI gave me a big push to keep going and not get overwhelmed by the negativity we can so often experience in healthcare. It made me realize there are so many other people like me – knowledge seekers who genuinely enjoy their jobs. So it really reignited that fire of what I love about nursing and reminded me why I love what I do – because there’s always something new to learn and ways to keep growing as a nurse that are worth getting excited about.
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