Aiken Regional Medical Centers nurses honored for certifications
Mar. 24—Getting certified in grief care or learning how to tend to a patient in the operating room are an extra skill sets nurses can can acquire to better serve the needs of their patients.
"It's been a goal of mine to get that certification, and I did it," said Amy Atchison, an operating room nurse at Aiken Regional Medical Centers.
Atchison was one of 25 nurses from Aiken Regional who was recognized Thursday night for going the extra mile in nursing by obtaining an additional certification. The nurses who were recognized work in various hospital settings including maternity, the operating room and end of life care such as hospice.
"I think it is important to recognize the hard work our nurses do," said Chief Nursing Officer Bridget Denzik.
The hospital has been recognizing nurses for their certifications for many years.
The certification process takes about two years and includes hands-on experience in a nursing speciality. Once nurses take a test, they are certified in that area, but will have to continue with their education to keep the specialities up-to-date.
"It's a lot of work on the nurse's part, but it shows that they are proud of their certification and all the hard work they have done to obtain that," Denzik said.
Atchison has been a nurse for 24 years and has been at the hospital for four months. She became a nurse because she said she is an empath by nature and felt like the job would be a good way for her to use that side of her character.
Atchison was already working in the operating room, but feels that she can provide her patients with better care with her certification.
"I only have one patient at a time and I am able to be an advocate for the patient when they are the most vulnerable," she said.
Working as a manager in the operating room has encouraged her staff to get a certification, as well.
"It just adds another layer to the knowledge and the skill that they have. It kind of gives them a leg-up in terms of saying, 'they know what they are doing,'" Atchison said.
Another nurse, Alyce Frank, received a certification in grief, loss and palliative care because she works in coordinating hospice care for patients. She has been a nurse for 25 years and became a nurse because she wanted to do something that involved connecting with people.
"I focus a lot on helping people with end of life issues," Frank said.
She said one thing she has learned from the certification was how to listen to people and talk to them with care and compassion.
"I think it is very interesting to have passion if you really like something and you are passionate about it. I think getting certified is really important because it enhances your passion," Frank said.
