Whether you’re trying to advance or pivot, you might be tempted to seek additional certifications. But will that really help? Here’s what to consider.
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!
Have you ever been told to “just get another certification” to move your nursing career forward? If so, you’ve probably wondered if that’s really the magic bullet. I’ve been there. And I can tell you that getting another certification won’t guarantee a smoother pivot into a non-traditional nursing role.
I’ve held multiple certifications. Yes, multiple certifications in nursing, such as staff development. I’ve also held non-nursing certifications in online training, business, and productivity. I’ve poured time, energy, and money into earning and renewing those certifications, and have no regrets. But none of them got me the better opportunity I was looking for.
In fact, the role that’s defined my career the most — instructional design that works — is the one where I don’t have any certification whatsoever. And yet, I’ve designed hundreds of courses. I have shelves of books on the subject, years of hands-on practice, and a track record of results that no framed certificate could ever capture.
So let’s break this down.
Certifications: one-and-done vs. skills that grow
Why do we think we need to get another certification? Well, it seems like everyone else is doing it. And a certification feels like an accomplishment. You put in the hours, you take the test, and you get the plaque or certificate to prove it. If you walked into my office, you’d see some of those plaques and certificates displayed.
But here’s the truth: certifications are static. They’re “one-and-done.” Once you’ve got it, it sits there, even if you renew it.
Skills, on the other hand, are alive. They grow, shift, and prove themselves every day.
That’s the first big difference. Certifications are finite. Transferable skills continue to live and breathe every day.
And when you’re trying to move into a non-traditional role outside the hospital, employers and clients are looking for someone who can do the work and be visible doing it — not someone who can hang another piece of paper on the wall.
Comparing what certifications do vs. what skills do
Certifications can help, but their benefits are narrow and situational.
Take nursing. A certification in electronic fetal monitoring might help me land a labor and delivery position. It might even bump up my hourly rate a bit. But outside of L&D? Not much.
I once held a staff development certification. I thought it would get me get a promotion or at least a lateral move at the medical center. It didn’t. It didn’t open outside opportunities. And later, it certainly didn’t help me design courses for my business or for corporations. Honestly, it was only a little bit helpful for getting my business accredited by the ANCC. Sure, when I earned it, the extra feather in my cap boosted my confidence, but it didn’t do much more than that.
Now contrast that with transferable skills. My ability to communicate clearly, to think critically, to adapt, to collaborate, to stay organized, and to teach and coach — those are the things that opened doors for me. Those transferable skills carried me from bedside nursing into business, consulting, and education.
And here’s where visibility comes in. Hanging a certificate on the wall is a kind of visibility, but it’s passive. The visibility that really counts is showing up in front of people, demonstrating your skills, and stepping into the action at the right moment. Sometimes that’s ongoing presence. Other times it’s seizing a critical moment in front of the right audience.
I’ll concede that getting another certification can be helpful to snag a better bedside role.
But for non-traditional roles? Transferable skills + visibility is what actually works.
When certifications are worth it (and when they’re not)
Before I sound like I’m anti-certification, let me be clear: certifications aren’t useless. They do have value, but only in the right contexts.
I’ve boiled it down to three criteria. A certification might be worth pursuing if it:
· fits a specialty bedside role. (Example: EFM certification for labor and delivery.)
· is required by regulation or compliance. (Sometimes the rulebook decides for you.)
· helps with HR résumé filters. (Yes, sometimes the keywords get you through the first round.)
If a certification doesn’t pass one of those three filters, it probably won’t move the needle much. It’s just another line on your résumé.
That’s why getting another certification won’t guarantee a non-traditional opportunity. It might help at the margins. But it’s unlikely to be the breakthrough you’re hoping for.
Should you get another certification?
Looking back, certifications didn’t create my opportunities. The key for me was a mix of transferable skills, a lot of hours spent reading and figuring things out, and above all, visibility — showing up, being present, and demonstrating value in the right moments.
That’s why visibility, not getting another certification, is what makes the difference when you’re aiming for a non-traditional nursing role. A certificate might decorate your résumé, but it’s your skills in action — and the fact that people actually see you using them — that transform careers.
The next big step isn’t in a testing center. It’s in making the most of the skills you already have and being visible with them when it counts.
Are you ready to move your career to the next level? Book a discovery call or send me a DM on LinkedIn. I’ll help you figure out what’s next.
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!