Texas Health provides a standardized process for bonus payments and exam fee reimbursements for registered nurses who achieve a national nursing certification. Chelsea Zepeda, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BC, CCRN-CSC, manager, Intensive Care Unit and Hemodialysis, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford, shares her thoughts on being a nurse and achieving two certifications.

What inspired you to become a nurse? Being a nurse has always been part of my identity. I can’t pinpoint any one thing or any one moment where I said “I’m going to be a nurse when I grow up.” I’ve just always known this is what I was meant to do.

What do you enjoy about being a nurse? I really enjoy the science behind critical care nursing. I also enjoy being able to create a lasting impact on a patient and their family in some of the scariest and most difficult moments in their lives.

What are your certifications? I am nationally certified as a Nurse Executive-Advanced, and also as a Critical Care Registered and subspecialized in Cardiac Surgery.

Why did you decide to get certified? I believe being certified is a way to elevate yourself and the profession of nursing as a whole. Certification provides a deeper level of knowledge and understanding of your field, which ultimately provides for a better patient experience and better outcomes.