Texas Health Resources provides a standardized process for bonus payments and exam fee reimbursements for registered nurses who achieve a national nursing certification. Miranda Clemons, B.S.N., R.N., VA-BC, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, shares why she became a certified vascular access nurse:
What inspired you to become a nurse? I’ve always had an interest in science, and nursing is in my blood. My grandma was a nurse, and both my mom and aunt are nurses, too!
When did you become certified? 2018
Why did you decide to get certified? I wanted to make sure I knew the vascular access standards of care beyond what I had learned during my training. At the time, I was responsible for training new vascular access nurses, and I wanted to make sure I was training them correctly.
Why do you think it’s important for nurses to pursue certification? The more you learn, the more confident you become. Becoming certified is a great way to stay on top of the latest evidence-based practices and do your part in improving patient outcomes.
Besides becoming a certified nurse, how else have you worked to advance your professional development? I am currently in graduate school at the University of Texas Arlington to become a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.
Is there anything else you would like to tell your colleagues? I’d like to share this quote by Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”
