Recently CENP Certified Spotlight: Lori Wightman

What motivated you to pursue CENP certification?
We encourage bedside nurses to obtain clinical or specialty certification. Nursing leadership is my “specialty” now. I believe it is important to serve as a role model by obtaining my specialty certification. It would not be fair to encourage bedside nurse certification without me having my own. AONL is the professional organization for nurse leaders. What better organization for a nurse leader to obtain certification from!

How has becoming certified added value in your professional and personal life or how do you anticipate it doing so?
The preparation for the exam served as a refresher and a confidence boost. There was information in the prep materials that I don’t use often. I found this to be a great refresher. On the other hand, it was a confidence boost in that so much of the material was familiar. Passing the test was a confirmation for me that I have a sound leadership practice in alignment with AONL competencies. The entire process helped me reflect on my career journey.

What advice would you give to someone still considering whether to pursue CENP certification? 
GO for it – but prepare. It is not an easy exam. I consider myself an experienced nurse leader but there is content that I don’t use every day. Using the AONL exam preparation materials served as a great refresher for me. Also, the practice test was helpful. There may be multiple okay answers on  exam question, but there is one best answer. The practice test helped me with that format.