Online Certificates in Nursing
Strengthen your resume for nursing roles with new or updated skills.
Expand or Update Your Skills
Develop new skills or hone existing ones with a certificate at ACE. With options in education, healthcare, nursing, business and leadership, you can finish your certificate in under nine months and take the next step in your career. You can also stack our certificates into related degree programs if you’re inspired to keep going. Find your certificate program and pave the way toward professional growth.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
Nursing certificates help you develop specific subsets of skills within the profession that can help you improve patient care and work in different areas of nursing. Here are some of the skills and knowledge you can gain from a certificate:
- Adaptability and self-management
- Leadership
- Stakeholder communication
- Conflict resolution
- Prioritization techniques
Nursing Career Alignment
ACE’s online nursing certificate programs are designed to help you develop and hone skills that can make you more competitive in the job market. Whether you’re a new or experienced nurse, a certificate on your resume can show your dedication to continuing education.
Admission for Nursing Certificate Programs
Along with ACE’s general admission requirements, prospective nursing certificate students must hold an associate degree in nursing or a diploma in registered nursing, with a minimum GPA of 2.25 on a 4.0 scale. We may grant provisional admission for a GPA of 2.0. You also must provide evidence of an active, unencumbered RN license. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
*Source: Student Right to Know
Online Nursing Certificate Programs FAQs
What is a nursing certificate?
A nursing certificate is a short, focused program that focuses on a specific topic, area or skillset. They are often completed online within a couple of months.
What can you do with a nursing certificate?
Nursing certificates are a great way for registered nurses to specialize or upskill. They can help give you career mobility without the commitment of a full degree. They can also help your resume stand out when searching for your next opportunity.
How are nursing certificates different from degrees?
Certificates are short programs designed to build specific, job-focused skills, whereas degrees are longer programs that provide more comprehensive knowledge about the field. Degrees are both broader in scope, covering more topics within nursing and healthcare, and dive deeper into key subject areas. Some nursing degrees may lead to licensure. Nursing certificates do not lead to licensure, certification or endorsement and additionally do not guarantee eligibility for specific roles, promotions or salary outcomes.
Can nursing certificates count toward continuing education (CE) or licensure renewal?
Nursing certificates may count toward CE or licensure renewal but not all of them do. It depends on the program, your state and how credits are issued. It also depends on whether the coursework meets your state board requirements. If you’re looking for nursing certificates that will satisfy CE requirements, check your state board of nursing for their licensure renewal rules and with the certificate provider to see if they can provide CE credit.
Do nursing certificates transfer into degree programs?
Some nursing certificates can grant you academic credit that you can then transfer into a degree program. It will depend on the certificate program and on the academic institution as to whether it will approve and accept those credits. Many of ACE’s certificate programs have been purposefully designed for transferability into our degree programs. For example, our Certificate in Professional Skills in Travel Nursing can be applied toward our bachelor’s degree completion programs.