The certification process. History and significance for addictions nursing practice.

The addictions nursing certification process will become a reality for the nurse. Ideally, this process will provide a method of ensuring quality care while maintaining self-regulation by the profession. The literature supports certification based on standards of care as a measure of that quality of care and as a voluntary mechanism selected by the practicing nurse. Many professional issues lie ahead for specialty nursing practice in the 1990s. The addictions nursing certification established by the NNSA offers a quality basis for certification implementation. The addictions nursing practice certification credential can provide the acknowledgement that the nurse has mastered a body of knowledge and skills reflective of a specialty nursing area.