Authors: Christopher H. Stucky, PhD, RN, CSSM, CNOR, NEA-BC, RN-BC, Marla J. De Jong, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN, Joshua A. Wymer, MSN, RN, CSSM, CNOR, CPHIMS, NEA-BC, RN-BC
Specialty certification promotes improved surgical outcomes, enhances health care quality, and is an important external benchmark of overall clinician competence. Given the growing technological, financial, and administrative demands of the modern health care system, the roles of perianesthesia and perioperative nurse managers are increasingly complex. The Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM) certification establishes a standard of excellence for perioperative managers, demonstrating that they possess the capacity to adapt and lead in the continually evolving roles of perioperative leadership and surgical services management. In this article, we comprehensively review CSSM certification and offer insights into the importance of lifelong learning and continuous professional development. The topics discussed include the advantages of holding the CSSM credential, the importance of specialty certification, and a general examination overview. In addition, we emphasize the value of the CSSM credential and adopting it as the national standard for surgical service managers.