Meet Kasia Wolan: BCEN’s 2025 Distinguished CPEN Award Winner
On April 23, BCEN was proud to announce our 2025 Distinguished CPEN Award winner:
Katarzyna “Kasia” Wolan, MSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CPEN, CTRN, EMT
Clinical Nurse Educator
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Pediatric Emergency Nursing Mentor, Preceptor & Educator Extraordinaire
Clinical Nurse Educator in the Pediatric ED, Pediatric ICU and Pediatric/Neonatal Transport Team at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and a member of the New Jersey State Pediatric Committee, Kasia is regarded as one of the foremost pediatric emergency practitioners at her facility and in her home state.
She fell into the pediatric emergency specialty by accident through an externship. Kasia found the pediatric ED to be a safe and creative space to connect with kids through what she describes as her “silly” personality while being deeply dedicated to her profession. And it has been the perfect fit her whole career long.
Fueled by her passion and advocacy for the specialty care of children, her expansive pediatric emergency expertise, and a consummate ability to teach and collaborate with a diverse range of healthcare professionals, Kasia’s contributions have improved pediatric patient care—impacting the lives of countless numbers of children and their families—while inspiring and mentoring hundreds of colleagues.
Instrumental in supporting a new graduate nurse mentorship environment in the pediatric ED, where she fosters a powerful, bidirectional relationship with the new RNs, Kasia does for novice nurses what she says her mentors did for her—see potential in them that they don’t see in themselves.
What does this award mean to you?
This award is the most honorable recognition and such special validation for the work I do, and the positive influences I have made along the way. This award is for my patients, my pediatric family, and our sister hospitals, who allowed me to support and inspire others, and promote best pediatric outcomes in our emergency room settings through education and knowledge. I am truly committed, dedicated and empowered to support my pediatric emergency room staff as well as the needs of fellow system hospitals. Whatever those needs are, I am motivated to share my knowledge, experiences and be the pediatric emergency room nurse expert when needed.
This award truly validates my efforts and commitment to everything pediatric emergency medicine. As a Polish immigrant who came to this country as a little girl seeking the “American Dream,” I can truly say I’m dreaming now! We all work so hard in healthcare without ever looking for acknowledgment. So, for me, to be recognized with such a high honor, this is the most special way of feeling accomplished and appreciated.
How has holding the CPEN credential impacted your daily practice and your nursing career path?
I lead with inspiration because that is how I was raised as a nurse. I was lucky to have amazing mentors along the way in my nursing career — mentors who saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. These mentors and colleagues always pushed and encouraged me to do more. Obtaining my CPEN and other certifications was an inspiring validation of growth that gave me the courage to believe in myself and motivated me to want to achieve and pursue more.
Having a certification builds a confidence that translates to everyday practice and ultimately to the bedside. In my newer clinical educator role, my CPEN certification validates the narrative that I am an expert in pediatric emergency medicine, and I feel confident to say so. I lead with this culture with my current coworkers, especially my pediatric ED RNs who started their journey as new graduates in our pediatric ED. My new graduate nurses may feel like I have inspired and supported them, but the truth is, they have inspired and supported me in so many ways. As an educator I feel validated and prepared to support staff in their learning and growing journey.
What difference has being board certified in pediatric emergency nursing made for your patients and their families?
I work for a large hospital facility, considered the hub, which is part of a large hospital system in New Jersey. We are a state-designated Level I Trauma Center and offer many elevated pediatric services, like pediatric ECMO. The pediatric emergency room is often the entryway of these severely sick or injured children. Having my CPEN certification supports my knowledge, critical thinking skills, and overall confidence to work in such an amazing facility. I feel prepared to perform at the bedside and provide the best care possible to our special little humans. Our facility and culture are very family-centered-care focused, so being CPEN-certified has given me the confidence to embrace and empower families to be a part of their child’s care.
Kasia has worked tirelessly to care and advocate for children and has achieved an expert level of practice as a pediatric nurse. Through her work, she has impacted the lives of countless numbers of children and their families, and has inspired hundreds of emergency nurses.
Since 2002, Kasia Wolan has demonstrated unwavering dedication and excellence in pediatric nursing. Her extensive pediatric nursing experience spans various roles including Pediatric Emergency Department, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Transport, ECMO RN and Pediatric ED Educator. In all of these roles, Kasia has worked tirelessly to care and advocate for children and has achieved an expert level of practice as a pediatric nurse.
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