BCEN’s CBRN Joins Elite Group of Accredited & Magnet-Accepted Certifications, BCEN Marks a Major Milestone
Effective August 1, the Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) certification program is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC). And as a result, the CBRN is now also ANCC Magnet-accepted.
As BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker explains in BCEN’s announcement:
“Accreditation by ABSNC offers an important assurance to burn nurses, burn centers, and patients and their families—based on a rigorous and independent process—that the CBRN certification program meets or exceeds the highest quality standards. Now that the CBRN is accredited, all six BCEN certifications—the CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN, CTRN, and CBRN—are both accredited and Magnet-accepted.
Achieving the ‘gold standard’ of national accreditation across our certification programs underscores BCEN’s commitment to offering high-value credentials that recognize the expertise of emergency, pediatric emergency, trauma, flight, critical care ground transport, and burn nurses, and promote their continued competence.”
BCEN Board Members Share Their Thoughts
In light of these major CBRN and BCEN milestones, we asked several BCEN board of directors members to share their perspectives on what this means for the BCEN community, and for nurses, providers and patients in general. Here’s what they had to say:
Emily Werthman, PhD, MSN, RN, CBRN
BCEN Board Member-at-Large & Burn Program Coordinator for The Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
“Accreditation is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. It validates the integrity of the CBRN exam (and every BCEN exam), the hard work of our item writers, and most importantly the expertise of burn nurses around the country.
Burn nurses were already excited about the CBRN exam, but sometimes that excitement wasn’t quite matched by hospital leadership who needed to prioritize accredited certifications to apply for and maintain Magnet status. Accreditation of the CBRN certification allows burn nurses to contribute to their hospital’s Magnet efforts, and may also allow more nurses to apply to their hospitals for reimbursement, promotions, and advancement through a clinical ladder.
Accreditation gives burn nurses a way to demonstrate the validity of our specialty certification—allowing us to highlight our expertise in caring for burn patients across the continuum of care and reinforcing our commitment to delivering the high-quality compassionate care that all of our patients and families deserve.”
Sean Elwell, DNP, RN, NE-BC, TCRN, EMT
BCEN Board Secretary/Treasurer & Nemours Children’s Hospital Senior Director – Trauma Center, Critical Care Transport, Emergency Services
“As board members and as an organization, we are committed to ensuring that BCEN certifications are the gold standard in emergency nursing. Having all our certification programs accredited demonstrates the bar that we have set for our offerings and our profession.
Our patients and families expect nursing teams to provide the highest level of care. Ultimately, nurses and employers should be seeking certifications that are accredited to ensure they are promoting the highest quality in specialty care.”
Julie Ruddy, BS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
BCEN BOD Chairperson-Elect
“BCEN is committed to producing and providing the highest standard of certification for nurses who commit to excellence and for the public who trusts that a BCEN-certified nurse is an expert in their field of practice.
When we do this:
- Nurses can be confident that their knowledge and expertise, as proven by the BCEN certification they have achieved, are legitimate and validated by an independent organization.
- Employers who engage a nurse with a BCEN-accredited certification can be confident that nurse is not only an expert in their field but also an accomplished, dedicated nurse who continues to take pride in their profession and continually educates themselves to maintain the highest standards.
- Patients who are cared for by a nurse who holds an accredited BCEN certification can trust they are in the hands of a nurse who takes pride in being the best and most up-to-date committed professional who is by their side, and on their side, every step of their medical journey.”
Allen C. Wolfe Jr., MSN, CNS, APRN, CFRN, CCRN, CTRN, TCRN, CMTE, FAASTN
BCEN Board Chairperson & Life Link III Senior Director of Education
“BCEN is committed to accreditation for our specialty certification programs because it affirms our exams have met rigorous national standards of validity, fairness, and current evidence-based practice.
This helps build trust and credibility between BCEN and employers and clinicians.
Similarly, patients and families can rest assured that nurses who are board certified through accredited certification programs like those offered by BCEN have met the standards for competency in their field and possess the clinical judgement necessary to deliver high quality care in clinical situations.”
Learn more: CBRN Milestones & The Value of Certification
Watch: Meet the Experts Behind the Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN)
