Individual Awards | Organizational Awards | Scholarships
About BCEN’s Awards Program
Every year, BCEN shines a national spotlight on exemplary nurses and organizations who are committed to specialty certification and excellence in emergency nursing and who promote and advance the value of board certification.
- BCEN’s Distinguished Awards recognize one nurse exemplifying excellence in each of the following emergency nursing specialties: emergency (CEN®), pediatric emergency (CPEN®), flight (CFRN®), critical care ground transport (CTRN®), and trauma (TCRN®). Nominations are now closed for the 2024 calendar year.
- BCEN’s National Certification Champion Award recognizes organizations in three categories: Small Healthcare Organization, Large Healthcare Organization and Healthcare System. Nominations are now closed for the 2024 calendar year.
Help us recognize excellence, achievement and impact in emergency nursing certification. Nominate a colleague, nominate yourself, or nominate your workplace!
Eligibility requirements, judging criteria, nomination forms and deadlines, award dates, and previous winners are provided below. BCEN plans to introduce the Distinguished CBRN (Certified Burn Registered Nurse) Award in 2026.
Distinguished Awards
BCEN’s Distinguished Awards recognize board certified emergency nurses who exemplify excellence in their emergency nursing specialty practice and who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advocating for, supporting and promoting board certification for emergency nurses. Nominations are now closed for the 2024 calendar year.
Please nominate an individual who demonstrates:
- Excellence in pursuing advanced knowledge with one of BCEN’s certifications
- Achievement in promoting and advocating for BCEN emergency nursing certification
- Impact of certification on the nursing profession and patient outcomes
Eligibility Requirements
Any nurse holding a current CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse), CFRN (Certified Flight Registered Nurse), CPEN (Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse), CTRN (Certified Transport Registered Nurse) or TCRN (Trauma Certified Registered Nurse) certification is eligible to be nominated or nominate themselves.*
To be eligible for a Distinguished Award, nominees must:
- Hold the specific BCEN certification that is being honored
- Be currently practicing in that specialty emergency nursing area
*Individuals serving on BCEN’s board of directors or exam construction review committees (ECRCs), or who are engaged in revenue-generating businesses or activities associated with any BCEN certification program, product or service (including providers of certification prep materials and/or review courses), are not eligible.
BCEN plans to introduce the Distinguished CBRN (Certified Burn Registered Nurse) Award in 2026.
Nomination submission requirements:
You will be asked to provide the following information about your nominee:
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- Their name, email address, title and affiliation/place of employment
- The certification award for which they’re being nominated (CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CTRN or TCRN)
- How you believe they exemplify the clinical excellence and professionalism of a BCEN-certified nurse in this specialty
Following your submission, nominees will be asked to submit the following:
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- At least 3 ways you have succeeded in advocating for certification and supporting other nurses to earn and maintain board certification in this specialty.
- A current CV
- A current headshot
- Up to 3 additional supporting items may be uploaded, but are not required.
Distinguished CEN Award
- Honors a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
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2024 Winner
Tina Owens
BS, RN, CEN, CCRN, CRSN, CNML, MEDSURG-BC, NHDP-BC Buchanan General Hospital, Grundy, VAAbout Tina
For over 40 years, Tina has been a nurse at Buchanan General Hospital, a stand-alone rural hospital in southwest Virginia. After being encouraged to earn the CEN by her nurse manager and mentor over 30 years ago, she has strived to pass it on by being a mentor for other nurses. When patients or nursing students ask Tina what CEN stands for, she proudly says: “The Best of Care.”
From her bachelor’s degree thesis on the Utilization of Clinical Ladders to Build Strength and Confidence—with specialty certification being the key way to provide patients and families with validation that the nurse caring for them has demonstrated experience and knowledge in their specialty—to actively petitioning and working with her CEO and CNO for administration support of certification, Tina has epitomized Certified Emergency Nurse excellence and advocacy. As a result, emergency and critical care nurses at BGH now enjoy robust encouragement and facility-provided financial support and incentives for specialty certification, and her colleagues credit her with impacting the culture of healthcare in their community.
Read more about Tina in our Meet the Winner interview.
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Previous Winners
2023
Calee Muldrow, BSN, RN, CEN
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, TX2022
Nicholas Jazdzewski, BSN, RN, CENFroedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, WI2021
Heidi Cote, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN
Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME2020
Jude Lark, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN
Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ2019
Heather Linsalata, BSN, RN, CEN
University Hospital, Newark, NJ2018
Wilmar Flores, BSN, RN, CEN
La Jolla Emergency Department, University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Health Systems, La Jolla, CA2017
Kathy Ingersoll, BSN, RN, CEN
Harford Memorial Hospital, Havre de Grace, MD2016
Kara Bauman, MN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Falls Church, VA2015
Diane Branson, RN, CEN, OR-SANE-A
Salem Hospital, Albany, OR
Distinguished CPEN Award
- Honors a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN).
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2024 Winner
Jordan McAdam
BSN, RN, CPEN Northern Navajo Medical Center, Shiprock, NMAbout Jordan
Before the COVID pandemic, Jordan identified the need to improve pediatric response in her rural, 60-bed hospital when completing the facility’s EMSC Pediatric Readiness scoring. She started by taking and passing the CPEN exam herself, and then mentoring other nurses to do the same while working with leadership to ensure the availability of pediatric educational content and funding for certification.
In her role as Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC), Jordan lead efforts that saw the pediatric readiness score jump from 64 to 96 within a 3-year period, and the Northern Navajo Medical Center (NNMC) became the first in New Mexico to be recognized as Pediatric Ready by the New Mexico Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) and the University of New Mexico Child Ready Program. NNMC has one of the largest patient volumes in the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (NAIHS), which collectively delivers health services to over 244,000 American Indians in five Federal service units on and near the Navajo Nation.
As her nominator wrote: “Jordan exemplifies what a certified nurse should be—an example of excellence, a mentor, and a champion for patient care.”
Read more about Jordan in our Meet the Winner interview.
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Previous Winners
2023
Dawn Tasche, BSN, RN, CPEN
Aurora Health Care in Sheboygan County, Sheboygan, WI2022
Jessica Evins, BSN, RN, CPENin NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY2020
Lisa Chambers, MSN, MPS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
CHOC Children’s Hospital, Orange, CA2019
Cara Szeglin, BSN, RN, CPEN
New York-Presbyterial Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY2017
Jodi Cregger, RN, MICT, CEN, CFRN, CPEN
LifeTeam, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson, KS2016
Brian Johnson, RN, CEN, CPEN
NorthBay Medical Center, Fairfield, CA2015
Kristen Cline, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, SANE-A
Sanford AirMed, Sioux Falls, SD
Distinguished CFRN Award
- Award honors a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN).
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2024 Winner
Tyler Reeves
RN, NRP, CFRN, CEN EagleMed, Great Bend, KSAbout Tyler
Tyler began his nursing career in the ED of a small critical care access hospital in rural Kansas. His experience as an emergency nurse in a rural hospital gave him what he needed to pursue his dream job of flight nursing. After years of working in the ED, he accepted a job as a flight nurse with EagleMed flying on fixed wing aircraft, earned his CFRN, and then moved over to a new EagleMed rotor base in his hometown. Today, he serves as a clinical coach and the QA coordinator for that base.
Through mentoring and clinical coaching, Tyler has oriented many new clinicians to flight medicine, incorporating CFRN content into their onboarding education to show them how to model their care and teach them best practices standards and then apply these in real patients in the flight environment. He makes himself available during work hours and after hours to answer questions and guide and share his vast collection of study materials as colleagues prepare to sit for the CFRN.
To encourage and support crew members in maintaining their certifications, he extends invites to the many conferences he attends because, as he says, “Education is more enjoyable with friends.” He credits his own clinical coach who always put a heavy emphasis on advanced certification, and his coworkers, for their great help in their mutual educational journeys.
Read more about Tyler in our Meet the Winner interview.
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Previous Winners
2023
Stacey Dock, MSN, RN, CFRN
LifeFlight Eagle, Kansas City, MO2022
Abigail Harvey, BSN, RN, CFRN, NREMT-PLutheran Health Network, Fort Wayne, Indiana2021
Kevin Kissner, MSN, RN, CEN, CFRN
VCU Health & Virginia State Police Med-Flight I , Richmond, VA2020
Tonya Barnard, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CTRN, TCRN, CCRN, EMT-B
Pafford Air One, Orlando, FL2019
Carlos Tavarez, RN, CEN, CFRN, CTRN, TCRN, NREMT-P, FP-D, CCEMT-P, EMT-T, WEMT
Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL2018
Teresa Elder, MEd, BSN, RN, CFRN
Flight for LIfe Colorado, St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, CO2017
Bambi Pish-Derr, DNP, CFRN, CCRN
Angel MedFlight, Scottsdale, AZ2015
Mick McCallum, TNS, RN, CFRN, CCRN, EMT-P, FP-C, CMTE
Topeka, KS
Distinguished CTRN Award
- Award honors a Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN).
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2024 Winner
Austin Johnson
BSN, RN, EMT-P, C-NPT, CBRN, CCRN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CTRN, TCRN AdventHealth Orlando, Orlando, FLAbout Austin
Lauded by AdventHealth Orlando for his “exceptional whole person patient care, his innovative approaches to critical care transport, and his unwavering dedication to his team” in his role as a Critical Care Transport Nurse, Austin’s dedication extends beyond his practice and support of his colleagues to industry forums, on social media and podcasts, and in his community.
From discussing his love of transport nursing to celebrating workplace colleagues every Certified Nurses Day to sharing educational opportunities and resources to countless emergency nurses in every subspecialty to helping nurses succeed in their daily practice and career choices, he helps aspiring and more established nurses alike whenever and however he can.
His main message, as he says, “always boils down to being proud of yourself and our profession. By setting the goal of certification and achieving it, you make yourself the best version of you possible.”
Read more about Austin in our Meet the Winner interview.
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Previous Winners
2023
George Olschewski, BSN, RN, CFRN, CTRN, CEN, TCRN
Hackensack University Medical Center Specialty Care Transport Unit, Hackensack, NJ2022
Mackenzie Alexander, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CTRN, CPENHarris Health System, Houston, Texas2016
Kimberly Lacina, MSN, ARNP-C, CTRN, CEN, EMT-P
Sunstar Paramedics, Largo, FL
Distinguished TCRN Award
- Honors a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN).
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2024 Winner
Jamin Rankin
BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, TCRN, CPEN, CTRN Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Monroe, LAAbout Jamin
According to his colleagues at Ochsner LSU Health System and his industry peers, Jamin doesn’t just talk about certification in his professional field, he lives it every day. As a trauma program manager at a busy urban hospital, he led his facility to become a verified and state-designated trauma center, and has established different methods to maneuver well between pre-hospital and in hospital at all levels to improve communication and patient outcomes. He also organizes regional Rural Trauma Team Development Courses and serves as faculty. Locally, regionally, and nationally, he’s led, facilitated and/or helped secure funding for numerous traumatic and pediatric emergency courses for nurses and other healthcare professionals and on injury prevention topics for citizens of all ages in his local community.
When he is introduced using the different certifications he holds, including the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), he invariably mentions to the audience that the prep work for the exam, sharing the knowledge, and reflecting the professionalism of certification on one’s resume is where the value lies.
Read more about Jamin in our Meet the Winner interview.
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Previous Winners
2023
Jordan Tyczka, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, VA2022
Shayna Stevens, BSN, RN, TCRNTexas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, Plano, TX2021
Julie Donnelly, MSN, RN, TCRN
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA2020
Lt. Mariah Pruett, NC, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, TCRN, CCRN
David Grant USAF Medical Center, Fairfield, CA2019
Travis Beebe-Woodard, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT2018
June Guadalupe, MSN, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CMC, CNRN, TCRN
R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD2017
Andrea Wright, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Level I Trauma Center, Roanoke, VA
National Certification Champion Award
BCEN’s National Certification Champion Award recognizes health care facilities and health systems that:
- Exemplify excellence in supporting emergency RNs who pursue BCEN certifications
- Show achievement in designing and implementing effective and innovative practices and programs that encourage, support, and recognize emergency nursing specialty certification
- Demonstrate the impact of a board certified emergency nurse workforce on patient, nurse and organizational outcomes
Nominations are now closed for the 2024 calendar year.
One national winner will be recognized in each of the following categories:
- Small Healthcare Organization: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with less than 30,000 visits per year, or a single critical care ground transport and/or flight base
- Large Healthcare Organization: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with more than 30,000 visits per year
- Healthcare System: a group or system of 2 or more hospital emergency departments, trauma programs, freestanding emergency centers, or critical care ground transport and/or flight bases
While Burn Centers/Burn Units are not currently eligible to apply, with the recent introduction of the CBRN credential, BCEN looks forward to inviting burn centers to apply in the future.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the National Certification Champion Award, a facility or organization must:
- Currently employ BCEN-certified emergency, transport and/or trauma nurses
- Be actively engaged in supporting their nurses in obtaining and maintaining one or more of BCEN’s certifications
- Serve as a model for advancing board certification for the nursing profession
Nomination Requirements
In order to be considered, nominations must include the following:
- Completed nomination form
- Two (2) letters of reference from individuals with relevant professional positions or qualifications
Healthcare System
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2024 Winner
ChristianaCare
Headquartered in Wilmington, DEAcross the ChristianaCare emergency service system that includes its Newark, Wilmington, Middletown and Union campuses, the nursing team doesn’t just recommend advancing professional practice through advanced certification, they are committed to it. As a result its EDs, including Level I and III trauma centers, and flight/transport teams are shining examples of a specialty certification culture as they pursue and hold a CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CTRN or CFRN credential.
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Previous Winners
2023
RWJBarnabas Health Emergency Departments
Throughout New Jersey
2022
Centura Health
Centennial, CO2020
Life Link III
Minneapolis, MN2019
Northeast Georgia Health System
Gainesville, GA2018
UCHealth Emergency Care
Fort Collins, CO
Large Healthcare Organization
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2024 Winner
Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult and Pediatric Emergency Departments at Stanford Health Care
Stanford, CAStanford Health Care recognizes certified nurses for upholding their professional commitment, nationally validating their clinical expertise, and promoting the highest standards of nursing. The Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department has a record-breaking 168 certified nurses, 131 of which are certified by BCEN, thanks to dozens of programs, daily practices and resources that encourage, support and recognize RNs committed to specialty excellence.
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Previous Winners
2023
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
Roanoke, VA2022
Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital Emergency Center
Houston, TX2021
Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven, CT2020
University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
Plattsburg, NY2019
Oak Hill Hospital
Brooksville, FL2018
Chilton Medical Center
Pompton Plains, NJ2017
Houston Methodist Hospital System
Houston, TX2016
Avera McKennan Hospital Emergency Department
Sioux Falls, SD2015
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital EMTC
Indianapolis, IN
Small Healthcare Organization
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2024 Winner
Phelps Health Emergency Department
Rolla, MOPhelps Health Hospital is part of Phelps Health, a small health system serving 200,000 residents in south-central Missouri located 1.5 hours from St. Louis, Springfield and Columbia. The organization’s emergency care improvements are driven by a surge in advanced certifications attained by its emergency department nurses.
For the past few years, only 1 of the 27 full-time emergency nurses in this 240-bed hospital (30 of which are ED beds) was a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). After boosting educational and financial resources for 2024, that number jumped to 8 (30%) just this spring, with over 55% of ED RNs expected to be CENs by year-end.
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Previous Winners
2023
WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Ephrata, PA2022
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Centennial Emergency Department
Frisco, TX2020
Childress Regional Medical Center
Childress, TX2019
Rush Foundation Hospital ED
Meridian, MS2018
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
Glendale, CA2017
Bristol Hospital
Bristol, CT2016
Angel MedFlight
Scottsdale, AZ2015
IU Health Saxony Hospital Emergency Department
Fishers, IN
Scholarships
As part of our commitment to helping current and aspiring emergency, trauma, transport and burn nurses achieve all of their professional development goals, BCEN funds approximately 50 academic nursing scholarships each year.
Inclusive of BCEN’s 2024 scholarship contributions totaling $155,000, BCEN has donated over $1.5 million to fund academic scholarships since 2012.
BCEN proudly:
- Donates to established scholarship programs to fund undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral scholarships for BCEN-certified nurses
- Funds paramedic-to-BSN scholarships for paramedics committed to becoming BCEN-certified RNs
- Donates $10,000 to ASTNA’s bereavement fund
To apply for BCEN-funded academic scholarships, please visit our partner organizations’ websites here:
- Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)
- Society of Trauma Nurses (STN)
- Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA)
- Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association (FNSNA)
Scholarship applications typically open early in the calendar year for ENA and STN. FNSNA applications open in September, and ASTNA applications typically open by November. **Please check each organization’s website for current year application deadlines and complete eligibility information.
Current Year Scholarship Contributions and Most Recent Awardees:
ENA Foundation Scholarship - $50,000
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2023 Awardees
BCEN Doctoral Scholarship Recipients
- Ashley Mendonza, CEN, TCRN, Florida
- Lena Sutch, CEN, Maryland
- Rebecca VanStanton, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, Michigan
BCEN Master’s Scholarship Recipients
- Meghan Gamble, CEN, North Carolina
- Vaughn Kelly, CEN, Alaska
- Holly Polmateer, CEN, Michigan
- Christopher Rutland, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, Mississippi
- Laura Stasila, CEN, TCRN, Indiana
BCEN Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients
- Brandon Bistodeau, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, Minnesota
- William Hamlyn, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, Texas
Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) Scholarship - $35,000
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2023 Awardees
BCEN Doctoral Scholarship Recipients
- Nicole Cook, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CEN, CCRN, TCRN, East Carolina University
- Shawn Moreau, MSN, TCRN, CEN, Chamberlain University
- Rebecca VanStanto, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, University of Michigan
- Haley Strebler, MA, BSN, RN, TCRN, St. Louis University
- Philip Prousnitze, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CCRN, CPEN, CFRN, CTRN, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Nicole Bernard, MSN, APN-c, TCRN, Wilmington University
BCEN Graduate Scholarship Recipients
- Graycen Clark, BSN, RN, TCRN, CEN, CFRN, NREMT, East Tennessee State University
- Jamie Burg, RN, TCRN, CPEN, University of West Georgia
- Misty Colvard, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, University of Texas at Tyler
- Kristi Bonny, BSN, RN, TCRN, CEN, CPHQ, EMT-P, Grand Canyon University
- Colleen Wood, BSN, RN, CPN, CPEN, TCRN, St. Catherine University
- Casey Green, BSN, RN, CCRN-CMC, CTRN, CFRN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, NRP, Wilmington University
BCEN Paramedic Scholarship Recipients
- Kelly Russ, MPA, NRP, PI, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
BCEN Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients
- Jessica Lee, RN, Western Governors University
- Jared Welk, TCRN, CEN, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Air & Surface Transport Nursing Association (ASTNA) - $35,000
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2023 Awardees
BCEN Doctoral Scholarship Recipients
- Bruce Hoffman, MSN, RN, FNP (c), NR-Paramedic, CFRN, FP-C, CCP-C, C-NPT
- Nicholas Fatolitis, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-C, CCRN, CEN, CFRN, NRP, FP-C
- Austin Brook, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CBRN, CFRN, CTRN, CCRN
BCEN Masters Scholarship Recipients
- Tiffani Santos, BSN, RN, CFRN, TCRN, CEN
- Diana Ryder, BSN, CCRN, CFRN, FP-C
- Joseph Niemann, BSN, CFRN, CCRN, CEN
- Matt Jensen, BN, RN, CFRN, CEN
- Adam A. Joseph, BS, CFRN, C-NPT, FP-C
- Paul Rigby, BSN, BS, RN, CFRN, CCRN, EMT-P, CMTE
Paramedic to RN Scholarship Recipients
- Darrin Buchta, MS Ed, NRP, FP-C, MTSP-C, CMTE
- Ashley Eggers, CCEMT-P, FPC, NRP, ADP, NREMT
- Paul Budinger, AAS, NRP, FP-C
BCEN Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients
- Joseph Keffer, RN, EMT-P, CTRN, CEN, FP-C, CCP-C, NRP
National Student Nurses Association Foundation (NSNA) - $35,000
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2024 Awardees
- Madilynn Angell-Tucker, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN
- Mary Baker, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
- Teresa Capuano-Rizzo Emory University-Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, GA
- Tara Colonel, Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, Hempstead, NY
- Shayna Friedman, Touro University School of Health Sciences, Brooklyn, NY
- Quinnlan Frost, Morningside University, Nylen School of Nursing, Sioux City, IA
- Nia Gribbons, University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH
- Mordechai Horwath, Goodwin University, East Hartford, CT
- Skyler Kania, Widener University, Chester, PA
- Riley Kimmel, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA
- Josephine Sowers, Grand View University, Des Moines, IA