Awards & Scholarships

Distinguished CEN Award

• Honors a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
• Distinguished CEN Award Nominations are no longer being accepted. Check back in early 2022 for next year’s nomination window!

Learn More

• 2021 Winner
  

  Heidi Cote

  BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME

  About Heidi

  Heidi is a Clinical Nurse III and Clinical Nurse Coordinator at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Her team knows her as the best of the best. She is constantly advocating for her colleagues and helping them to achieve the highest levels of clinical and professional excellence through CEN certification. Heidi continues to raise the standard of care at Maine Medical Center through her nurse educator role and her practice at the bedside.

  Read more about Heidi.

   

• Previous Winners

  2020
  Jude Lark, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN
  Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ

  2019
  Heather Linsalata, BSN, RN, CEN
  University Hospital, Newark, NJ

  2018
  Wilmar Flores, BSN, RN, CEN
  La Jolla Emergency Department, University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Health Systems, La Jolla, CA

  2017
  Kathy Ingersoll, BSN, RN, CEN
  Harford Memorial Hospital, Havre de Grace, MD

  2016
  Kara Bauman, MN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
  Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Falls Church, VA

  2015
  Diane Branson, RN, CEN, OR-SANE-A
  Salem Hospital, Albany, OR

Distinguished CPEN Award

• Honors a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN).
• Distinguished CPEN Award Nominations are no longer being accepted. Check back in early 2022 for next year’s nomination window!

Learn More

• 2020 Winner
  

  Lisa Chambers

  MSN, MPS, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN CHOC Children's Hospital, Orange, CA

  About Lisa

  Lisa has increased the number of certified
  nurses by 12, not an easy feat. She was able to accomplish this through
  mentoring and seeking out funds to host a CPEN review course for the
  organization. Lisa is well-respected across the organization and is
  considered an expert clinical to her peers. She role models nursing
  professionalism.

  Read more about Lisa.

  

   

• Previous Winners

  2019
  Cara Szeglin, BSN, RN, CPEN
  New York-Presbyterial Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY

  2017
  Jodi Cregger, RN, MICT, CEN, CFRN, CPEN
  LifeTeam, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson, KS

  2016
  Brian Johnson, RN, CEN, CPEN
  NorthBay Medical Center, Fairfield, CA

  2015
  Kristen Cline, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, SANE-A
  Sanford AirMed, Sioux Falls, SD

Distinguished CFRN Award

• NEW in 2021: BCEN will seek to recognize one top CFRN and one top CTRN with individual awards.
• Award honors a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN).
• Winner recognized in July 2021.
• Distinguished CFRN Award Nominations are closed for 2021. Check back in late 2021/early 2022 for next year’s nominations.

• 2021 Winner
  

  Kevin Kissner

  MSN, RN, CEN, CFRN VCU Health & Virginia State Police Med-Flight I , Richmond, VA

  About Kevin
  Kissner has helped his base maintain a 100% certification rate, spearheaded a Virginia State Police initiative to standardize helicopter hoist rescue operations, been a driving force behind multiple state-wide clinical staff educational initiatives, and been recognized with several unit “Life Save” awards for successful resuscitation of cardiac arrest during transport. His peers consider him a champion for evidence-based care, safety and education.

  Read more about Kevin

   

  

• Previous Winners

  2020
  Tonya Barnard, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CTRN, TCRN, CCRN, EMT-B
  Pafford Air One, Orlando, FL

  2019
  Carlos Tavarez, RN, CEN, CFRN, CTRN, TCRN, NREMT-P, FP-D, CCEMT-P, EMT-T, WEMT
  Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL

  2018
  Teresa Elder, MEd, BSN, RN, CFRN
  Flight for LIfe Colorado, St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, CO

  2017
  Bambi Pish-Derr, DNP, CFRN, CCRN
  Angel MedFlight, Scottsdale, AZ

  2015
  Mick McCallum, TNS, RN, CFRN, CCRN, EMT-P, FP-C, CMTE
  Topeka, KS

Distinguished CTRN Award

• NEW in 2021: BCEN will seek to recognize one top CFRN and one top CTRN with individual awards.
• Award honors a Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN).
• Distinguished CTRN Award Nominations are closed for 2021. Check back in late 2021/early 2022 for next year’s nominations.

• 2016 Winner
  

  Kimberly Lacina

  MSN, ARNP-C, CTRN, CEN, EMT-P Sunstar Paramedics, Largo, FL

  About Kimberly
  Kim has been involved in patient transport since 2002. Within a few months, she demonstrated a passion and proficiency for the mobile care environment and was excited to challenge herself by earning the CTRN to demonstrate her aptitude in public transport. While serving as coordinator for the CCT program at Sunstar, she began using her education in the field of transport nursing to get the program CAMTS accredited. Now serving as Director of Clinical Services for Sunstar, she works with all new-hires to prepare for the CFRN or CTRN exams and has enacted policies that allot time for these RNs to study and sit for the exam as part of their job requirements.

• Previous Winners

  N/A

Distinguished TCRN Award

• Honors a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN).
• Winner recognized at STN’s TraumaCon in March 2021.
• Distinguished TCRN Award Nominations are no longer being accepted. Check back in early 2022 for next year’s nominations!

• 2021 Winner
  

  Julie Donnelly

  MSN, RN, TCRN Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

  About Julie
  From 2015 until 2020, Julie was the Trauma Program Manager at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. In 2021, she was promoted to Director of Patient Care Services but still oversees their trauma program. As a leader, Julie has worked to remove barriers for her team and emphasized the importance of earning and maintaining trauma certification. Under her guidance, the trauma-designated units at her facility have consistently maintained certification rates that are above the average for all nursing units at her hospital.

  Read more about Julie

   

• Previous Winners

  2020
  Lt. Mariah Pruett, NC, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, TCRN, CCRN
  David Grant USAF Medical Center
  Fairfield, CA

  2019
  Travis Beebe-Woodard, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
  University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT

  2018
  June Guadalupe, MSN, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CMC, CNRN, TCRN 
  R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

  2017
  Andrea Wright, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
  Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Level I Trauma Center, Roanoke, VA

National Certification Champion Award

• Awarded in three categories.
• National Certification Champion Award Nominations are no longer being accepted. Check back in early 2022 for next year’s award nomination window.

Learn More

BCEN’s National Certification Champion Award (formerly Honorary Certification Recognition 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

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

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 Systems

• 2020 Winner
  

  Life LInk III

  Minneapolis, MN

  About Life Link III

  At Life Link III, 98% of their 44 nurses have one professional certification, 50% have two, and 22% have three or more, with the Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) required for all RNs within 18 months of hire and additional certifications required for clinical ladder advancement. From day one, the value of certification is frequently spoken. Support includes a personal professional development fund, paid time off for exam prep and exam fee reimbursement, and opportunities to participate in and lead quality, safety and clinical initiatives.

  Read more about Life Link III

• Previous Winners

  2019
  Northeast Georgia Health System  
  Gainesville, GA

  2018
  UCHealth Emergency Care  
  Fort Collins, CO

Large Healthcare Organization

• 2021 Winner
  

  Yale New Haven Hospital

  Plattsburg, NY

  About Yale New Haven Hospital

  “Yale New Haven Hospital’s path to becoming a BCEN National Certification Champion serves as a master class on how to build an emergency nursing powerhouse that raises the standard of care for patients of all ages and scenarios,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC. “Any organization providing emergency, trauma, or transport nursing care can benefit from the certification best practices happening at Yale New Haven.”

  As YNHH’s nursing specialty certification rates continue to rise on the way to their ultimate goal of 100%, the hospital’s adult and pediatric EDs and critical care transport program have seen a variety of metrics improve — from rapid triage and out-the-door transport times to sepsis care and suicide prevention screening — largely thanks to unit-based councils focusing on nurse-led-and-driven performance improvement initiatives. Incorporating certification into its clinical ladder program is one of many ways YNHH encourages, recognizes and rewards certification.

  Read more about Yale New Haven

• Previous Winners

  2020
  University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital   
  Plattsburg, NY

  2019
  Oak Hill Hospital  
  Brooksville, FL

  2018
  Chilton Medical Center 
  Pompton Plains, NJ

  2017
  Houston Methodist Hospital System 
  Houston, TX

  2016
  Avera McKennan Hospital Emergency Department
  Sioux Falls, SD

  2015
  Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital EMTC
  Indianapolis, IN

Small Healthcare Organization

• 2020 Winner
  

  Childress Regional Medical Center

  Childress, TX

  About Childress Regional Medical Center

  • With 42% of its emergency RNs holding the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and a mission to be the best rural facility in the state of Texas, Childress Regional Medical Center (CRMC) assists new hires with certification readiness and goal-setting from day one, offers a professional development scholarship fund for every employee, celebrates certified nurses with formal banquets covered by the local press, and rewards RNs with a pay increase for each national certification they hold.

  Read more about Childress Regional Medical Center (CRMC)

• Previous Winners

  2019
  Rush Foundation Hospital ED
  Meridian, MS

  2018
  USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
  Glendale, CA

  2017
  Bristol Hospital
  Bristol, CT

  2016
  Angel MedFlight
  Scottsdale, AZ

  2015
  IU Health Saxony Hospital Emergency Department
  Fishers, IN