Awards & Scholarships

BCEN is proud to honor and recognize our nurses and organizations who go the extra mile to support certification. We are also deeply committed to the future of nursing and help fund multiple annual scholarship programs.

Distinguished Awards

BCEN’s Distinguished Awards are nationally recognized.  The award honors distinguished nurses and organizations committed to board certification and excellence in emergency nursing. Furthermore, those individuals and organizations that promote and advance the value of board certification for emergency nurses are highly regarded as role models.

BCEN accepts applications for nurses:

  • Who advocate the importance of specialty certification to hospital leadership.
  • Who have motivated or encouraged peers to attain the specialty credential (CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CTRN, TCRN)
  • Who are knowledgeable regarding issues related to certification.
  • Who demonstrate the ability to comfortably articulate the professional aspects of certification in emergency nursing.
  • Who Serve as a role model by obtaining and maintaining the specialty credential.

Call for Awards announcements are released prior to the conference at which they are presented. Application forms will be available on the BCEN website when the awards call is released.

The following national awards are offered by BCEN:

Distinguished CEN Award

  • Awarded at Emergency Nursing Conference (ENA)
  • Call for Awards are released in June of each calendar year
  • 2018 Winner
    Wilmar Flores Headshot

    Wilmar Flores

    BSN, RN, CEN Chula Vista, CA

    About Wilmar
    Wilmar has been certified for 10 years. When he became an assistant nurse manager in the ED, he demonstrated support for certification that included securing financial assistance for nurses pursuing specialty certification, flexible scheduling, and a resource library of preparation materials along with review courses. In recognition of their success in achieving their certifications, Wilmar created a wall of distinction. With his efforts, 10 nurses have successfully passed the CEN exam with another 10+ anticipated to be testing in the near future.

    Wilmar Flores Accepting the Award

  • Previous Winners

    2017
    Kathy Ingersoll, BSN, RN, CEN
    Richmond, VA

    2016
    Kara Bauman, MN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
    Fairfax, VA

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

Distinguished CPEN Award

  • Awarded at Emergency Nursing Conference (ENA)
  • Call for Awards are released in June of each calendar year
  • 2017 Winner
    Jodi Headshot

    Jodi Cregger

    RN, MICT, CEN, CFRN, CPEN Great Bend, KS

    About Jodi
    Jodi Cregger is a champion for excellence in the care and transport of pediatric patients.  Outside of her exemplary skills as a caregiver, Jodi is persistent in her encouragement of her peers to attain certification in an emergency nursing field. Ms. Cregger works as both a flight nurse and educator for LifeTeam Critical Care Transport and is a champion for outstanding education services.

    She is insightful as to the process involved in preparing and taking certification exams, enthusiastically promoting certification as a means of professional development. She supports her colleagues not only through the preparation and test-taking stage of the certification process but also by promoting and acknowledging those with whom she works once they have attained their goals. Jodi has been instrumental in securing the support necessary from her employer to promote certification from within the organization for which she works.

    Ms. Jodi Cregger is an admirable role model for those who wish to attain certification and provide skilled pediatric care. Her dedication to education, promotion, and completion of becoming certified in pediatrics or any of the available fields of emergency nursing is unwavering.

  • Previous Winners

    2016
    Brian Johnson, RN, CEN, CPEN
    Walnut Creek, CA

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

Distinguished CFRN/CTRN Award

  • Awarded at CCTMC Conference (Critical Care Transport Medical Conference)
  • Call for Awards are released in January of each calendar year
  • 2018 Winner
    Teresa Elder Headshot

    Teresa Elder

    MEd, BSN, RN, CFRN Denver, CO

    About Teresa
    Theresa has served as a primary nurse in rotor wing, fixed wing and critical care ground vehicles caring for critically ill and injured patients for over 23 years. She is a long-standing advocate for the CFRN certification and has worked many hours to ensure that the flight nurses are well-prepared for the exam and recognized for passing it. Her extraordinary work in support of specialty certification, including designing a CFRN exam preparation program with a 100 percent pass rate, is elevating patient care and safety and empowering nurses who work in the dynamic environment of critical care transport.

    Teresa Elder Award Acceptance

  • Previous Winners

    2017
    Bambi Pish-Derr, DNP, CFRN, CCRN
    Mesa, AZ

    2016
    Kimberly Lacina, MSN, ARNP-C, CTRN, CEN, EMT-P
    Palm Harbor, FL

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

Distinguished TCRN Award

  • Awarded at Society of Trauma Nurses TraumaCon
  • Call for Awards are released in January of each calendar year
  • 2018 Winner
    June Guadalupe Headshot

    June Guadalupe

    MSN, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CMC, CNRN, TCRN Owings Mills, MD

    About June
    June, who was among the first in the nation to earn the TCRN when it was launched by BCEN in 2016, used his success to create a path to TCRN certification for dozens of nurses in Shock Trauma and the Emergency Department at the University of Maryland Medical Center. In collaboration with administrators and nurse colleagues, he developed and helped deliver educational resources – including a comprehensive TCRN review course whose participants have a greater than 90 percent pass rate on the exam, and removed common barriers to certification by addressing typical test-taking fears and gaining administrative approval to offer the review course for free.

    June Guadalupe Accepting Award

  • Previous Winners

    2017
    Andrea Wright, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
    Roanoke, VA

Honorary Certification Recognition Award (for Health Systems, Large and Small Organizations)

  • Awarded at Emergency Nursing Conference (ENA)
  • Call for Awards are released in June of each calendar year

Health Systems

  • 2018 Winner
    UCHealth Logo

    UCHealth Emergency Care

    Fort Collins, CO

    About UCHealth Emergency Care
    UCHealth is four emergency departments in the Fort Collins, CO region. UCHealth demonstrates support for specialty certification with financial support for up to 2 specialty certifications and renewals for nurses, a long list of review resources for preparation and recertification, and public and monetary recognition. Above all, each nurse receives a 24K gold stethoscope once they are certified!

    UCHealth is currently enjoying a 42% certification rate!

    UCHealth Employees

Large Health Care Facility

  • 2018 Winner
    Chilton Medical Center Logo

    Chilton Medical Center

    Pompton Plains, NJ

    About Chilton Medical Center
    Chilton’s leadership believed that certified nurses enhance patient care and enjoy professional satisfaction and worked diligently to promote and increase certification in their facility. They identified perceived barriers to certification and sought to ease those barriers. Chilton demonstrates creative and amazing support for their certified nurses by seeking out grant funds to remove financial barriers, offering review courses and study materials, providing flexible scheduling and various forms of public and monetary recognition for the certified nurses. As a result, Chilton has increased their certification rate from 25% to  43% this year!

    Chilton Employees

    Chilton Employees 2

  • Previous Winners

    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 Health Care Facility

  • 2018 Winner
    USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Logo

    USC Verdugo Hills Hospital

    Glendale, CA

    About USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
    This 12-bed emergency department has increased their certified nurses from 2 to 8, with 4 more in the bullpen. Verdugo Hills demonstrates support of specialty certification by providing review courses and study materials, along with flexibility with scheduling. Group study is encouraged with a dedicated space to include the ability to video conference. Verdugo Hills participated in and won the Greater Los Angeles Chapter ENA, CEN Olympics! They round this out with public and monetary recognition for the certified nurses. Way to go Verdugo Hills!

    USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Staff
    USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Staff 2

  • Previous Winners

    2017
    Bristol Hospital
    Bristol, CT

    2016
    Angel MedFlight
    Scottsdale, AZ

    2015
    IU Health Saxony Hospital Emergency Department
    Fishers, IN

Scholarships

BCEN proudly donates funds to established scholarship programs to support emergency, flight, transport, pediatric and trauma nursing programs. For more information, please visit the individual websites.

Yearly Scholarship Contributions:

ENA Foundation Scholarship - $70,000

  • 2017 Winners

    BCEN Doctoral Scholarship Recipients

    • Becky VonBank, RN, BSN, CEN, CPEN, PHN
      Minnesota
      Amount Awarded: $5,000
    • Rebecca Young, MAS, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN
      New Jersey
      Amount Awarded: $5,000

    BCEN Master’s Scholarship Recipients

    • Tommy Duvall, BSN, RN, CEN
      Texas
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Etiennette Sneed, RN, MICN, CEN, CPEN
      California
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Michael Brewbaker, RN, BSN, CEN
      Louisiana
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Steven Hunt, RN, BSN, CEN, NREMTP
      Tennessee
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Natalie Matthews, BSN, RN-BC, CEN
      North Carolina
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Dana Connolly, RN, CEN, CCRN
      California
      Amount Awarded: $4,000
    • Robin Birch, RN, BSN, CEN, CFRN, NRP
      Texas
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Lyndsay Joesel, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPN, CPEN
      Tennessee
      Amount Awarded: $3,000

    BCEN Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients

    • Allison Helmerichs, RN, TNS, CEN
      Illinois
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Heather Calhoun, RN, CEN
      Virginia
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Matt Helmerichs, RN, CEN
      Illinois
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Sara Andrews, BS, RN, CEN
      Washington
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Frances M. Spain, RN, CEN
      Missouri
      Amount Awarded: $3,000
    • Shawn Reid, RN, CFRN, EMT-P
      Virginia
      Amount Awarded: $3,000

Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) Scholarship - $35,000

  • 2018 Winners

    BCEN Doctoral Scholarship Recipients

    • Kent Lee, MSN, RN, CNS, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, Anaheim, CA
    • Diana Bornik-Degroot, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, TCRN, Lakeland, FL
    • Beverly Meade, MSN, RN, MHA, CEN, CFRN, CTRN, TCRN, EMT-P, Glouster, OH

    BCEN Graduate Scholarship Recipients

    • Amanda Rardon, BS, RN, CEN, TCRN, Burnettsville, IN
    • Andrea Rinker, BSN, RN, CMSRN, TCRN, Lorain, OH
    • John Ripple, RN, CEN, TCRN, Hockessin, DE

    BCEN Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients

    • Ginger Koppi, RN, TCRN, CEN, CPEN, EMT, Rogers, MN
    • Joshua Winowieki, RN, CCRN, TCRN, Detroit, MI

Air & Surface Transport Nursing Association (ASTNA) - $35,000

  • 2018 Winners

    BCEN Doctoral (DPN) Scholarship Recipients

    • Greg Clark, BSN, RNC-NIC, CEN, CFRN, CPEN, CTRN, NREMT, Fort Collins, Colorado
    • Steven Malarchick, MSN in education, CFRN, CTRN, Paramedic, Dolores, Colorado
    • Natasha Lukasiewich, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CFRN, CEN, TCRN, EMS-RN, LNC, Reno, Nevada

    BCEN Masters (MSN) Scholarship Recipients

    • Ian Luckhurst, BPe, BScN, RN, CFRN, ENC©, Rossland Canada (BC)
    • Teri (Therese) Campbell, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, PHRN, Arlington Heights Illinois
    • Stacy McCarthy, BSN, RN, CCRN, CFRN, Elk Grove, California
    • Edward Little, BSN, RN, CCRN ,CFRN, Tigard, Oregon

    BCEN Undergraduate (BSN) Scholarship Recipients

    • Charles Cooper, RN, CCRN, CPEN, CFRN, Wills Point, TX
    • Thomas Crain, BA, ADN, RN, CFRN, CPEN, NR-P, FP-C,  Phoenix, Arizona
    • Jeri Ennis, RN, CEN, CFRN, MICN,  Sparta, New Jersey
    • Robert Graves, RN, CEN, CFRN,  Zanesville, Ohio
    • William Murr, JR, RN, CFRN, NR-Paramedic, Colora, Maryland
    • Joshua Rider, Paramedic, RN, CCRN, CFRN, Bossier City, Louisiana

National Student Nurses Association Foundation (NSNA) - $20,000

  • 2018 Winners
    • Julia DeBaecke, Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing, Portland, OR
    • Jeanne Luse, Emory University, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, GA
    • Dylan McCloud-Lewis, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO
    • Yoana Muniz, The University of St. Thomas-Houston, Houston, TX
    • Lisa Willis, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
    • Hannah Zeller, Baker College, Owosso, MI