Awards

BCEN’s annual emergency nursing awards shine a national spotlight on certified nurses and organizations who exemplify excellence in support of specialty certification.

Individual Awards | Organizational Awards

About BCEN’s Awards Program

.PLEASE NOTE: Burn nurses and burn centers are now eligible! Details below.

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®), trauma (TCRN®), and burn (CBRN®). Nominations for the 2026 award cycle are now closed.
  • BCEN’s National Certification Champion Award recognizes organizations in three categories: Small Healthcare Facility, Large Healthcare Facility, and Healthcare System. Nominations for the 2026 award cycle will open Friday, May 15. 📅 Add to Calendar

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.

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 for the 2026 award cycle are now closed.

.Please note: BCEN now offers Distinguished Awards in 6 specialty categories: burn, critical care ground transport, emergency, flight, pediatric emergency, and trauma. 

Please nominate an individual who demonstrates:

  • Excellence in pursuing and applying 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), TCRN (Trauma Certified Registered Nurse), or CBRN (Certified Burn Registered Nurse) certification may be nominated or nominate themselves.*

To be eligible for a BCEN 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.

Nomination submission requirements:

Award nomination is a brief, two-part process!

Please provide the following information about your nominee:

    • Their name, email address, title and affiliation/place of employment
    • The certification award for which they’re being nominated (CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN, CTRN, or CBRN)
    • How you believe they exemplify the clinical excellence and professionalism of a board certified nurse in this specialty

Following your submission, nominees will be asked to submit the following:

    • At least three ways they have successfully advocated for specialty certification and supported other nurses to earn and maintain board certification in this specialty.
    • A current CV & headshot
    • Up to three additional supporting items may be uploaded, but are not required.

 

Distinguished CEN Award

  • Honors a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)

Distinguished CPEN Award

  • Honors a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN).

Distinguished CFRN Award

  • Award honors a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN).

Distinguished CTRN Award

  • Award honors a Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN).

Distinguished TCRN Award

  • Honors a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN).

Distinguished CBRN Award

  • Honors a Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN).

National Certification Champion Award

BCEN’s National Certification Champion Award recognizes healthcare facilities and health systems that:

  • Exemplify excellence in supporting emergency RNs who pursue BCEN certifications
  • Show achievement in designing effective and innovative programs supporting emergency nursing specialty certification 
  • Demonstrate the impact of board certified emergency nurses on patient, nurse and organizational outcomes through data-based examples

Please note: Burn centers and burn center networks are now eligible to apply.

Nominations for the 2026 award cycle will open Friday, May 15.

📅 Add to Calendar

Category Criteria

One winner will be recognized in each of the following categories:  

  • Small Healthcare Facility: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with less than 30,000 visits per year, OR a single flight and/or critical care ground transport base, OR a single burn center/burn unit
  • Large Healthcare Facility: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with more than 30,000 visits per year
  • Health System: a group or system of 2 or more of the following: hospital emergency departments, trauma programs, freestanding emergency centers, critical care ground transport and/or flight bases, OR burn centers/burn units

Eligibility Requirements 

To be eligible for the National Certification Champion Award, a facility or organization must:

  • Currently employ BCEN-certified emergency, trauma, transport and/or burn nurses
  • Be actively engaged in supporting their nurses in obtaining and maintaining one or more of BCEN’s specialty certifications, with data provided to demonstrate growth in the number of specialty certified nurses, plus practices and policies showing the facility’s or organization’s commitment to supporting specialty certification.
  • 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

Health System

  • 2025 Winner

    The University of Tennessee Medical Center Emergency & Trauma

    Knoxville, Tennessee

    At The University of Tennessee Medical Center Emergency & Trauma, a strong commitment to nursing specialty certification has fostered a culture of excellence that has led to more cohesive teams, elevated standards of care, and greater trust among colleagues and from patients. Robust peer support and financial backing—evidenced by 90% of eligible nurses receiving full or partial certification reimbursement in the past year alone—have driven a 22% increase in certified nurses across the system’s emergency, trauma and critical care transport departments.

    Read our Meet the Winner Q&A with The University of Tennessee Medical Center Emergency & Trauma.

  • Previous Winners

    2024
    ChristianaCare
    Headquartered in Wilmington, DE

    2023
    RWJBarnabas Health Emergency Departments
    Throughout New Jersey
    2022
    Centura Health
    Centennial, CO

    2020
    Life Link III
    Minneapolis, MN

    2019
    Northeast Georgia Health System  
    Gainesville, GA

    2018
    UCHealth Emergency Care  
    Fort Collins, CO

Large Healthcare Facility

Small Healthcare Facility