Small Healthcare Facility Winner
Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital – Emergency Department
A BCEN 2026 National Certification Champion
On October 6, BCEN was pleased to announce our 2026 National Certification Champion Award – Small Healthcare Facility category winner:
Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital – Emergency Department
Sullivan, Missouri
Learn Missouri Baptist Sullivan’s approach to investing in certification support and how it’s paying off:
- Comprehensive financial support for RN certification—reimbursement for exam fees, renewals, review courses, and practice exams
- Strong peer-driven learning culture fostered through mentoring and study groups
- Launch of RN Career Ladder program—a framework for financial recognition, professional development opportunities, clinical expertise recognition, and career flexibility
- 23% growth in certification since Oct. 2023—including RNs electing to earn two credentials (CEN and CFRN)
- Nurse-led sepsis initiative cut in-hospital sepsis mortality from 17% to 0% with nine consecutive months of zero in-hospital sepsis deaths, plus improved treatment timelines and provider compliance
What does being named a BCEN National Certification Champion mean to your organization and the community or communities you serve?
For our hospital, being named the BCEN National Certification Champion is both an incredible honor and a meaningful reflection of who we are. As a small healthcare facility, we are privileged to care for our neighbors, friends, and families during some of life’s most challenging moments. This recognition celebrates the unwavering commitment of our emergency nurses to combine advanced clinical expertise with genuine compassion, ensuring every patient receives exceptional care close to home.
For our community, being recognized as the BCEN National Certification Champion reinforces the trust they place in us. It signifies that when they come through our doors, they are cared for by highly skilled, compassionate professionals who are dedicated to delivering the highest standard of emergency nursing care. We are proud to serve our community and grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients every day.
Being named the BCEN National Certification Champion celebrates not only what our nurses have accomplished, but also who they are—highly skilled professionals with compassionate hearts, committed to making a difference in the lives of those they serve. We are grateful for this recognition and proud to continue raising the standard of emergency nursing for our community.
What sets nurses who have earned the CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN, CTRN and/or CBRN apart in their daily practice and in their professional development and career trajectories?
Nurses who earn BCEN certifications distinguish themselves through their commitment to lifelong learning, clinical excellence, and the continual pursuit of professional growth. Achieving specialty certification requires dedication, discipline, and a willingness to go beyond the foundational knowledge required for practice. It reflects a personal investment in developing advanced expertise and staying current with the latest evidence-based practices in emergency and trauma care.
In their daily practice, certified nurses bring confidence, critical thinking, and clinical judgment to some of the most complex and time-sensitive situations. Their advanced knowledge not only enhances patient outcomes but also serves as a valuable resource for colleagues, fostering a culture of learning and excellence throughout the department.
As your organization’s nurses earn an emergency, trauma, transport or burn specialty credential, what changes do you notice in them and the teams they work with?
As our nurses earn specialty certifications, one of the first changes that we notice is a growing confidence in their clinical knowledge and decision-making. Certification validates the expertise they have developed through experience while challenging them to deepen their understanding of evidence-based practice. That confidence is reflected in how they approach complex patient situations, advocate for their patients, and collaborate with physicians and other members of the healthcare team.
Certified nurses naturally become mentors, educators, and trusted resources for their colleagues. They share knowledge, encourage questions, and help foster an environment where learning is valued and continuous improvement is embraced. Their enthusiasm for professional growth is contagious, often inspiring other nurses to pursue certification and expand their own clinical expertise.
Certification doesn’t create compassionate, dedicated nurses—it amplifies the qualities they already possess. It gives them greater confidence in their knowledge, strengthens their voice as patient advocates, and equips them to elevate not only their own practice, but the practice of everyone around them.
What do you most want other healthcare organizations to know about why and how to support nursing specialty certification?
We want other organizations to know that investing in nursing specialty certification is one of the most impactful ways to strengthen clinical excellence, patient safety, and staff engagement.
Supporting certification demonstrates to nurses that their expertise is valued and that professional growth is not only encouraged but expected. To make this possible, we believe in covering exam fees, celebrating achievements, and building mentorship pathways so experienced nurses can guide others through the process. In return, certified nurses elevate care standards, inspire their peers, and contribute to a culture of accountability and pride that directly benefits patients and communities.
As a small, rural emergency department, access to educational resources can be more challenging than in larger healthcare systems. By combining organizational reimbursement programs, leadership support, and peer-to-peer collaboration, our team has successfully reduced barriers to certification and fostered ongoing professional development among emergency nurses ensuring our nurses have the resources needed to achieve and maintain BCEN certifications.
Investing in specialty certification and nursing professional development not only strengthens individual nurses but also leads to meaningful improvements in patient care, clinical outcomes, and the overall quality of emergency services provided to our community.
We are incredibly honored to be recognized by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing as the National Certification Champion Award recipient for a Small Facility. This award reflects the dedication of our emergency nursing team and their commitment to professional excellence, lifelong learning, and delivering exceptional care to our community.
Through specialty certification, our nurses continue to strengthen their clinical expertise, advance evidence-based practice, and improve patient outcomes. We are especially proud that, as a small rural hospital, we have fostered a culture where certification is encouraged, supported, and celebrated. This recognition belongs to our nurses, whose passion and commitment make a difference for every patient we serve.
See how all three of this year’s National Certification Champions built and sustain a culture of certification support.
Meet the 2026 NCC Award Recipients
Learn more about CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN, CTRN and CBRN certification.