Certification has become more necessary than ever, not only in the US but globally. With BCEN’s recent launch of an International Credential Evaluation service, we have made certification as accessible as possible for nurses around the world. We’d like to share the story of one of our international nurses from Oman, Shamsa Al Bulushi BSN, MSN, CEN.
She is passionate about being an ED nurse and aims to improve the quality of emergency services in her country and in other gulf countries. One of the ways she thought about improving her ED was by searching and learning about emergency nursing groups, like ENA, and certification exams offered by BCEN.
In 2011, Shamsa bought materials to study and prepare for the CEN® exam. She was the first in her country to sit for an exam like the CEN and struggled to get support from her colleagues and employer. She also struggled to sustain her own efforts for certification and believe in the true value it would bring. Eight years later, in 2019, she was finally able to sit for the CEN exam. She passed on her first try.
Attaining specialty board certification elevated the confidence she had in herself and her knowledge. In addition to being an ED nurse, Shamsa is involved in teaching part-time at a college of nurse education. She believes that her certification has not only improved her ability to care for patients, but also her ability to help colleagues and teach students about being an ED nurse. She is also preparing for her second certification from BCEN to continue improving her ability to care and educate.
To start her mission to improve the quality of emergency care at her facility, Shamsa plans to start hosting CEN review courses for her colleagues. She hopes this will encourage her colleagues to achieve specialty board certification.
We are inspirED by your story, Shamsa!
