BCEN HONORS TOP TRAUMA-CERTIFIED NURSE WITH 2021 DISTINGUISHED TCRN AWARD
Philadelphia Nurse Leader Advocates for Trauma Nursing Excellence Through Certification
OAK BROOK, IL (March 25, 2021) – The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for board certification across the emergency nursing spectrum, today announced that Julie Donnelly, MSN, RN, TCRN, director of patient care services, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of BCEN’s 2021 Distinguished TCRN Award. This annual national award recognizes one top TCRN-certified nurse for their advocacy for trauma care excellence through trauma nursing specialty certification.
Held by nearly 6,200 nurses and introduced just five years ago, the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) is trauma nursing’s highest professional credential. Nurses who earn the TCRN must demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge and expertise across the continuum of trauma care from injury prevention to acute care to rehabilitation. Trauma is a major public health issue, and trauma nurses play a leading and highly collaborative role in trauma care.
“Julie’s phenomenal success in supporting nurses to earn their TCRN trauma certification sets a prime example of how specialty certification contributes to better trauma nursing and better trauma patient care,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC. “She is a true champion for trauma excellence.”
Led and spurred by Julie’s work, the certification rate of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital emergency department nurses with at least three years of experience has increased from 38% to 100%, and the certification rates in all of the hospital’s trauma-designated units consistently exceed the average certification rate across all nursing units. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) is an accredited Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center.
“When the TCRN was introduced, we were so excited to have a certification just for trauma that we could offer to nurses in the trauma bay and in our intermediate and ICU trauma-designated units,” said Donnelly. “I am truly honored to receive this award. I see it as a team award for Jefferson and all of the trauma nurses here, not just me.”
Read more about Julie in the “Meet the Winner” Q&A at https://bcen.org/2021-tcrn-award-winner/.
“Julie has demonstrated remarkable leadership and been a fierce advocate to improve trauma patient care and advance nurse education. This recognition by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing is an honor that both reflects her talent for elevating nurse professionalism in all the TJUH units involved in the care of trauma patients and supporting our system focus on improving lives,” said Kate FitzPatrick, DNP, RN, ACNP, FAAN, NEA-BC, System Chief Nurse Executive Officer, Jefferson Health.
Donnelly will also be recognized via a virtual tribute by BCEN’s Schumaker on Friday, March 26, during TraumaCon 2021, the Society of Trauma Nurses’ annual conference. The event is being held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner of this year’s BCEN Distinguished TCRN Award was determined by a selection committee consisting of BCEN board members, staff and volunteer subject matter experts as well as a representative from the Society of Trauma Nurses.
Learn more about BCEN’s Distinguished Awards and National Certification Champion Awards at bcen.org/awards.
About BCEN
Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) offers robust national board certification programs fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. Nearly 57,000 BCEN credentials are currently held by registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, pediatric emergency and trauma nursing. BCEN offers the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®), Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN®), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN®), Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN®) and Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) certifications. The CEN, CFRN, CPEN, and TCRN certification programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC). Learn more at bcen.org. Follow BCEN on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
CONTACT: Hilde Marnul, Director of Marketing & Communications | hmarnul@bcen.org | 630-352-0811
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