2023 National Certification Champion Award Winners Announced by BCEN

Hospitals and Health Systems Recognized for Commitment to Emergency, Trauma and Transport Nursing Clinical Excellence and Professionalism

OAK BROOK, IL (September 28, 2023) – The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for nursing specialty certification across the emergency spectrum, today announced the 2023 winners of its annual BCEN National Certification Champion Award. One winner in each category was selected based on their commitment to emergency, trauma, and transport nursing clinical excellence and professionalism through national nursing specialty certification.

Nursing specialty certification independently validates advanced knowledge and expertise across a nursing specialty. Board certification of RNs assures patients and families they are receiving care from nurses who are experts in their specialty, as research links nursing specialty certification to improved patient care, safety and outcomes.

“The 2023 BCEN National Certification Champions are national models for supporting emergency, trauma and transport nursing excellence by championing their nurses’ success,” said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC. “Their patients, nurses, healthcare teams and communities benefit greatly from their leadership.”

The 2023 BCEN National Certification Champion Award winners are:

Small Healthcare Organization: WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Large Healthcare Organization: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia
Healthcare System: RWJBarnabas Health Emergency Departments throughout New Jersey

Winners will receive a glass award and a nursing certification support and celebration package. Learn more about the 2023 winners in BCEN’s Meet the Winner series.

“Being named a BCEN National Certification Champion demonstrates WellSpan’s mission to provide optimal patient outcomes by investing in nurses who are at the top of their profession and dedicated to lifelong learning,” said Orie Chambers, Chief Nursing Officer at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital. “We have recently been able to double our number of certified emergency nurses. We know that research links specialty certification with improved patient outcomes, allowing WellSpan to deliver the safest, most efficient, and highest quality care possible.”

“This prestigious recognition speaks to the passion and dedication of our incredible nursing teams at Carilion Clinic,” said Tami Frost, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer for Carilion. “Our nurses make the difference for patients during some of their worst moments, going above and beyond to deliver quality care. It’s a privilege to be a part of a team that is committed to nursing excellence, practicing at the top of their license through specialty certification.”

“RWJBarnabas Health is honored to be named the BCEN National Certification Champion. This award represents the culmination of years of focused attention by nursing leadership to promote and facilitate ED nurse certification coupled with a highly motivated and passionate nursing staff who are dedicated to their patients as well as their professional development,” said Nancy E. Holecek, Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer. “We are so proud of our certified nurses and their commitment to lifelong learning.”

Over 50,000 RNs and advanced practice registered nurses worldwide hold one or more BCEN nursing specialty credential. Over 40,000 hold the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), over 5,400 hold the Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN), over 7,500 hold the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), over 5,900 hold the Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), and over 500 hold the Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN). BCEN will launch the Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) in October 2023.

Nominations for the national 2024 BCEN Distinguished Awards, which recognize individual nurses for their commitment to specialty excellence, will open February 1, 2024.

About BCEN

Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) offers robust certification programs fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. Over 59,000 BCEN credentials are 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®) certification programs. Learn more at bcen.org.

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CONTACT: Hilde Marnul, Director of Marketing & Communications | hmarnul@bcen.org | 630-352-0811