BCEN Celebrates 40 Years of Board Certified Emergency Nursing Excellence, Achievement and Impact

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Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing

Jan 02, 2020, 10:04 ET

OAK BROOK, Ill., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for specialty certification across the emergency spectrum, kicked off its 40^th anniversary celebration today. BCEN's five national board certification programs—the CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CTRN and TCRN—represent the highest professional credentials for RNs specializing in adult/mixed emergency, pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport and trauma nursing, respectively.

BCEN 40th Anniversary logo

Founded in 1980 as an independent certification organization, BCEN introduced its first board certification program for RNs, the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), that same year. Today, over 39,000 RNs hold the CEN, making it the most-held emergency nursing specialty certification in the world. In total, over 54,000 BCEN credentials independently validate the specialty knowledge and expertise of nearly 48,000 nurses.

"Patients and families receiving care from a nurse who displays a BCEN credential on their badge can expect a proven level of clinical knowledge from these dedicated professionals," said BCEN Executive Director Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC. "BCEN's commitment to excellence, achievement and impact spans 40 years, and we are incredibly proud of the accomplishments and commitment of BCEN-certified nurses."

"For healthcare teams and organizations, BCEN credentials distinguish nurses who noticeably contribute to improved patient outcomes, stay on top of the latest advances and best practices, champion clinical standards, promote safety and efficiency, solve problems, enhance collaboration, mentor novice nurses, and advocate for patients and their families," added Schumaker.

The centerpiece of BCEN's 40th anniversary celebration is the "Your Story is Our Story" campaign, featuring 40 stories about BCEN-certified nurses and healthcare teams along with other notables in BCEN's history.

Throughout 2020, BCEN will celebrate milestones in the development and impact of its accredited certification programs, industry leadership, and commitment to emergency, trauma and transport nursing including:

Nearly $850,000 in scholarships to support the academic aspirations of BCEN-certified nurses and paramedics seeking to become RNs (from 2011–2020)
Over $250,000 for research to advance specialty certification and emergency nursing (since 2015)
Annual national awards recognizing nurses and organizations who advance and advocate for emergency, trauma and transport specialty certification
Longtime partnerships with the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) and National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA)
Unparalleled certification support resources for candidates, certificants and healthcare organizations

BCEN will also introduce new programs and resources to support board certification of emergency nurses around the world. Join the celebration at bcen.org.

About BCEN
Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) is celebrating 40 years of robust board certification programs fostering empowered RNs across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. Today, over 54,000 BCEN credentials are held by RNs specializing in adult/mixed emergency, pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, and trauma nursing. Learn more at bcen.org. Follow BCEN on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing