BCEN Announces $175,000 in Scholarships and Kicks Off Annual National Awards Program

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) today announced it will donate $175,000 in academic scholarships this year and kicked off its annual national awards program to recognize top certified emergency, transport and trauma nurses as well as health care organizations who support and advance board certification for emergency nurses. Nominations are now being accepted for the Distinguished TCRN Award, which honors a top trauma nurse, with nomination windows opening on February 8 and July 15 for the remaining BCEN awards.    

"Shining a national spotlight on nurses and organizations who support and advocate for specialty certification for emergency nurses is fundamental to our mission and helps convey the excellence, achievement and impact that characterizes board certified nurses," said BCEN Executive Director Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CPHQ, CENP, FABC. "We are also committed to helping BCEN-certified nurses achieve their academic goals through our scholarship program."

2019 BCEN-Funded Scholarships
In 2019, BCEN will donate $175,000 to partner organizations to fund 59 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and paramedic-to-RN scholarships as follows:

• $70,000 to the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Foundation for 22 scholarships
• $35,000 to the Foundation of the National Student Nurses' Association (FNSNA) for 11 scholarships
• $35,000 to the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) for 13 scholarships
• $35,000 to the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) for 13 scholarships

Scholarship eligibility and application details for these BCEN-funded scholarships will be available on the partners' websites in the coming months.

Individual Certified Emergency Nurse Awards
This year, BCEN will recognize one top board certified emergency nurse in each of four categories: emergency, pediatric emergency, transport and trauma. Award candidates must hold the relevant BCEN certification and must (1) exemplify excellence in their specialty, (2) demonstrate achievement in advocating for emergency nursing specialty certification, and (3) show impact on the nursing profession and patient outcomes.    

The Distinguished TCRN Award recognizes a top Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN).

• Nominations accepted now through February 15
• Winner honored at TraumaCon 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky on March 28

The Distinguished CFRN/CTRN Award honors a top RN holding a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) or Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) certification.

• Nominations accepted February 8 – March 1
• Winner honored at the 27th Annual Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference (CCTMC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 16

The Distinguished CEN Award honors a top Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and the Distinguished CPEN Award honors a top Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN).

• Nominations for both awards accepted July 15 – August 10
• Winners honored at BCEN's Certification Recognition Breakfast at Emergency Nursing 2019 in Austin, Texas on October 2

For complete details on eligibility, nomination requirements, deadlines, and previous winners, visit https://bcen.org/awards

BCEN Organizational Award Gets a New Name
BCEN's organizational award, which has been renamed the National Certification Champion Award (formerly the Honorary Certification Recognition Award), recognizes organizations that: (1) exemplify excellence in supporting emergency RNs who pursue BCEN certifications, (2) show achievement in designing innovative programs supporting emergency nursing specialty certification, and (3) demonstrate the impact of board certified emergency nurses on patient, nurse and organizational outcomes.

One winner will be selected in each of these categories:    

Small Health Care Facility: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with less than 30,000 visits per year

Large Health Care Facility: single hospital emergency department, trauma program or freestanding emergency center with more than 30,000 visits per year

Health System: a group or system of two or more hospital emergency departments, trauma programs, or freestanding emergency centers

Nominations will be accepted from July 15 – August 10. Winners will be honored at BCEN's Certification Recognition Breakfast at Emergency Nursing 2019 in Austin, Texas on October 2.

Visit https://bcen.org/awards/NationalCertificationChampionAward for complete details.

About the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing
The nonprofit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) develops robust certification exams fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. Over 50,000 BCEN certifications 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 the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) certifications. The CEN, CFRN, CPEN, and TCRN certifications are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), the only accrediting body specifically for nursing certifications. Learn more at bcen.org. Follow BCEN on Facebook and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing