March 19 is Certified Nurses Day

Certified Nurses Day, celebrated annually on March 19, shines a spotlight on nurses that have chosen to pursue professional excellence through certification in their specialty field. With more than 3.8 million nurses in America today, it is one of the country’s largest professions and the backbone of our health care system. According to the American Board of Nursing Specialties, more than 1 million nurses in the U.S. hold a certification.

Today, there are over 200 nursing specialties and subspecialties. Achieving specialty and board certifications validates a nurse’s knowledge of clinical procedures and protocols as well as their ability to provide superior patient care within their specific area of focus. When a nurse becomes certified, they earn a credential added to their title, such as CEN for certified emergency nurse, NE-BC for nurse executive, and CMSRN for certified medical-surgical registered nurse.

“Earning a professional board certification allows our nurses to hone their knowledge and skills within their area of specialty to channel critical thinking and accomplish best practices in caring for our patients,” said Washington Health Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Terri Hunter, DNP, MPA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP. “Certification also instills confidence in nurses as it requires ongoing education so they are always abreast of the latest technologies and advancements.”

As of February 2025, 26.2% of Washington Health nurses held at least one professional board certification and 87.8% have a Bachelor of Science in nursing. These numbers are significantly higher than national benchmarks.

Washington Health is a Magnet® designated facility, which is the nation’s highest recognition of excellence in nursing care bestowed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). As part of its Magnet status, the health system encourages and supports its nurses to pursue higher levels of education and professional board certifications in their area of specialty. This is implemented through exam reimbursement, on-site study sessions, and flexible scheduling for continuing education. Wall plaques hang throughout the Hospital recognizing nurses who have achieved the highest standard of patient care in their specialty area through professional certification.

Shiny George, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CCRN-CMC-CSC, CNRN, is a telemetry clinical nurse specialist at Washington Health who champions the effort to help fellow nurses become certified. Within her unit, the concept of becoming cardiac certified is regularly encouraged through huddles, unit-based councils and newsletters. Nurses interested in cardiac certification are supplied with essential materials like theory books, study guides, and online practice exams. Last year alone, seven nurses on the unit achieved ANCC Cardiac-Vascular certification. They are celebrated for their accomplishment, which serves to encourage other nurses to follow suit.

“We are proud of our highly educated, board-certified team of compassionate nurses that provides outstanding clinical care to our patients across the health system,” said Hunter. “Because of their commitment to reaching the highest professional level within their specialty areas, they consistently outperform when compared against national benchmarks for patient falls with injury, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line bloodstream infections, and hospital-acquired pressure injuries. We are grateful to them on Certified Nurses Day and every day of the year.”