BCEN Honors Nurses Who Invest in Themselves and Their Patients for Certified Nurses Day

BCEN introduces latest "Invest in Yourself" nurse and updates free Nurse Recognition Kit to amplify the achievements of board-certified RNs

OAK BROOK, Ill., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As nursing professional organizations, healthcare systems and communities around the world prepare to mark Certified Nurses Day on March 19, the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) proudly celebrates specialty certified nurses providing care across the emergency spectrum. Practicing in dozens of nursing specialties spanning civilian and military settings, board-certified RNs voluntarily demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in their chosen field—reflecting a deep commitment to advancing patient care, safety, and outcomes.

"Certified Nurses Day celebrates nurses who invest in themselves to deliver the highest level of patient care," said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, ICE-CCP, CENP, CPHQ, FABC, and past president of the American Board of Nursing Specialties. "We are especially proud to recognize the nearly 55,000 emergency, pediatric emergency, trauma, flight, critical care ground transport, and burn nurses who are board certified through BCEN."

As Certified Nurses Day approaches, BCEN is marking the occasion by:

• Introducing the fifth nurse featured in BCEN's national "Invest in Yourself" campaign: Watch the inspiring story of double board-certified emergency/trauma nurse Gretchen Brown Carroll, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, in "Silver Linings, Stronger Than Ever."
• Refreshing the free Nurse Recognition Kit: Download note cards, flyers, posters, and more, featuring a new design plus the popular nurses "RN-credible" theme, on BCEN's Certified Nurses Day page.
• Celebrating key anniversaries for two certification programs: The Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) certification for critical care ground transport nurses turns 20 this month, and the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) turned 10 in February.

During February, BCEN certification voucher purchases included a complimentary Certified Nurses Day celebration kit.

Certified Nurses Across the Emergency Spectrum: By the Numbers
As of March 1, 2026, nearly 55,000 registered nurses (RNs) hold one or more of BCEN's nationally accredited and Magnet-accepted certifications, totaling more than 65,000 credentials across six specialty programs as follows: more than 41,500 hold the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), more than 5,800 hold the Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN), nearly 8,900 hold the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), more than 7,800 hold the Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), more than 675 hold the Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN), and nearly 750 hold the Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN). Growth of the CBRN, launched worldwide in October 2023, surged 35% in 2025, reflecting its rapid adoption among burn nurses.

Coming Soon: BCEN's Voucher Program Expansion
This month, BCEN will expand its volume discount voucher program to include practice exams and review courses from the award-winning BCEN Learn professional development platform. The BCEN Voucher Program allows employers and individual or groups of nurses to purchase as few as three vouchers for initial certification, retest, or recertification at a significant discount. The expansion will roll out new options to purchase discounted CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CFRN and CBRN practice exams and CEN, CPEN and TCRN review courses in addition to certification vouchers.

Join the #CND2026 celebrations on social media here: Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About BCEN
Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN®) offers robust nursing specialty certification programs fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. BCEN offers the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN®), Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN®), Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN®), Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®), and Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN®). All six BCEN certification programs are nationally accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) and are ANCC Magnet-accepted. Learn more at bcen.org.

SOURCE Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing