BCEN Announces 2026 Distinguished Awards Honoring Top Board-Certified Emergency, Trauma, Transport and Burn Nurses

National Awards Recognize RNs for Clinical Excellence, Professionalism and Advocacy

OAK BROOK, Ill., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the benchmark for specialty certification across the emergency spectrum, today announced the 2026 winners of the BCEN Distinguished Awards. The annual, national awards recognize top board-certified emergency, critical care transport, trauma, and burn nurses who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to clinical excellence and professionalism in their specialty, as well as leadership and innovation in supporting their peers to join the esteemed ranks of board-certified RNs.

"The 2026 BCEN Distinguished Award recipients exemplify the highest standards of board-certified nursing practice and demonstrate the power of specialty certification in action—bringing together clinical expertise, leadership and compassion to advance patient safety and outcomes in the high-stakes environment of emergency care," said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, ICE-CCP, CENP, CPHQ, FABC.

The 2026 BCEN Distinguished Award honorees are:

• Distinguished CEN Award (adult/mixed emergency): Michael Isaacs, MSN-NE, APRN, ACNPC-AG, NPD-BC, CEN, TCRN, BCMMHC, Nursing Professional Development Specialist–Emergency Services, Salinas Valley Health in Salinas, California

• Distinguished CPEN Award (pediatric emergency): Solomiya Veturys, MSN, RN, CPEN, Trauma PI & Research Coordinator, Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware

• Distinguished TCRN Award (trauma): Cassie Herman, BSN, RN, TCRN, Trauma Program Manager, Riverside Health in Newport News, Virginia

• Distinguished CFRN Award (flight): Christine Muszalski, MSN-Ed, RN, EMT-B, CFRN, CEN, CCRN, CNPT, Clinical Orientation Manager/Critical Care Transport Nurse, Boston MedFlight in Bedford, Massachusetts

• Distinguished CBRN Award (burn): Kelly Speer, BSN, RN, CBRN, Registered Nurse, Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee

Get to know the recipients and their accomplishments through their Meet the Winner interviews. BCEN will present each winner with a Distinguished Award pin and trophy at individual workplace celebrations.

About Nursing Specialty Certification & BCEN Certification by the Numbers
Earning specialty certification reflects a nurse's commitment to advancing their expertise, strengthening clinical judgment, and delivering high-quality, specialty-focused care. As a voluntary, rigorous process grounded in standards defined by each nursing specialty, national certification signals professional accountability and a dedication to continuous learning. A growing body of research links nursing specialty certification with better outcomes for patients, nurses and healthcare organizations alike.

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).

Nominations Open May 15 for Award Honoring Organizations That Support Specialty Certification
BCEN also recognizes organizations committed to supporting nurses' professional development through national specialty certification with the annual BCEN National Certification Champion Award. Nominations for the 2026 National Certification Champion Award (in three categories) will be accepted from May 15 – June 26. Hospital adult and pediatric emergency departments, freestanding EDs, trauma programs, flight and ground transport bases, burn centers, and health systems are invited to apply.

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. More than 65,000 BCEN credentials are held by registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in emergency, pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, trauma, and burn nursing. 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 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